Friendship is often seen as a safe space – a place where one can be themselves and feel accepted. Yet in practice, it is within friendships that people frequently lose their boundaries, adapt excessively, suppress discomfort and gradually dissolve into another person. Dr. Daniel Reinhardt believes – the issue lies not in closeness itself, but in the fear of losing it. At MindCareCenter, we work with how to maintain connection without abandoning oneself.
At MindCareCenter, people come who notice that in friendships they become “convenient.” They agree even when they do not want to, support others while feeling depleted themselves and avoid saying “no” out of fear of damaging the bond. From the outside, such relationships may appear warm and stable, but inside, tension, exhaustion and a sense of invisibility accumulate.
Our psychologists emphasize – dissolving into another often forms long before a particular friendship. If, in the past, closeness was tied to the need to adapt, be useful or earn attention, a person carries this pattern into friendships as well. In Dr. Reinhardt’s view, friendship then stops being mutual and turns into a way of maintaining connection at the cost of oneself.
At MindCareCenter, we help clients see how boundaries are crossed. A person begins to recognize moments when they override their own feelings – agreeing out of fear, offering support out of guilt or staying silent to avoid being perceived as “difficult.” This awareness often brings anxiety – the fear that without constant concessions, closeness will disappear.
Gradually, therapy at MindCareCenter creates a new experience of friendship – first within the relationship with oneself. Our psychologists help restore sensitivity to inner states, desires and limits. A person learns to distinguish – where connection is chosen consciously and where behavior is driven by automatic, outdated patterns.
An essential part of the work at MindCareCenter is rethinking the very concept of closeness. Friendship without self-erasure is neither distance nor emotional coldness. It is the ability to be close while remaining separate. As boundaries become clearer, the need to constantly prove one’s worth fades, and relationships begin to rest on mutuality rather than one-sided self-sacrifice.
Over time, many notice that honesty does not destroy friendship – it strengthens it. At MindCareCenter, we observe how the quality of connection shifts – more vitality, spontaneity and respect emerge. Where tension once existed, a sense of ease and freedom to be oneself takes its place.
It is important to understand – not every friendship survives such changes. Sometimes it becomes clear that the bond was held together precisely by self-neglect. At MindCareCenter, we help process this as well – without devaluing the experience and without assigning blame. The loss of such relationships can be painful, yet it creates space for more mature and supportive forms of closeness.
If you notice that friendships often require you to disappear, that closeness demands constant compromise and inner strain – this is not about an inability to form friendships. It reflects an experience that can be transformed. At Mind Care Center, we help build friendship without self-erasure – restoring boundaries, inner stability and the right to be yourself alongside another person.
Previously, we wrote about loss of trust in yourself and how MindCareCenter helps restore inner support and the ability to choose.