Why Reassurance-Seeking, Overthinking, and Fear of Rejection Can Strain Even Good Friendships Most of us have moments when we wonder where we stand with a friend. That's part of caring about people. But for some, those worries become a constant rumination in the background of their friendships. You might find yourself replaying conversations, looking for signs that something is wrong, or repeatedly seeking reassurance that the friendship is still okay. That's where a discussion about anxious attachment can be helpful. Attachment styles have become a popular topic online, but social media often reduces a complex subject to quick labels and catchy phrases. In this episode of Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship, we're taking a deeper look at what anxious attachment actually looks like in friendships. When is concern about a friendship justified? When is anxiety filling in the blanks? And how can you tell the difference? I'm joined by psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher Rebecca Stambridge, known online as The Friendship Therapist, to discuss anxious attachment style in friendships. While attachment styles are often discussed in romantic relationships, Rebecca explains why they show up in our platonic connections. We explore what anxious attachment style looks like in real life, why some friendships feel especially triggering, and how learning self-compassion can help you stop looking to friends to soothe every uncomfortable feeling. WE DISCUSSED: The difference between normal friendship insecurity and anxious attachment Why some people constantly worry that a friend is upset with them even when there's little evidence How overthinking and seeking reassurance can strain friendships The connection between childhood experiences and adult friendship patterns The difference between healthy friendship expectations and looking to a friend to soothe anxiety How secure friends can sometimes trigger anxious attachment in others Practical mindfulness and self-compassion tools for managing friendship anxiety How to tell the difference between your anxiety talking and a friendship that genuinely isn't working Why healing anxious attachment doesn't mean never feeling insecure again MEET REBECCA STAMBRIDGE: Rebecca Stambridge, known as The Friendship Therapist, is a psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher who helps people overcome low self-worth and anxious attachment so they can feel secure and at ease in their platonic relationships. 📱 Subscribe to my newsletter “Conversations About Friendship” on Substack ❤️ Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, & the Dear Nina Facebook group 📪 Ask an anonymous friendship question 📪 email: dearninapodcast@gmail.com 🔎 Want to work with me on your podcast, your friendships, or need another link? That’s probably here. Thank you to this week's sponsor: SINCERENOTES. SincereNotes is available to download free on Google Play and App store. Special thank you, as always, to my assistant producer, Rebekah Jacobs!