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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Desperate to end friendship!!

174 replies

cloudsandream · 22/11/2022 13:06

Apologies in advance about the length!

I met this friend around two years ago whilst we was studying on the same course. Whilst it was smooth sailing, it’s been bloody hard work since then.

She struggles with mental health so there’s been countless times me and our other friend have sat with her for hours whilst she has breakdowns, threatens to harm herself etc. These can last between hours and days and she will blow up my phone.

She also does things like meet up with men despite us saying they display red flags, and then cries how awful they was afterwards. I feel she takes no bloody advice from what I tell her. It’s then hours after trying to comfort her before the harm talk stirs up again.

Likewise, any plans made has to be okay with her otherwise we all aren’t going. It was my turn to choose for our date and on the last two occasions she complained and said we should go somewhere else instead. It’s her way or we don’t go at all.

Now my actual dilemma. She has a new flat and this past monday, i sat in her flat (cold, unfurnished, no heating or carpet) for over three hours to wait for the gas man to turn up just because she wanted to go shopping. I was frozen to the bone and when she came back, no thank you but simply complained the man never came.

She’s since asked for money and furnishing despite me telling her i’m pretty broke myself. She’s now taken it upon herself to ask what days i am free and what times so i can watch her flat whilst maintenance does her bits so she can do other stuff instead and be at her part time job.

Now she’s asked me to go on Thursday whilst carpets be put down. I don’t want to go, the flat is freezing, and i have to travel and pay for my own taxis there and back. I’ve wasted hours of my time anyway and i’m tired of being her first point of call, despite us sharing other friends, because I don’t really tell her “no”.

I feel awful but i want to be shot of her. She’s emotionally and physically draining with how much she needs and wants off me, it feels constant. I’ve left the groupchat on many occasions because it’s so overwhelming but she just adds me back and asks me for things again.

I get nothing from the friendship, it’s just me giving all and her just taking it. I understand she has issues but i’m fed up of it now, I want my life back before more favours come flooding in.

Aibu to end this friendship? I just feel bad because she has alot of problems.

OP posts:
maranella · 22/11/2022 13:10

No, you wouldn't be unreasonable OP, but FGS you just need to grow a backbone! Have you never thought to just say 'No' to her? She wouldn't be able to get you to do all these rubbish chores for her if you did. I'd never agree to spend hours sitting in someone else's freezing flat waiting in for tradesmen so they could fuck off out shopping! She's taken the piss out of you for two years. Just tell her where to go and be done with it.

Skinnermarink · 22/11/2022 13:13

You’ve been a right mug OP.

Do you want to continue being a right mug? No. So you say I’m sorry I’m unable to help you anymore, I truly wish you all the best.

bananaboats · 22/11/2022 13:14

She sounds like a right CF! The old mumsbet favourite no is a complete sentence, dont let her take advantage of you anymore.

CarmenBizet · 22/11/2022 13:15

Gosh, she sounds like a nightmare, and a user to boot.

Just block her everywhere so she can't re-add you or contact you. You've nobody to blame but yourself for allowing this to go on as long as it has.

Murasakispillowbook · 22/11/2022 13:16

I'm sorry I'm too busy to help you again. You'll need to ask someone else.

Skinnermarink · 22/11/2022 13:17

Why are you so available? What about your work? Family? Other shit you’ve got going on?

MRSDoos · 22/11/2022 13:27

You need to take a big step back from this friendship

I’m all for supporting friends and being there for them, but it sounds like this has gone way over the top.

I’m going to be honest here and say that you needed to put your boundaries in quicker. I have been in a situation similar to this, and I ended up moaning to a friend who simply said that it was basically because I never said no and jumped at every request my other friend needed. That’s when I realised that boundaries are so important otherwise things like this happen! Your friend has been so used to using you as an unpaid therapist, house sitter etc and you’ve let her. So she doesn’t see the issue. She might realise she’s taking the mick but she might not even realise!

I think from today take a big step back, start saying no. Get on with your own life, this friendship sounds so exhausting from your OP that I actually wonder how much time you have for yourself

If you truly think this friendship is all take take by her then I would see this as a good enough reason to remove myself

dropthevipers · 22/11/2022 13:32

From the description you sound more like her carer than friend. It also sounds like one way traffic. Bin.

WaveyHair · 22/11/2022 13:33

Boundaries deperately needed here. You helped her once, did not get thanked, so that is it. I am not even convinced this is a friendship here. It seems very one way and you are being used repeatedly.

She keeps asking because you keep saying yes. Do you respond immediately? Make her wait a day and then say you are not unavailable - you do not owe her an explanation or story to back this up.

Re the group chat - mute it so it is not in your face. Mute her as well.

Stressedmum2017 · 22/11/2022 13:35

She's just a user/attention seeker who uses 'mental health' as an excuse. There's lots of them out there. Do the same thing back to her and tell her for your mental health you need to take a step back.

IntrovertedPenguin · 22/11/2022 13:35

I'd just block her and have nothing To do with her.

Failing that tell her straight that you're fed up, she's expecting to much of you. Your supposed to be her friend it's supposed to be 50/50 not her taking 100 percent of it all and giving you nothing in return.

Sparklesocks · 22/11/2022 13:36

She is in a great position - can click her fingers and get you to do whatever suits her and doesn’t have to make even a fraction of the effort back to you. Say no, step back - you can’t arrange your life (and bank balance) around her.

Peashoots · 22/11/2022 13:36

She’s a nightmare and you’ve been a mug. I would tell her where to go and not look back..

Byelaws · 22/11/2022 13:37

YANBU. Block.

Then do a bit of work on how you ended up in a ‘friendship’ like this.

WheresMyDodo · 22/11/2022 13:37

I had a friend like this. She pushed and pushed and pushed. Took and took. One day she pushed too far, and I just lost my shit and threw her out of my house. It was great because she blocked me everywhere and I never had to hear her going on about these ridiculous online boyfriends anymore or get her turning up at my work asking for me.

AtrociousCircumstance · 22/11/2022 13:38

Keep saying no, you’re busy, you can’t. Stop being such a doormat. It is well within your power to stop being her unpaid servant and no one can do it for you OP!

GetThatHelmetOn · 22/11/2022 13:42

No confrontation needed, just stop picking up her calls and ensure any texts remain “unread”. If she challenges you about that just say your phone has been playing up. Eventually she will stop approaching you.

PickyEaters · 22/11/2022 13:42

Back away slowly and start to distance yourself! She will drain all your energy and good will otherwise.

She will quickly find other people to dump on. I speak from experience.

midsomermurderess · 22/11/2022 13:43

She’s a user. You don’t have to be her friend, even if that sort of behaviour constitutes ‘friendship’.

2bazookas · 22/11/2022 13:43

Just say no, and stop being so wet.

LikeTearsInRain · 22/11/2022 13:45

Just say no to Thursday. If she kicks off and gets nasty, tell her she’s mean and block her. Friendship over.

If she finds an alternative solution and isn’t too bad about it. Keep saying no in future.

Not sure how you will maintain friendship with the rest of the group if she will make efforts to control them if you try to organise something without her - you may very well lose access to the whole group. If that’s acceptable to you then don’t be afraid of binning her off.

Goldbar · 22/11/2022 13:47

If you want a quick, easy way to end the friendship, ask to borrow money from her.

Antaboo · 22/11/2022 13:47

She's not the problem in this story; you are. Luckily for you, you are also the solution.

SecondClassmyass · 22/11/2022 13:48

She’s made you her chore whore and keeps on an invisible guilt leash. The good news is that she can’t make you do things you don’t want to do if you don’t let her.

gingerbreadtits · 22/11/2022 13:51

She sounds so familiar! I'm beginning to wonder if it's the same person!!

@cloudsandream does she have/ had a dog?