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July 24, 2024 at 8:40 am #435344
Carol
ParticipantDear Helcat,
Exactly ! Plus, she was diagnosed 8 years ago, so depression alone can not explain her behavior.
“No matter how she justifies treating you in this way doesn’t make it right.”
Thank you for reminding me this !
“You naturally empathise with others. It’s not going to stop. But you do owe yourself empathy as well. Your pain over losing your best friend is equally important as the pain of your friends depression. Some may say that your feelings are more important because you have a responsibility to take care of yourself and your needs.”
It’s true that I tend to think that my feelings are less important, especially compared to something like depression… Honestly, I didn’t want to put more on her plate !
But her text sparked something and I suddenly felt the need to have my feelings heard and to advocate for myself.
So I guess that I have my closure, now.
I think this type of situation is very hard to handle and both options (ie matching interest or having an open talk) are both appropriate according to the circumstances.
So I thank you again for your tremendous help ! Each of your replies reached me something 🙂
July 24, 2024 at 8:24 am #435343Carol
ParticipantDear Anita,
“She shared with you, paraphrased, that she’s been suffering from depression, that her energy is limited, and therefore she has had to choose what’s important to her (her relationship, and soon: her studies), and withdraw from what is less important to her (you).”
Exactly, I thought so.
“- empathize with yourself and express some empathy for her. But let the ones she prioritizes do most of the empathizing with her.”
For some reason, this sentence really resonated with me !
I was ready to give up on our friendship when she sent me a text yesterday, thanking me for our evening and saying that she was glad that I seemed to live a happy life (I talked about my new friends/hobbies).She also apologized for “not talking much.”
I think this was the straw that broke the camel’s back because I realized at this moment, how oblivious she was to my feelings.
So, I told her that she didn’t have to apologize. I explained that the awkward silences were due to the fact that I felt uncomfortable during our interaction since I didn’t know what to say nor how to behave.
She asked me what I meant by that. And I replied that things changed since she met her boyfriend and as a result, we drifted apart. Of course, I said that I was happy that she was in a fulfilling relationship.
She replied that indeed, she had not been available this past year and that she was truly sorry.
She said that she completely understood my point and that she would start to make more efforts in the future in order to solve this because she cared about our friendship.
She added that if at some point, I felt that we drifted apart, I could tell her because she wasn’t good at handling many things at a time but she didn’t want to think that she was fading away.
Then, we agreed that it was a good thing we talked this out and we planned our next hangout next week.
So in some way, I feel relieved ?
I think that she’s genuinely sorry and the future will tell how it turns out.
July 22, 2024 at 3:45 pm #435258Carol
ParticipantEmpathize*
not emphasize
My apologies
Thank you so much for reading
July 22, 2024 at 3:42 pm #435257Carol
ParticipantHello 🙂
I have some news.
I just went home from my friend’s house ! We spent the evening together sipping tea.
I was talking about how I was juggling my hobbies, work and social life.
And then she mentioned that because of her depression (she was diagnosed 8 years ago) she didn’t have a large bandwidth to handle different things at the time : everyday tasks, like cooking, cleaning, etc required a lot of efforts and as a result, she didn’t do much.
She added that right now, she was focusing on her relationship because it was still new and very important to her and when she would go back to university, her priority would shift to her studies (understandable) !
That makes perfect sense.
The thing is, I felt deeply uncomfortable the whole time. There were many awkward silences, I withheld a tons of informations and funny anecdotes about my life … I just didn’t feel close to her anymore and didn’t feel like confiding in her !
There was no more vulnerability, it was as if something was broken. I offered her her birthday present, which in hindsight was way too expensive, knowing the way she’s been treating me.
I felt like I was pretending, pretending to be okay whereas I felt really hurt about the changes in our friendship.
So right now, I am wondering if I should talk to her about how I feel like we drifted apart or if I should let this go, especially as she is doing the best she can with her depression !
I don’t know if I should emphasize with her … or myself ?
On one hand, I feel like talking to her is a way of respecting myself and our friendship.
On the other, I am wondering if I am not being selfish/self-centered, bringing up my issues knowing very well she struggles with her mental health !
I don’t think she’s ill-intentioned.
I think she’s genuinely struggling.
Any help is appreciated 🙂
July 12, 2024 at 7:44 am #434938Carol
ParticipantHello,
I hope you are both well 🙂
Just so you know, I read each of your replies with attention and I can’t thank you enough for your helpful advice !
I will get back to you with a more elaborate reply once I take some time to reflect about the situation !
You made valid points and I think I need a bit of time to properly assimilate the informations
Thanks again and I will come back
July 6, 2024 at 8:01 am #434737Carol
ParticipantDear Helcat,
“It is very kind of you to rewrite a message because it was in moderation. Thank you for your efforts! “
Thank you for reading and helping me.
“Ah so there was a reason for the visit with your friend so it doesn’t hurt as much.”
Exactly !
Thank you for your compassion.
Yes, it has been hard but I feel like I am handling things better now because I don’t hurt as much as in the beginning.
The pain often fluctuates and is intertwined with genuine happiness when I interact with my new friends and throw myself into new hobbies !
I am so sorry that your friendship had to end, it’s very painful when things become one-sided ! I am happy that you had some closure and I hope you this friendship breakup does not affect you in a negative way anymore !
“Do you feel nervous about sending the message because it might end the relationship? Quite a high chance in the scenarios mentioned by Anita.”
Yes, I feel very anxious and I am reminded of the fact that I somewhat shared my feelings with her in February, even though it was in an indirect way.
Plus, I am currently in a good mood because I am going to a few events in the following days with my new friends. So in a way, I am scared that sending this text will send me back in a dark place.
But don’t worry, I know it’s unhealthy to think like this because even though I feel good at the moment, the problem remains unsolved and my feelings haven’t been heard, at least not like the message I wrote here.
“If you are looking for a potentially more positive outcome vulnerability can be good as people respond to it positively. It might look something like.”
Thank you so much, it’s an amazing suggestion !
I will think about it !
July 6, 2024 at 7:46 am #434735Carol
ParticipantHello,
I am very sorry for the late reply, I have had of work lately.
Thanks to both of you for your replies !!
Anita,
“- yes, it makes sense that you’ll need 1-on-1 time with her before meeting her boyfriend and his friends.”
Thank you, it feels validating to read this.
“it will be interesting how she will respond, if it’d be one of the possibilities I mentioned or something that didn’t occur to me (or to you?)”
Yes, definitely. I admit I haven’t sent the text yet because it makes me nervous and I want to wait for the right time, meaning a time where I can allow myself to be sad/disappointed.
There’s something that I haven’t mentioned to both of you but that I think is very important : in February, when I saw her after 6 weeks, I told her that I was scared that everyone would stop prioritizing our friendship once they entered in a relationship, and that I was worried to end up alone as all my friend would pair up (that’s an issue I no longer have, because I have worked on it but it’s another topic 🙂 ).
It was one of the last time that I was emotionally vulnerable with her.
At the time, she assured me that she highly valued friendship and that platonic relationships were equally as important as romantic ones to her.
Needless to say, her actions clearly didn’t match her words and our friendship never improved after that.
It makes me wonder if that should make me reconsider sending her a text, as I somehow expressed how I felt in February, even if it was in a subtle hint ?
“- peace of mind is so very important. More important than any friendship.”
Truly !
July 3, 2024 at 10:03 am #434610Carol
ParticipantDear Anita,
“So, you see, I didn’t advise you against talking to her/ sharing your feelings with her. I expressed a wish that you were emotionally okay with letting it go because actions speak louder than words. and her actions in the last year include repeatedly taking 12 days or more to reply to your texts.”
Sorry, I misinterpreted your reply. I understand better now 🙂
“Here are a few possibilities as to when/ how she replies to your message, and perhaps you can prepare yourself to these possibilities: (1) she may take 12 days or more to reply; she may reply on the same day, or anywhere in between,”
Thank you for your thoughtfulness, I am aware of these possibilities : if she takes days to reply, I guess I will have my answer.
“she may reply saying something like this: oh, I am so sorry, I was so wrapped up in my relationship that I neglected our friendship and keeping it separate from my relationship. I am inviting you to meet my boyfriends and his/ our friends for a cookout on (date). Would you like that?“
It would seem quite sudden, especially as we haven’t really been emotionally close in a long time. I think I would need some time one on one to rebuilt the friendship. Does that make sense ?
“she may get defensive, saying something like: well, I’ve been very busy, I can’t be everything for everyone!”
“she may reply but ignore the content of your message.”
In both cases, I will give up on the friendship.
Sometimes, I think the last one is the most likely to happen.
But I will find some peace in the fact that I have tried the best I could to salvage our friendship.
July 2, 2024 at 9:10 am #434549Carol
Participant[quote quote=434430]Hi Carol You are a very kind soul to wish that your friend is happy and ignorant. I see, so she is making an effort to visit with the other close friend but not with you? That must hurt a lot. I’m really sorry to hear that. Did you ever send that message that you wrote? If so, how did it go? If not, it might be worth discussing these things so you can get some closure. Knowing that you tried to resolve things and hearing her side of the story might bring you some peace. I guess fears either way. It has been a long friendship and endings can be painful. Does it feel like the relationship is slowly ending? Love and best wishes![/quote]
Hi,
I have replied earlier but it seems that my post is still awaiting moderation (probably because of the use of emojis?) so I am going to write it again below :
Deep down I just want her to be happy in her relationship. Sure, it would be better if it were not at my expense, but it is what I is.
Don’t worry that does not hurt that much knowing that this friend visited our city because of medical reasons. She unfortunately does not have much money, so she stayed at my friend’s place.
I haven’t sent my message yet but I am considering doing it in the following days. Sorry Anita, I know you advised against it !
I don’t know if our friendship is slowly ending or if it’s just an “ebb” from her point of view.
What I know is that I am not interested in the kind of friendship we have now, which is more casual. I am not okay with our friendship being downgraded every time she enters a relationship.
I have made some modifications and would like to send something like this :
“Hi,
There’s something I would like to talk to you about as I think it’s pretty important.
I don’t want to sound insecure, but I noticed you pulled back this year.
As a result, I also started to focus on other friendships. I notice you don’t necessarily keep me informed on what is going on into your life, so I started to do the same.
I totally understand that now that you’re in a relationship, the dynamic is different!
But I thought we would remain close.
I would like to know about your perspective ?
Also, what do you expect from me in this friendship ? ”
I don’t want to guilt-trip her not to make unnecessary accusations.
I am open to suggestions 🙂
July 2, 2024 at 3:23 am #434534Carol
ParticipantSorry, I realize I didn’t complete a sentence.
I wanted to say : “I feel like what we have now is a shell of what it used to be
July 2, 2024 at 3:09 am #434532Carol
Participant[quote quote=434393] as I understand it, she distanced herself from you, not the other way around. She initiated the distancing over and over again, through a long period of time, before you reacted to her initiative by.. not chasing her for closeness. Does this make sense to you? anita[/quote]
Hi Anita,
Yes, I am definitely sad about the lost closeness.
I feel like what we have know is
[quote quote=434393] as I understand it, she distanced herself from you, not the other way around. She initiated the distancing over and over again, through a long period of time, before you reacted to her initiative by.. not chasing her for closeness. Does this make sense to you? anita[/quote]
This is more realistic and also supported by the facts, as some of my texts never got any reply and she started to take more time to reply.
Thank you for the reminder ! 🙂
Indeed, I probably tend to gaslight myself in order to alleviate the pain.
June 29, 2024 at 9:01 am #434382Carol
ParticipantDear Helcat,
Thank you so much !
Yes, it could be the result of her being in an unhealthy relationship. But she has another close friend who lives 5 hours away. She had to visit our city a few times since January and I know they saw each other. I am not certain this friend had met her boyfriend, but I have faith that if there was anything fishy going on, this friend would have noticed ! I am saying this because she’s a really intelligent, protective and assertive person and she has a strong personality.
So it’s as if I am relying on her to keep an eye on my friend. I don’t know if that makes sense ?
It is true that we never know how things are underneath the surface. I sincerely hope that she is in a happy and fulfilling relationship, I prefer her to be blissfully in love and ignoring me, than knowing she’s stuck in an abusive relationship.
“After 15 years of close friendship, I bet she misses you and is aware of the drifting. For whatever reason, she is holding back. I will add that people who aren’t cared about aren’t texted at all. Perhaps there is a fear that the relationship will drift even more in the future?”
I don’t necessarily think she does not care about me at all. Just that her relationship took precedence over everything in her life and that she does not view me as important as before.
When you talk about this fear, are you referring to mine or hers ?
“It is healthy to invest your time and energies in people who invest in you. I’m glad that focusing on that is helping.”
Thank you.
So would you personally advise me anything to do besides this ?
Thanks again ! 🙂
June 29, 2024 at 8:46 am #434381Carol
ParticipantDear Anita,
Thank you again for your help !
My trip went well, thank you.
Yes, focusing on the positive helps greatly. Also, I notice that when I am too busy hanging out with my new friends and meeting new people, I am less bothered by the fact that our friendship is less strong.
“it seems like you feel somewhat responsible for your friend shifting priorities away from you, as if you are guilty for the weakening of the friendship. The self-doubt is something like this: did she move away from me because of her new relationship or because I was too much (high maintenance), or because I moved away from her first/ too soon?”
Indeed, I wonder if I am not partly responsable :
Even if it sounds strange, I sometimes gaslight myself into thinking that maybe this kind of ebb is normal, expected and I should just accept the changes, maybe I am the one who’s too “high maintenance” :
I am perfectly able to understand that a romantic relationship is very important, and I am okay with spending less time with her ! But I never thought the change would be so drastic. I was hoping we would remain close even if she found a boyfriend.
A part of me wonders if my expectations were unrealistic, hence the “too high maintenance”.
At the same time, yes, I wonder if I haven’t moved away from her too soon. I sometimes think that she did nothing wrong, maybe those changes we are facing are normal etc …
Then, the logical part of my brain intervenes and I am reminded of how many times she “forgot” to answer my texts, the fact that I have never been introduced to her boyfriend etc …
I guess I still feel guilty from time to time. For instance, last year, she was among the first person I informed whenever something important happened in my life (a promotion etc …). She did the same.
Now, I don’t share these informations about her anymore and neither does she.
The conversation we had yesterday was dull.
We briefly talked, she finally inquired about my career, I asked about hers as well and she informed me that she was accepted to the course she applied to. She got the news 3 weeks ago.
Last year, she would have informed me right away ! And we would have hung out to celebrate !
Thank you so much for your help !
June 28, 2024 at 5:43 am #434358Carol
ParticipantAnita,
Thank you for your reply, it was painful to read but necessary and eye-opening.
It’s true that since she spends all of her free time with him and his friends, I don’t feel like I am a part of her world anymore !
When I saw her, I remember she mentioned that she went out of her way so that her boyfriend’s friends would appreciate her : one of his friends didn’t like her, so she bought him his favorite snack etc …
So yes, I think you are very right !
I remember that when she mentioned this, I felt like you said, that she did that to solidify his relationship with him. She was more caring towards his friends than me lol.
Anyway, to reply to your last sentence : I value the friendship we used to have. We talk too sporadically now, I think, to be considered close friends ?
Also, she rarely confides in me now. Just last may, we used to text at least twice a week, sharing our deepest thoughts or random things that happened in our day to day lives. We hung out as well and we always had a great time.
Now, we are less close. I don’t even know how I can be here for her because she does not seem to confide in me. The conversation is more shallow, I don’t know much about her relationship, she does not give me any updates about her life (meeting her in laws, traveling with him etc …).
I always learn this when we catch up 6 weeks after the fact.
Sorry, I am digressing.
What I am trying to say is : I feel like she has put less efforts in this friendship, as a result, I (rightfully) did the same, and now things are different.
Would the informations I added invalidate how I am feeling ?
Sometimes, I am still doubting and thinking that I am the one who’s too high maintenance ?
Sorry, there is a lot of self-doubt in this process, especially on the rare occasions where she texts me.
June 28, 2024 at 5:11 am #434357Carol
ParticipantSorry, my schedule is a bit hectic at the moment but I really want to thank you again for your reply and I reiterate that I really appreciate your kindness and empathy ! 🌷
I am going to try to write as much as I can now, I apologize if I have to get back to you later !
Carol,
Yes, my friend did offer me some support at some time but it’s inconsistent and less frequent than before.
I did the mistake of reading our old texts again and I find that there’s a stark difference in our bond before and after she entered in a relationship. From December, she started to “forgot “to reply to my texts repeatedly, even those where I wished her a merry Christmas. And from January, I started to text less because I remember I felt like a burden.
She does not confide in me anymore, I knew almost “everything” about her old crushes but now she’s really private in her relationship.
Sometimes, I wonder if she notices how far we drifted ? I suppose it’s probably not the case as her focus is on her relationship right now. Anyway, it is what it is !
These past few days, I have been trying to see the bright side of things : at least now, she shows me that I won’t hold an important place in her life during the times where she’s in a healthy and fulfilling relationship (it’s the first time this happens).
I admit that I am disappointed, but I am now free to redirect all my energy and focus to people who actually prioritize me and who won’t downgrade our friendship when they meet someone ?
I feel better seing it that way 🙂
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