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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

Friend depressed or angry

4 replies

DuchyCazalet · 06/10/2022 16:46

Sorry, it's long.
My BF since college, lets call her Sally, and I have fallen out. I noticed around 6 months ago that she never initiated catch ups. I got the message that she wasn't that bothered about meeting up but we live close to each other and do have recurring events (exercise class, same hairdresser) so saw each other at times. She had mentioned that she wasn't really feeling herself but it was just coming out of wintertime and I tend to almost hibernate myself. I took it as her saying that she didn't want to do much and that was why she never planned anything.
Anyway, two weeks ago she suggested doing something at the weekend and I know that I looked at her in surprise as it was the first time in a long time that she'd made such a suggestion. I readily agreed but no plans were made. The weekend came and went and I never heard from her. I'd chosen to not contact her as I'd become quite fed up of always being the initiator. The following weekend I phoned her and asked what had happened. She let rip at me, saying that when she'd suggested meeting up that I'd looked at her in disgust. She also said that she'd told me that she wasn't feeling herself and I'd done nothing to help her. She had supported me when I went through post natal depression. She had babysat so that myself and DH could go but I didn't do anything for her.
She says that she's depressed and knows what she needs to do about it, doctor, pills, counselling maybe, but isn't ready to do that yet. Basically it seems that I need to help cure her depression, which seems to mean that I need to invite her out to lots of social events, host her at mine whenever she wants and generally make her happiness my focus. She keeps throwing it in my face that she babysat for me (I never asked her to) when I was depressed. When I asked her what I could do to help her she said 'Why do I have to tell you'.
I'm really at a bit of a loss as to how to go on. DH and I had started to ask a neighbour to babysit so at times when Sally offered I told her that the neighbour was babysitting or that we weren't going out. Sally seems to be offended that I declined her offer. She's now offered again, in the spirit of us clearing the air and putting our friendship back on track. However, I don't think that I want to leave someone who's depressed and angry at me in charge of my kids.
Not sure where to go from here if someone is depressed but won't get help and seems to be making out that I'm an awful friend if I don't do something about it but won't tell me what I can do to help.....

OP posts:
coffeeisthebest · 06/10/2022 19:39

I feel like you have answered this one yourself OP. You need to step back. Maybe not out of her life but just take a big step away. You know you can't be responsible for her mental health. You are a friend, not a crutch, and this is true regardless of what she did or didn't do for you in the past. The thing about the way you looked at her stood out for me, possibly because I had a similar situation a few years ago, where she had interpreted my look and turned it into something else far bigger in her head. So she saw disgust in you and you were actually surprised. This would be a red flag for me, I get cross when people tell me how I feel, and don't check it out with me. See how you feel going forward OP but you can't be her everything.

DuchyCazalet · 06/10/2022 19:49

Thank you Coffeeisbest. She was so angry with me and so convinced that I should be doing everything I can to help her that I really started to doubt myself. It doesn't feel like a healthy friendship and she's actually the type of person who cuts friends out of her life. Feels like that is what is happening now but she needs to make me the villian to justify it to herself.

OP posts:
MeowMeowPowerRangers · 06/10/2022 19:54

Oh my god. Does her name start with a S with any chance?

DuchyCazalet · 06/10/2022 20:06

MeowMeowPowerRangers · 06/10/2022 19:54

Oh my god. Does her name start with a S with any chance?

No

OP posts:
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