In the Media – Three Kinds of Friendzillas (Brides Magazine)
Bride’s Magazine
August 18, 2014
If you have ever been a bride with a wedding party, there is a good chance you’ve run into a Friendzilla, the well-meaning friend who drives you around the bend. When tensions run high, it’s easy to become self-involved and forget the customary social graces. In Brides Magazine, journalist Amber Ray describes three friendzillas you wouldn’t want to have in your wedding party.
She asked The Friendship Doctor for advice on how to handle the friendzilla who is blunt and critical.
She writes:
Some people simply don’t know how to self-censor. And while honest opinions are important when you’re planning something as momentous as a wedding, words can still hurt. But remember: A blunt pal is different from a bully — someone who openly mocks your choices — and that unfiltered friend “is more likely to respect the bride’s decisions and recognize that the decisions are hers, not theirs,” says Irene S. Levine, PhD, friendship expert, and professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine.
Still, it’s worth having a chat to let her know your feelings have been hurt. “You might tell her that you recognize you are sensitive and stressed— and that you realize she’s trying to be helpful,” Levine says. “Then point out one or two specific comments or instances that left you reeling. Try to get in touch with all the reasons why you choose your friend to be part of this special day. They are the same reasons why you want to preserve the friendship.”
To read the Brides article in it’s entirety, click here.
Category: IN THE MEDIA
