CNN —When a friendship hits a stumbling block, how do you know whether to work on the relationship or let it go? It can be tempting to let a friendship fade instead of facing conflict — especially when life feels overwhelming in other ways — because conflict is hard. But we are already facing a loneliness epidemic, and relationship repair carries further urgency in the face of biological evidence. Here are five ways to repair a friendship — or leave it behind if it’s toxic. Franco encouraged people not to let a single issue break up a friendship, which is something she sees in her practice.

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