Depression Support Group
Depression is a real and debilitating condition that is often misunderstood by family and friends. Its meaning can range from a prolonged period of sadness to an actual mental illness with specific symptoms. Find and share experiences with others who are going through the same struggles.
Has any one else ever, in their course of recovery from emotional illness, gotten so well that they evolved right out of their current circumstances?
The reason I bring this up could be that I either evolved out of, or the group I have been with, devolved into a mess, or both, so much that I am growing apart.
I was involved with a type of self-help movement here in my city that was very powerful. A lot of people who were failing in therapy got help here and really started to do well.
But, there were major problems in the group and bad things started happening. One of the things that I disagreed with was that my particular mentor advised me to make friends in the group, but what I saw in the group members was a lot of severe behavioral problems, so I backed off on that note. Several of my friends who used to attend backed off as well, seeing the same things.
Well, I got to know someone in the group recently, and she wanted to be friends, and the next thing I know I am the recipient of absolutely crazy behavior. I mean I don't know her but a week and she turns herself into my very best friend and starts texting me constantly, trying to get me to talk to her boyfriend, from whom she is separated. She even tried to get me to call him and talk to him for her! My God! The day that we got together on my day off with this other woman she was going on about her problems for two hours. Holy shite! I came back from out of town today and got a text from the other person who we hung with, and said, "this woman is crazy!!"
She eventually texted me to say, after I was avoiding her, "I just want to be your friend.." How sad to have to tell someone that, "please, please be my friend..."
After listening to her she has had like 25 different jobs and had all these people cycle through her life. Not a good sign. In a way I just feel bad, she is probably not really "crazy" but just sad and lonely, so she does these things. But still. She was in this world-class dysfunctional relationship where they were at each other's throats...not a good sign.
Anyone else run into this s*** at support groups, like totally whacked out people??
The reason I bring this up could be that I either evolved out of, or the group I have been with, devolved into a mess, or both, so much that I am growing apart.
I was involved with a type of self-help movement here in my city that was very powerful. A lot of people who were failing in therapy got help here and really started to do well.
But, there were major problems in the group and bad things started happening. One of the things that I disagreed with was that my particular mentor advised me to make friends in the group, but what I saw in the group members was a lot of severe behavioral problems, so I backed off on that note. Several of my friends who used to attend backed off as well, seeing the same things.
Well, I got to know someone in the group recently, and she wanted to be friends, and the next thing I know I am the recipient of absolutely crazy behavior. I mean I don't know her but a week and she turns herself into my very best friend and starts texting me constantly, trying to get me to talk to her boyfriend, from whom she is separated. She even tried to get me to call him and talk to him for her! My God! The day that we got together on my day off with this other woman she was going on about her problems for two hours. Holy shite! I came back from out of town today and got a text from the other person who we hung with, and said, "this woman is crazy!!"
She eventually texted me to say, after I was avoiding her, "I just want to be your friend.." How sad to have to tell someone that, "please, please be my friend..."
After listening to her she has had like 25 different jobs and had all these people cycle through her life. Not a good sign. In a way I just feel bad, she is probably not really "crazy" but just sad and lonely, so she does these things. But still. She was in this world-class dysfunctional relationship where they were at each other's throats...not a good sign.
Anyone else run into this s*** at support groups, like totally whacked out people??
Many of the members of the support group were still quite unwell and not taking their meds. Some of the behaviour was quite unhealthy as they were not recovering as well as I had. I lasted for six weeks and then felt I had to leave.
However, for your own sanity, I would think about what kind of boundaries that you want between you and these people, especially with the girl you are taking about.
You don't have to be mean, but if she is texting too much, just ask her to cool it with the texts because you don't have unlimited texting...when she tries to involve you in her problems, just say that you'd be happy to be a sympathetic ear, but that her boyfriend is her problem and you will not be getting in the middle of it. If you meet up with her, say you only have an hour and stick to that time frame so she doesn't trap you in an endless tirade of her problems.
Boundaries like that can help you keep your sanity and communicate to her that you are not someone she can walk all over. And if she really is a "revolving door", she might get bored with you soon and move on to someone else.
Tether her. Tell her the truth. Be her friend: a real friend, who tells the truth.
Engage or disengage. But don't judge her, because there but for the grace of God go you.