Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Issues with oldest friend

6 replies

dubdurbs · 04/10/2018 15:01

Backstory to avoid a drip feed-within the last year, best friend (BF) has split from her ex, and moved away from our area to gain some distance from him. There have been several times in the last 12 months there have been issues which normally I would pick her up on, but as she has suffered with post natal depression, and has had a difficult relationship with her ex, I've not felt it appropriate to add pressure by telling here she has upset me as she is prone to blow things out of all proportion.
In recent months, however, she has met a new man and is keen to say how happy she is now. I've been dubious about this man-he has told her several lies about fundamental things in the first few weeks, and is being very controlling with her. I offered my advice to her regarding him, she chose not to take it-all good, she is a big girl and can get into a relationship with whomever she chooses, but after having been the sounding board for all the problems with her ex for the last few years, and most especially since she and he split, I don't have the emotional capacity to deal with any more drama, and because I've not been enthusiastic about him, she sees this as animosity towards his ethnic and religious background(absolutely not the case btw)

To add to this, I've made a new friend in the last year that I get on extremely well, who BF seems to be jealous of. I've been getting a few catty remarks about seeing new friend, as has new friend when she has bumped into BF around town. I haven't addressed this with BF as I consider it to be childish and unnecessary, so I didn't want to make a big deal of it.

Anyway-yesterday, I was due to meet BF after work, as she is off. We normally would meet regularly enough for coffee or lunch or a walk, but haven't been able to for some time. I finished work and hung around outside the office for her for about 15 minutes having text as usual, and then tried calling, but she was on another call. I wandered around a shop close by, trying to call her several times-but she was still on a call. Eventually I decided to go and sit in the car and listen to the radio. On the way out I met her ex and their child who was tired and cranky after a long day in creche. He mentioned something about her being too busy talking to her new boyfriend on her phone at handover, which I dismissed at the time as him being spiteful. I waited another while longer and headed home after 45 minutes total.

Two hours later, I see a whattsapp message on my screen saying that she had fallen asleep, and then had to go to the ex's house as their child hadn't stopped crying since they handed over (little one was fine when I met them) No mention of the call she had been on at time I had attempted to call her. I couldn't answer immediately as I had visitors, so she started calling within seconds of her text. I missed seven calls from her last night, and several more today, along with some melodramatic messages about me hating her, and her being a crap friend.

I'm at a point now that I know I'm going to explode at her if I reply today. If she had just sent one message explaining what had happened it would have been fine, but this drama and manufactured stress is making me so mad. Her latest message is "I get the message, you hate me and I won't bother you any more"-I'm in work!! I deal with the public and while I might read a message quickly from the corner of my eye, I have never answered one until I clock off, and she knows this! I really don't know what to do, how to answer her, and how to deal with her inevitable woe-is-me attitude.

OP posts:
hellsbellsmelons · 04/10/2018 15:33

Just don't answer her.
Let this 'friendship' die.
All this drama is just not worth it.

TheSecondMrsAshwell · 05/10/2018 13:03

Let us clasp each other in an embrace and whimper about the insanity of friends with smartphones and too much time on their hands.

I get this from a friend of mine who I chat to every week. I'm an insomniac, so I can miss weekend mornings entirely (having been up for a large chunk of the night doing stuff I'll be too shagged out to do next day). If I miss her first text, the second is a full missive about how worried she is, whether a motorbike gang of sharks has burst through my front door and eaten me in the bathroom or whether the dog has pushed the wardrobe over onto the bed and I'm sawing through my ankle with a nail file to get free. God forbid I get to the third text.

She has said that she will call the police to see if I'm alright. Given that these texts take place over a couple (as in 2) of hours, not even days, I don't think the local constabulary see roaring up to my front door as a priority.

And last time I called her on it, told her I was a grown up, she tried to play the guilt card and ask whether she was not allowed to be worried about me.

I'd answer your friend with "no don't hate you, but only answer outside work hours." If she doesn't like it, tuff.

S

dubdurbs · 05/10/2018 15:46

TheSecondMrsAshwell-sounds like your friend and mine have quite a lot in common!!

Well, I may have exploded a little at her last night. I received a really shitty message from her that tipped me over the edge and I text back and basically told her to grow up, that the world doesn't revolve around her and her dramas, and while she was entitled to feel bad because of all that has gone on in her life, she is not entitled to treat people badly because of it. I'm not sure she appreciated my comments, but it might have given her food for thought. We shall see.

All I know is, I'm too drained to deal with her right now, so I'm going to radio silence as regards speaking to her at the moment.

OP posts:
TheSecondMrsAshwell · 08/10/2018 13:01

That might work.

Or there's another thread on here about a friend going off on one by text for no particular reason.

Silence is good.

NotTheFordType · 08/10/2018 13:15

If I miss her first text, the second is a full missive about how worried she is, whether a motorbike gang of sharks has burst through my front door and eaten me in the bathroom or whether the dog has pushed the wardrobe over onto the bed and I'm sawing through my ankle with a nail file to get free. God forbid I get to the third text.

@TheSecondMrsAshwell This made me LOL in recognition! My mum was like this. It was fucking exhausting.

Co-dependency all through my birth family. I'm amazed me and my sibling are so sane. Although not being in contact with our parents probably helps.

hellsbellsmelons · 08/10/2018 13:37

Well done OP.
A few home truths may be what she needs.
But I doubt it will change anything about her.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page