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

Friendship stories, sometimes, end up being something more.

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

Being in love with your best friend can be a complex situation, often arousing very intense feelings. In this context, maturity is key to manage the situation when you do not want to lose the friendship and affection. Knowing how to make a wise decision will determine how well the relationship goes in the future, whether as friends or as a couple.

Much to gain and much to lose

Many are the stories of friendship that have been broken because love has appeared between two inseparable companions, but there have also been written stories and love adventures that have arisen from the unique connection felt by a pair of good friends.

The line between friendship and romantic love is a fragile one.The line between friendship and romantic love is a fragile one, which is why many individuals believe that it is not possible for feelings of friendship to exist between two people of the opposite sex who have learned to love each other like siblings without being related. When a true friend (of the opposite sex) connects deeply with us and our needs, something more than a simple friendship can arise.

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

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

Our friends can bring us great joy, which is why it is said that "he 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 we choose to live a full life.

Finding that person with whom we can share our good times and our sorrows, with whom we can bare our soul and who understands and accepts us as we are, is a great gift of life.

Sometimes, that special friend can be someone of the opposite sex, and then one of the most recurrent questions can appear: Is friendship between a woman and a man possible? Undoubtedly, yes! But sometimes this close friendship can become a great challenge, and a more than exciting and, at the same time, terrifying barrier can appear that confronts friendship with attraction or with a deeper and more intense feeling: falling in love 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 the fear of revealing them can be paralyzing for fear of losing the affection of this person who is so important to us.

In this sense, if we want to maintain the affection with our friend it is necessary to detect if what we feel towards him or her is friendship or, on the other hand, we have developed feelings of attraction and falling in love. But, what are these signs?

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

When you want your friend to be your partner, you behave differently than you would if he/she were just another friend. Because falling in love changes your behavior.. For example, it may hurt you now when your friend tells you about his or her affairs, something that did not happen before.

2. You care more than other friends

Almost without realizing it, the person who used to be your friend has become your priority.. They have become too important a part of your life and you care about their happiness almost as if it were your own.

3. You are impatient to see this person

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

4. You want to melt into his or her arms

You probably have many friends of the opposite sex, but you wouldn't melt in their arms. you would not melt in the arms of all of them the same way you would with your special friend.. Hugs from this person you consider unique make you feel something magical, something that no one else makes you feel.

5. You are attracted to him or her

A sure sign that your friend is no longer just your friend is that you are attracted to him or her and want to be intimate with him or her. You probably want to be alone with your friend, so you can connect emotionally.

6. You think about that person all day long

It has stolen your thoughts, hijacked your attention and is now present in your mind for much of the day.. That's why you write to him/her on WhatsApp all the time and talk to him/her 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 can suffer from unrequited love, which can 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 romanticism triumphs if romanticism triumphs, friendship can give way to true love..

Falling in love with our best friend can be incredible, but it can also mean putting our beloved friendship at risk, so it is logical that doubts arise as to whether we should tell him or her or keep quiet about 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, it is useless to run away from this feeling and repress it, because in one way or another, it will make us feel like we are in love with him/her.It is no use running away from it and repressing it, because in one way or another it will affect us as well as the friendship. If we find ourselves in this situation, the best option is to recognize the signs that I have talked about in the previous lines and accept that falling in love with a friend is something that can happen and, in fact, it happens quite often.

2. Observe how he/she behaves with you

Once you know how you feel about your best friend, you can observe his behavior to find out if he really feels the same way about you.. This can help you to accept the situation ahead, to reflect on what is happening and to make a decision about how you are going to manage this new reality in which you are 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 remain the same as it is now is unrealistic.. In fact, it can affect you and your friend's affection for you both positively and negatively, so it is always best to be honest with yourself and the other person. Communicating and expressing your feelings can help you manage your relationship from now on and guide it with maturity.

4. Respect their decision

Telling your friend that you feel something more than friendship is a brave decision, but their reaction is not up to you.. If he/she 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 does not always happen, and it may happen that your friend does not feel the same way about you. Faced with this, you must respect his or her decision and move on with your life. This 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.