How many proper friends do you have?

[TWOBANANAS]

Not Facebook friends, not Instagram followers but real friends who you see, trust, confide in and who would be there for you if in trouble.

I don't work. And have no mum friends as 2 of my dc have SN so no school runs.

When this feels shitty

0-2

One who's feeling I hurt recently because I told her that I lost my only friend when my ex dumped me. She isn't speaking to me, and honestly there's little difference.

Another who never answers her phone and we don't have anything to talk about any more.

Neither of them are ever available to do stuff with me but manage to see each other and other people.

To me a proper friend is someone you can do stuff with, talk to about anything and nothing for ages.

I realised this weekend I could leave me voice box in my desk drawer and it wouldn't m make much of a difference

1. One is dying and one is about to move to australia .

None.

I can go for weeks without speaking to another adult that isn't a shopkeeper/bus driver.

And sorry to read that Horrace

5/6. Close friends but many more I meet with on a fairly regular basis

I am very social and happy to meet in groups or one to one

5 or maybe 6. Only one is local to me and the other lives 20 miles away. The others are either at the other end of the country or abroad. I have a lot of acquaitances mostly through work.

I only have 2, Dh and sil I say good friend as someone I can tell anything

I don't have a "best friend" but have some good friends - people who I'd call in a crisis, text for a chat or would drop what I'm doing to help. Some I don't see often or am less close to but still consider good friends on the above basis.

DH
2 siblings
1 v close friend from childhood
1 school friend
3 from 1st job (1 v close)
2 from another job (1 v close)
2 from current job
A group of friends from post-natal group (none v close but at the same time we know a fair bit of intimate stuff about each other and have helped each other out)

I don't see my friends as often as I'd like but love catching up and spending time together when I get the chance. I hope I am a good friend.

About 5, but only 1 who I see regularly, the rest we just WhatsApp chat as scattered all over the country. I've no family or Dp either.
My mum was my best friend and I miss her so very much (died unexpectedly couple of years ago)
Meetup groups have helped a lot though - joined a few in Jan and now have some casual local friends to do things with, meet for coffee etc. I'd recommend it to anyone feeling lonely. for those that do - it is very hard.

1 very close friend that is like family - she's part of my family and I hers.

2 friends since school days that, although we don't see as much of each other these days, when we do it's like we've never been apart and we are always there for each other if needed.

My absolutely adored friend from uni days who has absolutely been there for me through thick and thin, despite living at opposite ends of the country. We don't see nearly enough of each other but that doesn't matter, we still have adjacent beds in the nursing home planned and plan how we'll sit in our nighties watching Hollyoaks and drinking gin.

One friend who I am less close to these days as her flakiness just got too much for me, but I still consider her a friend and I know in an emergency I could call on her as she could on me.

Another 2 who live far away, 1 who is a friend of longstanding and we used to be very close, working and even living together, but lives have gone in very different directions which makes me sad. I need to make more effort there. The other far away friend we go on holiday together once a year but don't see much of each other in between.

A few others I'm friendly with, maybe wouldn't confide in that much but am happy to spend time with.

I also have two sisters I'm very close to, they'd probably be my first port of call in a crisis, along with the first friend I mentioned. I lost my mum a few years back, she was my absolute best friend in the world, a lovely mum but also someone it was fun spending time with and whose company I really enjoyed. My friends were an amazing support during her illness and after she died. They also, along with my family, got me through a truly hideous breakup that I thought I'd never get over. I'm now very happily with someone else who I love very much, but he's not my 'best friend' like people say about their partners all the time. I understand that feeling but ultimately my friends have known me longer and seen more, they know where all the bodies are buried as it were.

Though of course my dog is my best friend and my one true love, goes without saying

Maybe half a dozen long-standing real friends. Two I could say anything to. Lots of friends to socialise with but I don't need more than that tonne close to. Plus adult DCs and DH.

I'm so sad for those who are lonely. Could you have a meet up? Some of you might live near each other, there was another similar thread a while ago where that was discussed.

I'd say my DH and 4 or 5 really really amazing female friends.

This is really interesting, I asked because I only really count my DH and my sister as my friends. I worry that I'm not normal because of that but good to know that others have limited friends too and quality is really more important than quantity.

I've got 2 groups of women who I'd call proper friends, one group of 5 and one group of 6, all mainly women I met when my boys were little, at nursery or primary school. I meet up with them at least once a month, message regularly, etc and could call any of them in a crises! Within these groups there are 4 that's I'm really close to.

3 that I could tell if I committed a murder and they wouldn't say a word . Not that I would of course 😄

I'm always mystified by hen parties - how do the brides find a dozen women or more?!

I have 3 best friends, one whom I live with, 2 I text most days and see every couple of months for a whole day or overnight trip as we don't live too close - one is nurse doing shifts and the other has children so a bit trickier.

My ex partner I message or talk to everyday and see every couple of weeks...not sure how healthy that is?!

A couple of friends I message sometimes and see for couple a couple of times a year.

Couple of work friends who chat every day on work messenger and have lunch with every couple of weeks - not made it to be outside of work friends yet!

I'm an only child so need my own space so limited face to face time doesn't bother me!

I have lots and lots of people who like and care about me but I think my only friends that I can fully relax with are my DH and my sister. My mum was in this group but died last year :(