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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

Complex friendship issue - unpleasant yet vulnerable "friend," being exploited

85 replies

daisydonkey · 10/11/2023 15:15

I'm 30 and graduated from university 8 years ago. Whilst I was at university, our friendship group made friends with a girl who exhibited very , very strange behaviour; to the extent it was clear she obviously had some mental health problems. She was referred to the local CMHT whilst we were at uni, and diagnosed with EUPD from them.

Examples included:

  1. She was the eldest of 5 and said she needed money to support her parent's as her Dad's business was failing, and she'd had to take on credit cards to support this.
    As we were all students, none of us had any money spare. She'd phone us and demand money to help pay her credit card bills, and genuinely demand we would sell our stuff or take out loans/ credit card ourselves to pass on the money to her, ( obviously we all refused to do this). She would cry and say how horrible we were in refusing to assist.

  2. We didn't live with her, but she would tell us how she would lock the communal toaster and microwave in her room when she went out, ( she was in uni halls so these were owned by the uni and available to everyone).

This caused arguments with her housemates, but she refused to accept she was wrong; and she would send lengthy and abusive emails to the uni accommodation service when asked not to do this.

There were ongoing issues, with her calling 999 on housemates if they asked her to take the rubbish out, ( uni accommodation service had a weekly rota by room number). She didn't seem to understand how inappropriate it was to misuse 999 in this way, ( she'd tell 999 she felt threatened by her housemates, but admit afterwards it was just cos she wanted to stop her housemates asking her again).

  1. Whilst we were there, another student sadly died in a car crash and there was alot of local media attention. None of us, ( including her), had ever known or met him. Yet she was posting facebook memorials for the next six months about the loss of her "best friend."

  2. She got into a very worrying and strange relationship during uni. The man involved was the same age as us, but not a student and working full time. He'd take her to hotels to stay very regularly, ( alot of these were paid for via his work). She'd tell us she didn't want to have sex until she was married for religious reasons, but he would sexually assault at these hotels. We told her to cut all contact with him and to report to the police, but she would continually go back and then genuinely appear surprised when she was assaulted again. He ended the relationship by blocking her on everything, ( he even married someone else when he was in his early 20's), but years after he cut contact and blocked her, she'd maintain that, "he's technically cheating on me by marrying x, as he didn't actually say he'd dumped me , he just blocked me, so until he says he dumped me we are still in a relationship," ( this was years after he'd cut contact by blocking her on everything).

  3. She'd regularly accuse university staff, ( both lecturers and support staff such as library workers), of being verbally abusive to her and would make formal complaints regarding this. This normally centred around her wanting extensions , and not understanding what was an acceptable reason to request an extension for an essay, ( her subject was 100% coursework). E.G she would think they were being abusive if she requested an extension as she had to go to a family party the day before an essay was due.

We stayed friends with her as it was clear she was vulnerable, had the EUPD diagnosis and had poor mental health bad enough for the CMHT to be involved.

But after we graduated her behaviour ramped up further. She began to get very nasty to various members of the group . Most cut contact. I never officially cut contact, but remained very, very low contact and "busy."

She messaged me recently out of the blue and said she was having a hard time as a relative had died and wanted to reconnect. I felt bad too say a flat out no.

However, since this message 8 weeks ago she's been phoning me upwards of 10 x a day, demands to know why I just don't tell my employer to "wait!!!" when she calls whilst im working .

She is still demanding money for very spurious reasons, ( this time, due to a cousin having an emergency), and is still annoyed when I say no.

She will ring at midnight on work nights and be genuinely offended when I say I can't talk, ( she doesn't work and receives benefits due to he mental health). It honestly appears from talking to her, she hasn't changed at all.

More disturbingly, she says she is in regular contact with the man who assaulted her at uni. He is still married and has told her he won't leave his wife for her, but is happy to meet her in hotels for sex. She has forwarded me messages and the way he speaks to her is disgusting, and he is clearly laughing at her obvious vulnerabilities, ( also spurious threats that if she tells his wife they are in contact he will report her parents to HMRC).

I know I'm not responsible for her and she is not a very pleasant person to be around; but she is so vulnerable and clearly being sexually exploited by this man that I feel bad to cut her off completely.

What would be the best way forward here ?

For clarity, she says she is no longer under a CMHT but receives PIP and UC as her mental health makes her too ill to work; so I can't speak to CMHT R.E. my concerns she is being exploited.
Alot of her contact is about this man and what she can do to finally win him back from his wife.....

OP posts:
Secondguess · 10/11/2023 16:29

You can't change her behaviour - you either accept her in your life exactly as she is now, exactly how you've always known her, or not at all.

Just decide for yourself what you are willing to offer- and if that's "absolutely nothing" then that's fine too, but whatever you decide, don't deviate from that level of contact /support. Don't send mixed messages.

You can try to explain "that's okay... but xxx is not okay" e.g. the frequency and timing of her phoning you, but don't expect her to think of these things herself or pickup hints. You'll need to be firm and consistent.

GoonieGang · 10/11/2023 16:52

She may be vulnerable but that doesn’t mean you have a duty to still be friends.
Tell her bluntly what boundaries need to be set and if she won’t agree to modify her behaviour then walk away

BobVanceRefrigeration · 10/11/2023 17:06

For the sake of your own mental health, I’d walk away completely and cut all contact. Unfortunately it sounds like she’s going to keep ramping up the drama and requirement for you to “rescue” her, and as a previous poster said, I doubt half the stuff she tells you is true anyway. She’s an adult with capacity to make her own decisions so I very much doubt you could get any professional MH involvement if she doesn’t want it. I think it would be exhausting setting and maintaining boundaries with this person, she’d constantly be pushing them.

Considering the history that you are already aware of, this behaviour / way of relating to others is completely entrenched now. You can’t help her and need to focus on removing yourself from this situation. If she’s willing to work with MH services then great, but that’s for her to seek out.

SpoonyBitchell · 10/11/2023 17:18

I'm sorry, but I'd block her on everything.

SpoonyBitchell · 10/11/2023 17:18

Afteropening · 10/11/2023 15:32

And I don’t suppose your partner was too happy with you spending all that time writing one of the longest threads I have ever seen!

can you summarise?

Haha! Wtf?

justjeansandanicetop · 10/11/2023 17:36

God she sounds awful.

I don't have any experience with EUPD but bloody hell she sounds hard work.

I wouldn't her involved OP.

IDontHateRainbows · 10/11/2023 17:40

I feel sorry for anyone with such a distorted world view, it's like she can only see the world being there for her needs which is next level crazy but you are under no obligation to her so I agree that you need to set your boundaries if you do want to remain involved.

BreatheAndFocus · 10/11/2023 17:51

I’d block her but I’d send one last email, probably bullet-pointed, giving her some advice, eg “If you feel X, contact your previous mental health team/phone your GP”, “This man doesn’t care about you. He is using you and thinks you’re stupid. You deserve more - don’t see him again” etc etc. That way you can reassure yourself that you’ve done the best you can.

People like this are draining, and sometimes the more you try to help and respond to their comments, the worse they get (and the more embroidered their story becomes) so tell yourself not engaging will help them too.

Bobtheamazinggingerdog · 10/11/2023 17:52

Her vulnerability does not mean you owe her your time or money. You need to be clear with her. 'Your expectations of my time aren't reasonable and I am not going to answer the phone outside of these times' and if she calls outside of the agreed times or texts demanding an answer you need to cut her off. Also be clear you won't give her money and cut her off if she asks again. Honestly I feel like you keeping her around out of pity/guilt is worse than just cutting her off now TBH

LakeTiticaca · 10/11/2023 17:59

This woman is not your responsibility and you owe her nothing.
Block her and move on

Shoxfordian · 10/11/2023 18:00

I don't know why you've been enabling and wasting your time with her really -.block her

alliwantforchristmasis50k · 10/11/2023 18:24

I've unfriended people in real life for far far little than this. Ignore block whatever just get her toxic shit out of your life you clearly don't owe her anything she is an energy vampire and putting up with her shit is what's keeping her attached to you.

BigMandsTattooPortfolio · 10/11/2023 18:42

I couldn’t cope being in a friendship with someone who behaves like this and my partner would be going mad with the constant phonecalls demanding money. I’m baffled as to why you feel responsible for her OP?

Nanny0gg · 10/11/2023 18:44

Afteropening · 10/11/2023 15:32

And I don’t suppose your partner was too happy with you spending all that time writing one of the longest threads I have ever seen!

can you summarise?

FGS

AnneLovesGilbert · 10/11/2023 18:51

Block. Block. Block. You can’t help her, letting her bombard you like this isn’t doing her any good. She’ll find someone else to bother.

TheSpikySpinosaurus · 10/11/2023 18:57

Why the hell are you still friends with her? She's no friend of yours. She just causes you a massive amount of hassle, has done for years, and isn't remotely grateful for your help.

I'd block her on everything.

CheekyHobson · 10/11/2023 19:05

Afteropening · 10/11/2023 15:32

And I don’t suppose your partner was too happy with you spending all that time writing one of the longest threads I have ever seen!

can you summarise?

To summarise, you're being a dick.

CheekyHobson · 10/11/2023 19:12

OP, friendships go both ways. This doesn't seem like an actual friendship, it seems like she's using you as a venting-place without taking in a single thing that you're saying. I know you feel bad for her, but you've said everything you can say.

She has to want help for herself. I think I would have to send her a message saying that I found her choices self-destructive and painful to witness, that I felt I had nothing to contribute to the friendship as she seems obsessed with her relationship with this man (which I can't support) to the exclusion of all else, and I wasn't willing to give her money or talk about her problems at any time of the day or night, which she seemed not to understand and be upset by. I'd say I was sorry but I'm blocking her for my own mental health, and that I hoped she would recognise that her own behaviour had reached an extreme point and she should go back to her care team for help.

Sometimes the only thing that gets people like this to seek help is recognising that nobody is going to put up with their shit anymore.

SickWithWorry123 · 10/11/2023 19:18

@Afteropening are you the "friend"?

YNK · 10/11/2023 19:19

Her inability to respect boundaries is already having a massive impact on you and your family/friends and her EUPD diagnosis shows how deeply entrenched she is in this destructive behaviour.
You are not going to change this or improve her MH with befriending and support. The best therapists can be very challenged with PD's and I am truly sorry for those who are afflicted with these enduring conditions.

You are potentially great 'supply' to her since she is living in perpetual drama (ie victim/rescuer/persecutor).
Please consider your own needs and cut contact before you get sucked in further.

Afteropening · 10/11/2023 19:20

Yes hands up. I’m the friend

Just about to give you a buzz OP….

AtrociousCircumstance · 10/11/2023 19:22

It’s bizarre you let this person back in your life. Block them.

MariaLuna · 10/11/2023 19:27

No idea what EUPD is, sorry.

I would have walked away immediately (sorry if that sounds harsh).

As a solo working mother taking care of ageing parents too, only so much I can deal with.

itsmyp4rty · 10/11/2023 19:45

No doubt she had a really difficult shitty childhood that led to this very disordered behaviour - so if you're going to step away which would be completely understandable then try to do so gently.

Maybe you could tell her that you're really worried about her well being and this man is treating her very badly. Sadly you are not qualified to help her and you cannot have her constantly phoning you at all hours and demanding money. For the sake of your mental health you're going to have to cut contact but you hope that she gets help so she can put in healthy boundaries in her life. You wish her well.

SylvieLaufeydottir · 10/11/2023 19:57

You can do absolutely nothing.

You need better boundaries. And to ask yourself what saviour complex you have that you ever put up with any of this.

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