National Best Friends Day!

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PSYCHIATRIC VIEWS ON THE DAILY NEWS

Dedicated to Randy Levin, MD

Did you remember that yesterday was National Best Friends Day yesterday? It has been for about 90 years in the United States and Canada. I forgot, otherwise I would have written something yesterday about it!

But to my rescue was my new best friend, Randy Levin, a retired emergency physician. My old best friend? Barry Marcus, best friend for 70 years, died unexpectedly about 6 months ago. I guess my omission has something to do with my continuing grieving. My wife did remind me without realizing it yesterday by talking to me about our friends as we were driving to the airport to see a friend at a music festival in Ojai.

My way of grieving has included watching and listening to YouTube videos of Dionne Warwick and friends performing “That’s What Friends Are For.” I gauge how well my grief is going by how much I cry. It is whimpers now.

What a loss. Good friends are so important for good mental health: companionship, self-esteem, there when you need them, constructive criticism, and so much more. Of course, marital partners, like my Rusti, can sometimes also be best friends, too—marital best friends. Sometimes, though, unfortunately, there can be false friends. Watch out for them, as they use you for themselves.

The Surgeon General, as I wrote in a previous column, has warned us about loneliness and false friends on social media. But it is never too late to develop new friends or revive old friendships. So, although I am late with this, let’s extend the celebration of friends over the weekend!

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who has specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry. A prolific writer and speaker, he received the one-time designation of Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association in 2002. He is an advocate for mental health issues related to climate instability, burnout, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism for a better world. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times.