Nurturing Supportive Friendships

Oct 23

Introduction

Hi everyone, this is Blake Anderson, registered social worker and therapist here in Toronto, Ontario. I have over 13 years of experience in social work and five years working as a therapist. I'm offering a free online course called Narcissistic Abuse Recovery and Scapegoat Recovery, covering my top 20 tips and strategies. This is the number eighth tip: nurturing friendships.

Why Supportive Friendships Matter

Some people talk about having your chosen family versus your family of origin, and why it's important to have a social safety net—people that are behind you and can give you support. A lot of my clients experience a lot of loneliness because they're gaslighted or confused and haven't had that emotional support.

When you have a friend—even if it's just one or two or three—who is emotionally available, honoring you, supportive, and listening, it confirms you're not crazy and you're a good person. If you grew up ignored without love and emotional care, this helps tremendously in your healing journey.

Breaking Toxic Patterns

As humans, we're social creatures. Staying social in a supportive friend group prevents dysfunctional or maladaptive behaviors. But many clients with complex trauma subconsciously attract narcissistic, selfish, or emotionally immature people—repeating patterns they're used to.

Ensure you cut those people out. Give people a chance, but don't be overly protective or paranoid. Honor your intuition—if someone is narcissistic, emotionally immature, and not supportive, get them out of your life and move on.

Building Your Support Network

Have people around you who are supportive and see the best in you. If your family blames you, get an objective perspective—know you have people behind you. This is one of the best ways to heal.

Practical Steps:

Evaluate your circle: Identify who truly supports you
Trust your intuition: Distance from draining relationships
Invest in positives: Spend time with those who uplift you

Download the full report: Tip 8 Report

Final Thoughts

Supportive friends validate your reality and reduce isolation. Have you built your chosen family? Share in comments below—your experience could help someone healing from narcissistic abuse. Thanks for reading.