Friends can keep you emotionally healthy.

There is a definite link between friendships and mental health. "To be emotionally healthy, human beings need to love and to be loved, and to feel worthwhile to themselves and others," maintains Sarah Rahhal, coordinator of the Employee Assistance Program, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. "Friends fulfill this role as few others do. Everyone knows that we can't choose our relatives, but we can choose our friends. Because of this, our friends reflect our own true self-esteem and self-image. Almost everyone chooses friends who help us feel better about overselves.

"Friends also affirm each other and give us a sense of connectedness. People need others to share their joys and their challenges. Having good friends helps prevent isolation and helps a person keep life events in perspective."

While a plus for both men and women, there are some noticeable differences in male and female friendship styles. "Men are more likely to have friends to do things with, while women have friends whom they talk with. Women also are more likely to have one or two |best' friends, while men tend to have a group of |buddies.'

For enduring friendship, commitment, caring, and trust are essential. Open-mindedness and a nonjudgmental attitude also help to keep it strong. "Ask yourself, who are the members of...