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AIBU?

Friends have disappeared

30 replies

Amylou2357 · 26/05/2018 19:00

So I have three close friends. One who I am incredibly close to, I’ll call her A. Last year A had a very tough time when her DH cheated on her and at one point left her. They are now back together. During this time I could not have been more supportive. I dropped all plans for my DS christening and immediately went to stay with her as she was bordering on suicidal. I got her out of the house, took her to GP appointments and just generally did whatever a good friend would do to make sure she was okay.

I also helped her out with some money (around £300) as she had none and at the time was taking legal advice. I haven’t got this back yet but I am not too worried as I know not to lend out more than you can afford to lose.

She fully credits me for all of this and often said she would have not survived if not for me and for the help of our other two friends.

Anyway I am not after a martyrdom as I believe that friends stick together in times like this.

Her husband and her are now making a go of things and concentrating on falling back in love. I have never said anything to him about the affair as she asked me not to and even though I would like him to know how bad things got she does not want him to know.

Last month I had a miscarriage quite late on (15 weeks). I have barely heard from A. She posts a lot on social media about going out etc and having fun with other friends. She texts me maybe once a week and has been over twice since.

I am aware I am in a different place to her as she has never experienced anything like this before and does not yet want children.

I have also heard very little from our other two friends (they are both single and younger so I think probably don’t know what to say to me although they have made some effort). I guess I feel most let down by her because we have been like sisters and now it is like she doesn’t need me so contact has dropped.

Aibu to feel a little let down and hurt? I could really have done with someone to talk to these last few weeks but maybe I just need to suck it up and accept she doesn’t really understand what I’m going through? Also I know she has to concentrate on herself and her marriage.

I have my husband and a very supportive family so I do have support.

Sorry this was so long.

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Quickerthanavicar · 26/05/2018 19:05

I am really sorry about this. Unfortunately some people are just takers. Perhaps your presence reminds her of sadder times. A similar thing has recently happened to me and has lead to a re-evaluation of friendships.

All the very best for the future xxx

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formerbabe · 26/05/2018 19:07

She sounds like a user.

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sexnotgender · 26/05/2018 19:09

YANBU at all, you were a friend to her when she was in need and she is repaying your kindness poorly.

I'm sorry for your loss.

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applesandpears56 · 26/05/2018 19:09

She does sound like a user
Although to be fair - are you telling your friends how upset you are? It can be hard for people to know if you want to talk about it or not.

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Thehop · 26/05/2018 19:14

You (I assume) has. I experience of what she went through but still behaved like a fantastic friend! She’s a user.

I’m so sorry for your loss, please look after yourself xx

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Amylou2357 · 26/05/2018 19:14

I know people will say she is a user but I really didn’t (and still don’t a little bit) think she was/is. She was so bad when everything happened with her dh and some days I literally had to help her shower and get dressed etc. I had to sit and make sure she ate meals.

During the time after a lot of people (myself included) told her how amazing and beautiful she was etc to try and repair her confidence. None of this is a lie btw she is stunning and she has everything going for her.

However I can’t help but think this has gone to her head a little bit, she has made a few odd comments about people fancying her (including a married man who she said would leave his wife if she wanted him?).

I’m worried her MH isn’t as good as she is portraying and she has put this big facade on to try and convince herself and the world that she is okay now?

So I’m worried about her but on the other hand I want to confront her and ask why she can’t be there for me when all I need is a few girly chats and a hand hold every now and then.

I don’t even know why I’m posting on here because I know deep down she should be more supportive of me. I just have so many mixed emotions atm.

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iamyourequal · 26/05/2018 19:15

Amylou2357 I’m so sorry you have miscarried. It’s a truly dreadful loss to bear. It may be your friends just don’t appreciate how awful having a miscarriage is. All I can suggest is focusing on the bond with your DH for now and see how these friendships progress. I bet at least one of them will be truly sorry they didn’t step up for you now when they get to the stage of wanting/having a baby themselves. Take care. Flowers

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formerbabe · 26/05/2018 19:16

She was so bad when everything happened with her dh and some days I literally had to help her shower and get dressed etc. I had to sit and make sure she ate meals

I wonder if she feels embarrassed by it all now? Or perhaps she feels like seeing you reminds her of a bad time?

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Amylou2357 · 26/05/2018 19:19

@applesandpears56 yes she does know how I am feeling because the week things happened my husband rang her and asked her to come round as I wasn’t coping well. Nothing major I just was stuck in a rut of not wanting to get dressed or leave the house etc. He thought I might need a friend to chat with and have our usual girls night. She did come round (as did our other two friends) and I told them all that I felt a lot of guilt in regards to the MC etc (we had been told baby was slow growing and to expect a MC so I felt almost relief when it happened even though that is awful and the baby was incredibly wanted).

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Nikephorus · 26/05/2018 19:19

Although to be fair - are you telling your friends how upset you are? It can be hard for people to know if you want to talk about it or not.
This ^^. And to be honest, I think unless you've experienced a miscarriage you may not understand how it feels or what the hell to say. There are only so many times you can say you're sorry without it sounding a bit trite & after that what do you say without putting your foot in it? They may be feeling bad for you but need a steer as to the direction of the conversation.
A may well be keeping her distance because she realises that her being happy is a slap in the face to you right now & possibly because she thinks you may judge her for getting back with her husband after all you saw her go through. In these cases it wouldn't be that she doesn't care - just the opposite.
Either try and talk to her to stress that you still need support, or try and accept that for whatever reason you need to do without her support right now. Don't assume she's less of a friend without proof. People struggle to cope with other people's grief.

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Amylou2357 · 26/05/2018 19:22

Thank you for kindness everyone. I think no one really openly talks about MC and I have felt almost isolated as none of my friends have children yet. I know a lot of people at work have guessed but not said anything to me openly (we hadn’t told people yet as baby had slow growth). It’s nice to be able to get everything off my chest. I talk to my husband a lot but I don’t always want to be so miserable for him. Which is ridiculous as he tells me to open up to him all the time! I am the practical one in the relationship and I think we are both trying to be strong for the other! Silly I know!

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Amylou2357 · 26/05/2018 19:26

@Nikephorus yes I think you could be right in that she doesn’t really understand. I want to say that to her but I also don’t want to be patronising.

In regards to her not wanting to show how happy she is I think yes that could also be true. When I told her I was pregnant we were out and she had a few to drink. Later that night she said she was jealous that I had everything she wanted (I.e. house, husband, baby). I think she may feel guilty about this now.

I think I will give her a ring and see if she wants to pop round for a chat and hopefully we can have an honest conversation. We have always told each other our exact feelings before (always said tell me if I annoy you etc and vice versa!) so maybe we can fix things. I won’t say I’m hurt I’ll just say we have drifted apart a bit and this makes me sad as I need/needed her right now. I don’t want to be accusatory.

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dubmumof2 · 26/05/2018 19:31

Firstly, I'm so sorry for your loss - it is bloody hard isn't it Flowers

Secondly, you are an amazing friend. It is clear from what you have done for her and even now how you are seeking to make sense of this and give her the benefit of the doubt. She and you both know this.

You don't say in your OP whether she's been a taker/user before so I'm assuming that she hasn't been cold, withdrawn and wrapped up in herself before her marital crisis?

Is it possible that you have hit the nail on the head about her current mental health state. Is there a possibility that she just can't allow your emotional needs in right now or she won't cope at all. I wonder somehow if it's also got to do with the fact that she is fighting so hard to keep her marraige alive (you don't say whether her husband is too!). Maybe seeing you/talking to you reminds her too much of the betrayal and how she suffered and pokes a hole in the paper she has used to cover the crack....

Of course, it's unfair on you when you need the emotional support now that she's maybe not in a place at the moment where she can reciprocate the support you so willingly gave. But maybe don't write her off just yet....?

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boilerhouse2007 · 26/05/2018 19:46

''I could really have done with someone to talk to these last few weeks but maybe I just need to suck it up and accept she doesn’t really understand what I’m going through?''

I have no kids and am male yet know inherently that miscarriage would be very painful- her not having kids is no excuse.

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Tinkobell · 26/05/2018 19:48

Big hugs OP! You sound like you've a big heart and it hurts when mates are thoughtless and only consider their own pain and circumstance. I guess you probably do have to learn from it a little and perhaps not invest quite so much kindness youself in future???
I think I'd call time on the loan repayment and ask for that back.

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PoorYorick · 26/05/2018 19:48

I do think that when our friends have crises, we often don't realise how much support they need, or realise how our support looks to them. We may honestly think we're giving a fair amount of time and effort, even if from their perspective we're absolutely not.

If she's a good friend and you care about her, I'd have a gentle conversation. I'd be more inclined to put it down to misunderstanding and mismatched perspectives than anything else if you're usually close and caring.

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GreatWesternValkyrie · 26/05/2018 19:52

Similar thing happened to me, I think my friend, or her husband, or both couldn’t come to terms with the fact that I knew about his indiscretions (she’d eventually confided in me and I supported her, but they didn’t split over it). Contact got less and less, then when I asked for support at a really difficult moment in my life, nothing was forthcoming. I saw her once more shortly after that and have heard nothing in over 2 years now.

I tend to think that cutting me out made it a lot easier for her to forget about what she’d gone through with her husband, so she sacrificed our friendship (perhaps at his behest, I don’t know) to make it a little easier to rewrite the history of her marriage and put that behind her. Sadly, there was nothing more I could do about that so had to accept that she’d made a choice and I needed to do the same, so I moved on, despite being pretty hurt by it. Another of my friends had a similar experience with an even longer time friend of hers, so it’s seemingly more common than we realise.

I don’t know if this is what’s driving your friends behaviour OP, all I can say is that you’re not BU to feel the way you do and if you need to talk, it may be just as helpful to seek support from people who have some experience of what you’ve been through (Miscarriage Association? MN parenting sections?) as friends, even well meaning ones, may struggle with knowing how to have that conversation. The may feel worried about saying the wrong thing if they’ve not had the same thing happen to them, so say nothing at all.

I’m sending best wishes to you and your husband Smile

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reallybadidea · 26/05/2018 19:53

Perhaps her mental health just isn't up to offering support to other people yet? I also wonder whether it's hard for her to see you in a happy, loving relationship when hers is still rocky. Not that these are excuses, but maybe she just isn't in a good place at the moment.

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SirVixofVixHall · 26/05/2018 19:54

I am so sorry for the loss of your baby.
I do understand some of how you are feeling. After my father died I had almost no emotional support from friends at all. A couple of weeks later they all stopped mentioning it , with the notable exception of one lovely friend who would call round and give me the tightest hug ever. I didn’t need to go on at length about Dad, I just needed a bit of tlc. My world had changed and my friends acted as though nothing had happened. I think as a society we are completely shit as dealing with death and bereavement. My mother died not long after Dad and one friend called round two days later and sat there crying over her own mum, who had died a few years before ! I had to make her tea and I sat there shellshocked and quiet while she cried ! Honestly the reaction of my friends was one of the most shocking things about being bereaved. Grief is a long process, so when you are feeling most vulnerable and out-of-kilter with the world, everyone else seems to be having a high old time.
Do I think your friend is self centred and thoughtless ? Yes I do. But I also know that this is common. You could tell your friend that she has upset you, I think tha is the best way, but I was too cowardly ( and too grief stricken ) to do it. She might then think about it and make more of an effort. I think she is so caught up in her life that she isn’t thinking of yours, and I think your other friends are probably too scared to bring it up in case they “upset” you. So maybe just try telling your friends how sad you are, and that things are difficult. Something like “ I am really sad, this has been a very tough thing to go through” and then see how they respond ?
Flowers

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NewYearNewMe18 · 26/05/2018 20:00

Break down of a relationship and a death are not comparable, maybe she really cannot cope with your bereavement? No matter how close you are, maybe she simply hasn't got the words or the skills?

Does she have children of her own? Often, until you do, you haven't got the actual awareness of what a big deal a miscarriage is.

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PoorYorick · 26/05/2018 20:01

Break down of a relationship and a death are not comparable

I think they can be.

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BrigitsBigKnickers · 26/05/2018 20:08

Very very similar thing happened to me. Very good friend who I helped through a messy divorce- husband unfaithful multiple times, I listened and was not judgemental. Offered endless tea and sympathy. Never discussed it with anyone. She got back with him just after the divorce and remarried him.

She told everyone what a true friend I was and then just stopped calling. I contacted her a number of times but she didn't get back to me. When I went round to drop off a Christmas card I found out she had moved and not told me. This was someone I had been friends with for over ten years. Just after she got back with her DH my mum fell seriously ill. I could have done with her support but she was too busy with her fluffy new life.I have not seen or heard from her for the last 9 years.

I was talking to my Dsis about how upset I had been over it and could never work out what I had done wrong. She hit the nail right on the head when she said the reason I had been dropped was probably because I knew too much about what her DH had done. I was a reminder of that time in her life that she would obviously rather forget.

Some people are fickle - a hard but brutal truth.

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Aeroflotgirl · 26/05/2018 20:10

Oh no, I would expect much better from A after all that you did for her. She does sound like a taker, I would give less of you to her now, and pull back on the friendship.

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Birdsgottafly · 26/05/2018 20:13

It might not just be her. as a couple they may have decided that it's best that they distance themselves from someone who knows the ins and outs of the situation.

I Fostered a friends baby, i (and another relative) was instrumental in helping to keep the baby from going for adoption. she cut us both out after SS had withdrawn. she explained that she didn't feel comfortable with us knowing everything that we did.

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Amylou2357 · 26/05/2018 20:18

I think people are right that she doesn’t really know what to say/ understand what I feel like. They are very open about what happened in terms of his affair. And she is still friendly with our other two friends who know most of what went on in regards to her MH, in fact I’ve just seen on FB that they are currently out for tea. So I don’t think it’s a case of me knowing too much :-(

I’ve text her asking for a meet up next week and will tell her how I feel and that I know it must be hard for her to know what to say but right now all I really need is for her to listen sometimes and just be normal with me the rest! I want to have movie nights like we used to and go out and forget everything for a couple of hours. I’m not as much of a mess as I was a few weeks ago and now I just need a friend to pretend normality with. Then I guess the ball is in her court afterwards.

I agree that the people who do know about my MC have struggled to know what to say. Some people have said entirely the wrong thing (like how we should focus on how lucky we were to get pregnant quickly, yes I get that, but don’t feel lucky atm!) however I am aware everyone means well and I would never hold it against them. I know I would be very awkward knowing what to say if I was one of my friends!

Thank you all so much for your kind words and most of all your empathy :-)

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