Emotional Stabilization

Stabilizing emotionally is a difficult, but important, part of your healing. Remember, about 85 percent of all of your available energy is being consumed by your emotions.

"The answer to emotional instability is friendship," says Dr. Jim A. Talley. "Opposite-sex friends lead you down the road to relationships. Same-sex friends provide you emotional stability. My advice for the emotionalist is to stop the wild ups and downs and to concentrate on building quality, intimate friendships with the same sex in order to have real emotional stability."

Laura Petherbridge says, "Same-sex friendships can keep you from making poor choices. They build you up. They teach you what's good about yourself, how you can grow, and how you can be all that God created you to be."

Building friendships is a practical, do-able step, but do not think it is an easy, quick thing to do. Friendship takes time and energy; it requires you to be a giver and a listener, not just a taker and a talker. Friendship involves personal sacrifice, but the rewards are tremendous.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).