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sapphire
04-12-06, 23:45
Hello,

I wasn't sure where to post this but here goes. I have social anxiety and am feeling quite depressed at the moment. There's a friend of mine who I still consider a friend even though I haven't seen her for about three years as she (through no fault of her own) has changed into someone else completely and I just don't recognise her as the person I used to know.

Even though I didn't see her I used to send her a birthday card every year just to keep some kind of contact really ( is that awful?) Anyway, I saw her for the first time in the flesh earlier this year in the street and I was with another friend so I didn't have the chance to try and speak to her but I saw her a few days later and I was in a hurry and I literally came rushing out of my house and she was walking down the street towards me. It was horrible she was just like a zombie and I don't know if she saw me and blanked me but it was really like she didn't want to connect with anybody from the way she was walking and her body language generally. I felt pretty devastated to see someone who I knew used to be confident and who looked out for me when we were in public and if I started to freak out coz she knew about my sa, have turned into such a shadow of her former self (sorry for the cliche but that's really what it was like).

Anyway, to get to the point, it's coming up to her birthday and I don't know if I should send her a card this year. I have in the past but I hadn't seen how really ill she's become and I think maybe I did it a bit for me as well as her because I miss her, but now I'm worried that if I send her one again she's going to think I'm trying to hassle her into making contact and I really don't want her to feel under pressure to do something she doesn't want to do. On the other hand, I don't want her to think I've abandoned her or I'm not there for her if I don't send a card.

Any ideas on what I should do?


P.S. Sorry for the length and ramblingness of this post.


Thanks.

clickaway
04-12-06, 23:59
It sounds to me that this friend of yours may need some support, but only she can decide whether she thinks that she needs that.

Why not send a card with a short note explaining why you had been unable to say hello to her on these recent occasions and give an open invitation to meet in a coffee shop, for example?

Hope you get something sorted.



Ray


http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

airwolf451
05-12-06, 00:03
hey there,

i agree with Ray,

its not your fault, a reall good friend would be understanding and been there for you,

send the card, you have done nothing wrong at all, and if i where that friend i would be delighted to get a card from you knowing what your going through that is.

keep the faith ,.

stephen:D:D:D:D:D:D

PanickyPolly
05-12-06, 13:09
I agree also...send the card...you sound a bit liek me when it comes to friendships. Good luck with that let us know how it goes.