one of my closest friends is very mentally draining to be around, they dont do it intentionally but im always worried abt them, and when they complain abt stuff going on in their life or are facing difficult times, I give them advice, they say its a good idea, and then they just...dont do it. And the cycle continues.
Im basically their only outlet abt stuff and I've unintentionally fucked myself into the corner of "therapist friend" and its really been draining my mental health, and I've been having a pretty rough year on my own, to say the least.
They're also a bit...needy? Probably cause like I said, im their only outlet, and its been kinda getting on my nerves.
But I dont want to tell them that im "tired of being their therapist" so to speak, because they tend to blame themselves for everything (and the things theyre dealing with are things out of their control, for the most part) and they have terrible self-esteem so I feel like im walking on eggshells and I cant actually communicate the issues im having with them,
Should I distance myself? Should I cut off the friendship entirely? Should I just be blunt about it and try not to worry abt them blaming themselves?
I know deep down that my mental health comes first, but I still care abt them alot, and ik that unless that actually start making the changes they need to in order to fix their life, im always going to worry abt them, they mentally drain me without even being near me.
Im also their best friend. I dont know if theyre MY best friend, which sounds so mean but given everything I cant tell anymore.
this exact situation happened with another friend a few years ago, and I had to cut it off for my own sake, even tho it sent me into a depression spiral anyway.
Just looking for another point of view, thanks <3
thank you for trusting me with your troubles!
I totally understand how you feel, and I understand not wanting to tell them directly. if they don't follow your advice I think they might not want to get advice, maybe just someone who will listen when they vent and to agree with them. if the conversation starts feeling draining maybe try and change the topic to something else? if you feel like the friendship is becoming to much of a burden then maybe distance isn't a bad idea. but you have to consider how much this friendship is worth to you. the simplest advice is ofcourse to tell your friend how you feel, being blunt about it. but I know that's not an easy thing to do. and remember putting yourself first is selfish. and you are allowed to be selfish, especially when it comes to your mental health.
I would love to hear how this works out for you if you are comfortable with that and I wish you all the luck!