What to do if you fall in love with your best friend (or friend)?

There are times when the story between two friends can turn into something more, and friendship can give way to a romantic relationship. However, when one of the two friends feels more than the other and falls in love without being reciprocated, the friendship is complicated.

Being in love with your best friend can be a complex situation, which usually arouses very intense feelings. In this context, maturity is key to managing the situation when you do not want to lose friendship and affection. Knowing how to make a wise decision will determine the good progress of the relationship in the future, either as friends or as a couple.

• Related article: "The 14 types of couples: how is your romantic relationship?"

Much to gain and much to lose

There are many friendship stories that have been broken because love has appeared between two inseparable companions, but stories and love affairs have also been written that have arisen from the unique connection that a couple of good friends have felt. friends.

The line between friendship and romantic love is fragile, and that is why many individuals believe that it is not possible for there to be feelings of friendship between two people of the opposite sex who have learned to love each other as siblings without being family. And it is that when a true friend (of the opposite sex) connects deeply with us and our needs, something more than a simple friendship can emerge.

In these cases, the question arises as to whether it is worth risking everything and losing that person so important to us.

Can friendship exist between a man and a woman (heterosexual)?

Our friends can give us great joys, that is why it is said that "who has a friend, has a treasure." In reality, we all decide who is part of our circle of friends, because friends are the family one chooses to live a full life.

Find that person with whom to share our good times and our sadness, with who we can bare our soul and understand and accept us as we are, is a great gift from the lifetime.

Sometimes that special friend may be someone of the opposite sex, and then one of the most recurrent questions may appear: Is friendship between a woman and a man possible? Undoubtedly yes! But sometimes this close friendship can become a great challenge, and it can present a barrier more than exciting and, in turn, terrifying that confronts friendship with attraction or with a deeper feeling and intense: infatuation with our best friend.

How to know if you are in love with your best friend

When we fall in love with our best friend, the feelings are so strong and contradictory that fear Revealing them can be paralyzing for fear of losing the love of this person so important to us.

In this sense, if we want to maintain affection with our friend, it is necessary to detect if what we feel towards him or this is friendship or, instead, we have developed feelings of attraction and infatuation. But, What are these signs?

1. You don't treat him the same as other friends

When you want your friend to be your partner, you behave differently than you would if they were just any friend. And it is that falling in love changes your behavior. For example, it may now hurt when your friend tells you about her romance, something that did not happen before.

2. You care more than other friends

Almost without realizing it, the person who was your friend has become your priority. She has become too important a part of your life and you care about her happiness almost as if it were your own.

3. You are impatient to see that person

Seeing your friend as something else makes you want to spend a lot of time with him or her, that you have a great need to see him / her at all times.

4. You want to melt into his arms

You probably have many friends of the opposite sex, but you wouldn't melt into everyone's arms the way you would your special friend. The hugs from this person that you consider unique make you feel something magical, something that no one else makes you feel.

5. Attracts you

An unequivocal sign that your friend is no longer just your friend is that attracts you and you want to have moments of intimacy with him or her. Surely you want to be alone with your friend, to be able to connect emotionally.

6. You think about that person all day

It has stolen your thoughts, hijacked your attention and is now present in your mind for much of the day. So you write him on WhatsApp at all hours and you talk to him differently than you would with other friends.

What to do if you fall in love with your best friend

Being in love is one of the best experiences we can live, as long as the other person feels the same towards us. Otherwise, we may suffer for an unrequited love, which may affect our self-esteem and cause frustration and anxiety, among other psychological symptoms.

This situation is especially delicate if the unrequited love is that of our best friend. However, If romance triumphs, friendship can give way to true love.

Falling in love with our best friend can be incredible but it can also put our so much at risk. dear friendship, so it is logical that doubts arise about whether we should tell them or shut up this immense feeling. So what should we do if this happens to us?

1. Be aware of it and accept the situation

When we fall in love with our best friend, there is no use running away from this feeling and repressing it, because in one way or another it will affect both us and the friendship relationship. If we find ourselves in this situation, the best option is to recognize the signals that I have talked about on the lines above and accept that falling in love with a friend is something that can and does happen with a certain frequency.

2. See how he behaves with you

When you know how you feel towards your best friend, you can observe her behavior to see if he really feels the same way about you. This can help you to accept the situation that is coming, to reflect on what is happening and to make a decision regarding how you are going to manage this new reality in which you live immersed.

3. Be honest with yourself and your friend

If you have fallen in love with your best friend, pretending that none of this has happened and that the friendship will continue to be the same as so far is not realistic. In fact, it can affect both positively and negatively the affection that you and your friend have for each other, so it is always better to be honest with yourself and with the other person. Communicating and expressing feelings can help you manage the relationship from now on and lead it maturely.

4. Respect their decision

Telling your friend that you feel more than just a friendship is a brave decision, but their reaction is not up to you. If he decides to be with you and give you a chance to start a romantic relationship, it will surely be one of the most incredible days of your life.

But this idyllic situation is not always true, and it may happen that your friend does not feel the same about you. Faced with this, you must respect their decision and move on with your life. That does not mean losing the friendship, but you will have to adapt to the new situation even if that includes taking distance for a while. You can read the article "How to forget an impossible love, in 5 steps”To know what to do in this case.