How to Rebuild Friendships Lost Over Depression

When you are depressed, not only may your social life suffer but your close relationships as well. Depression can inspire such negative thinking as "No one wants to be around me. I'm no fun. No one cares about me." These negative thoughts can lead to a desire to isolate yourself by not accepting social engagements or even answering the phone. After a lengthy period of depression, many people find that they have lost friendships due to neglect. Rebuilding those friendships is an important step to putting depression behind you.

Instructions

• 1

  Make a list of the friends that you have lost contact with. Evaluate the list. Do you want to rebuild friendships with all of your old friends? Some friends may have contributed to your depression by encouraging you to make poor choices, drink too much or by putting you down. If this is the case with any of your old friends, mark them off the list.

• 2

  Call one of the people on your list. Tell them honestly that you have been suffering from depression and haven't felt like socializing for a long time, but that you value their friendship. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, major depressive disorder affects 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older every year. This indicates that your situation is not unique. Chances are, your friend has had experienced having a friend or family member who struggled with depression before.

  Apologize for neglecting the friendship. Ask them to meet you for a cup of coffee or come over for dinner one night.

• 3

  Make concrete plans with the friend that you are reconnecting with. Set up exact times to meet. Don't hang up the phone with a promise to "meet for lunch."

• 4

  Call other friends on the list and repeat the process. Be careful not to overbook yourself, since stress can lead to depression. Seeing friends once a month is a good start toward rebuilding friendships. Once you make plans with your friends, it is important at this point to follow through, even if you find yourself feeling down and not wanting to go out.

• 5

  Let your friends know you are thinking about them. Stay in touch with them on social networks such as Facebook. Send them cards on their birthdays. Keep track of who is having a baby, who is getting married or divorced, and who has been ill. Your friends will be thankful that you are thinking of them once again.