Last night at the Relapse Prevention Group, I sat quietly and listened to one of the members tell about some of the problems she had been having during the past week. There was a point during which she started crying, which really caused me to feel sorry for her. By then she had spent a lot of time speaking to the group, and she turned to me saying that it was my turn. I realized that she was expressing a lot of her thoughts and feelings, which she had been holding inside for several days/week, so I told her that what I had to say could wait, and for her to keep on talking about whatever was important to her. I felt that this was one of those times when I could best help someone by listening, rather than talking. Later that night, I called, and spoke with someone who had been in an Anxiety Group with me. We have tried keeping in touch with one another since the group ended in November. I had sent her a letter, along with some pictures from the Internet that she'd requested. She said that she really enjoyed the letter I sent her, and that she would like for me to send her more pictures (bigger pictures). In addition to becoming friends, she knows that I have a problem when it comes to using the telephone, so she is trying to help me work on that by calling her now and then. Since I have not made all that many friends in real life, this is something new to me and I am having a difficult time getting used to it In the past, many of the people I trusted, wound up "betraying" me. I like this person and really want to be friends with her, but I am afraid of being hurt again.
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I\'ve had lots of friends, family betray me, too. That\'s made me wary and cautious. Yet I refuse to close myself off from friendship and love. It would be a dreary life indeed without our friends and loved ones.
So glad you\'re meeting good people and getting positive feedback. You\'re an intelligent, interesting and kind man. I bet there are a lot of people who would enjoy being your friend. Hugs, Dancer (your DS buddy)
I say that you have to try and be friends with as many people as you can.Some will just be fair weather friends and then there are the ones that will stick to you like glue and others that you can open up to and just be yourself.It is good to have lot`s of friends that way you are never to far away from getting any help or just someone to talk with.Go for it,you never know until you try.
Monte