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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Friends so draining, is this how it is now aged 52?

204 replies

1973vintage · 13/12/2025 15:20

AIBU to find pretty much all my female friends such moaning whingers now we’re in our fifties?

I invited some friends over last night for a few drinks and easy food. I’d pulled out the stops and bought champagne and nice snacks because a couple of them have been experiencing tough life events recently (divorce, family estrangement, bereavement) so wanted them to feel looked after and special.

OMG the whole lot of them whinged all evening. I wouldn’t have minded if we’d listened to the serious personal problems but they brought up: bad backs, aching hips, who’s died recently - people we barely knew so it felt like gossip, not being able to afford a cruise next year (FFS), how our nearest city has gone downhill, bad tempered husbands, car problems, menopausal migraines…..to mention a few. I kept trying to think of ways to lighten the mood and suggest easy solutions like go to the gym, see the gp, go somewhere else on holiday etc but every one f the seven of them was intent on whinging. I felt so deflated and depressed when they left. They didn’t want answers, just wanted a whinge fest. I wish I hadn’t made the effort and just stayed on my own with telly and wine.

Is this normal now we’re this age, menopausal and early or mid fifties? Do I need to make new friends?!?

YANBU - yes I have noticed my fifty something female friends draining me much more recently
and I agree that it’s depressing
YABU - it’s just your own social circle, get a grip and make new friends who add to your life not drain you of your energy

OP posts:
Terrribletwos · 13/12/2025 15:30

This is not normal to have a whole night of whinging! Usually meet ups have a bit of folk getting stuff off their chest but interspersed with laughter and jokes . If it's all doom and gloom then what's the point of meeting up.

olderbutwiser · 13/12/2025 15:29

Urgh. What a grim bunch, I'd give them a swerve and I'm a pensioner knocking 70.

I know we do talk more about our health, or rather our health problems - when bits start to wear out it's not something that's easy to be breezy about - but if that's all they can talk about then definitely move on.

1973vintage · 13/12/2025 15:27

Yes maybe it’s a reflection of general unhappiness in wider world but it’s put me off doing anything like that again.

OP posts:
Bambamhoohoo · 13/12/2025 15:22

i think, as you say, they are a group with serious problems which makes it hard to look on the bright side.

on the other hand I do agree that people are miserable as hell nowadays and do have a tendency to moan in a generalised way about things people literally never used to talk about because they had more interesting lives when we were more prosperous