What is at the core of a real friendship? Dr. Robin says it's trust, respect, safety and above all—love. "In a friendship, you are promising to care about everything—the good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things—all of it, all of the time, every day," Dr. Robin says. "You are there to say, 'Your life will not go unnoticed, because I will notice it.'"

With a real friend, you can have an honest and open dialogue with someone who won't shut you down or silence you, Dr. Robin says. "They are the soft place to fall, they are the soft place to laugh until my stomach hurts, they are the people who know my whole story," she says.