I’m looking for some advice about a friend I care about very much.
I’ve known her for around 20 years. She has two children and currently lives with her parents after her relationship with her youngest child’s father broke down. Over the past year, she’s had several relationships that have moved very quickly. Since last September, she’s been on holidays with two different partners, introduced her children to them after only a few weeks of dating, and then the relationships have ended shortly after. She often seems to get swept up in new relationships, with gifts, expensive treats and holidays involved, but the pattern keeps repeating. The latest breakup has left her feeling very depressed, and I’m worried about her. I genuinely want to help, but I don’t know how to say, kindly and supportively, that she may need to take some time for herself and break this cycle rather than jumping straight into another relationship. Summer last year she met someone who was already in a relationship and within 2 weeks of meeting was telling him she has feeling for him. Has anyone been in a similar situation, either personally or with a friend? How would you approach this conversation without sounding critical or judgmental?