Friendship Fallouts (and How to Survive Them)

Friendship fallouts in adolescence can hurt as much as any heartbreak. One day you're inseparable; the next, you're eating lunch alone. Friendships shift because you're all changing — fast — and sometimes the people who fit last year don't fit this year.

It doesn't mean something's wrong with you. Some friendships are for a season, and that's okay. What matters is finding the people who like you as you actually are, not a version you perform for them.

Let yourself grieve the ones that end. Then gently reach toward new people — clubs, teams, online communities that share your interests. Real friends don't require you to shrink.