Anyone else really struggle with this? I'm over 40, married, kids, but have basically no female friends, nor have I really been able to maintain friendships that I've started over the long term. I'm fully aware that the common denominator in all this is me, BTW. I've had some fairly rough life experiences - violent father/childhood abuse, supported my mother through cancer treatment in my late teens (shortly after my parents had divorced), premature firstborn, chronic illness which totally derailed my 30's, struggles to get diagnosed with that, and then some fairly brutal surgeries in my late 30's, a lot of medical incompetence, surgical menopause and the long term work of managing that - which have given me what I know is a bit of an odd outlook on life. I feel, always, like an outsider when I talk to other women, and if I do talk about the things that have happened to me, I'm always left regretting it. I realised a long time ago that a lot of women are uncomfortable with women who have experienced male violence. I understand their feelings. Husband, who is lovely, says I overthink things and worry too much. But god, it's lonely on this side of the fence.
Anyone else in the same boat/feel the same?