Avoidant Attachment - Does friendships/relationships make you overwhelmed?
Does anyone else ever feel overwhelmed by friendships/relationships but feel lonely?...
Making/maintaining friendships has been overwhelming for me lately. To give context, I have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, & PTSD. I used to make friends quite easily and didn't have a problem but...trying to maintain them has been an issue. Most times, I just want to run away from everyone, and I don't like the idea of feeling like a burden towards others...I have been backstabbed/betrayed a few times, and have had to let some friends go as well, as they were not healthy people to be around... So pretty much the only "friends" I have are just my son and my partner. That's pretty much it. I do feel lonely, but have a hard time trusting people...Right now a "friend" of mine has been stalking my home and making me uncomfortable. I no longer wanted to be her friend, as she drinks and drives, steals, cheats on her GFs or whoever she's dating, and has stalker tendencies (she has stalked her abusive ex as well and burnt her ex's stuff). I don't want that kind of person around me or my son. I will be moving sometime soon though, by the end of next month, and she won't have any clue to where I moved to at least...
I have had other stalkers that want to do me harm as well, and one of them nearly made me unalive so...I haven't been very receptive so making (close) bonds with people because of these reasons. I almost didn't try dating again after dealing with said issues... I was ghosted for 2 weeks by someone I dated for nearly a year...then found out they were shagging somebody else instead of them being upfront about it. We were in a weird "situationship". I rather have labels now, so, I have a current partner now. The ghoster was merely a "cuddle buddy" or "friend-I-am-romantic-with-occasionally-and-uses-me-for-money", it just doesn't work out for me like that. But anyways, that ghoster ended up coming back when their lover did the same thing to them (LOL) and tried to win me back or at the least be my "friend", but naw. I'm good. My current partner is amazing. ♥
So yeah...I just have a hard time connecting with people, either for the fear of feeling like a burden or fear that maybe I'll end up in some bad situations again... My social battery is (mostly) drained these days. I'll meet people whenever I go out for my doctor's appointment(I have chronic pain and other medical issues), and make polite conversation, then they want to hangout or be friends, but I'm not capable anymore of that close bond...I have stuck to just being anonymous online and making friends that way...it feels safer.
I have felt like going nuclear sometimes and deleting ALL of my old (social media?) accounts online (minus 7cups) and staying offline a bit and spending more time with family (son and partner) to strengthen that bond...and once I move out of this city next month (hopefully with partner), I'll try and start a new friend group, but take things slow...
I ended up deactivated my account on "Discourse" and plan to possibly do the same on "Cora". I just am not capable of being social anymore...I feel bad, because I do actually have online friends on Cora...But not on Discourse-- was backstabbed by someone I thought was a friend, who then turnt out VERY toxic and gaslighted me too. She assumed that because I was not fond of a certain online influencer, then I must also NOT like her or think she is also "dumb" for liking them (I never said that, nor did I EVER imply anyone who likes said influencer is dumb. I just said I don't trust said influencer based on them flip-flopping their views and didn't find them trustworthy. Never said anything about "stupid" or "dumb". This "friend" was putting words in my mouth and getting EXTREMELY aggressive. I was fond of this person, until they became extremely rude, and I decided to leave the server and not deal with her. She targeted me specifically, despite others who had similar views as myself, but only replied to my messages and ignored theirs, which was...odd).
Anyhow, I think I'm good on not using that app. I have IRL "friends" on there but...I don't talk to them, as they only hit me up to flirt, and I am not interested (especially since I am in a relationship and idk if they are true "friends" if they only see me as a piece of meat...). I do have one real friend on there, but I have his number and I also have my partner's number, so the app "Discourse" is unnecessary. Just tired of dealing with weirdly aggressive people on that app.
Apart from that, I do have accounts on pen pal/language exchange types of websites/applications, but I plan on deactivating and deleting them as well(the ones I do not use)... I don't like having my digital footprint everywhere.. I have had an account on social media hacked a decade or so ago, and I just want to play it safe by deleting or deactivating what I don't use and possibly making the passwords more complicated than it already is. (I have an interest in cybersecurity, so I prefer to keep my data as private and secure as possible).
I'm going to mostly stick to 7cups, and maybe one other language exchange/pen pal type of website -- since it is my hobby. I just feel bad, as whenever things are chaotic in my life, I disappear...and recently, I disappeared again on some friends on "Cora"...It makes me feel awful that I do that often. That's something I need to work on. I have an Avoidant Attachment style caused by PTSD, however, I do NOT want this to affect or hurt other people in my life... I have told my partner that due things going on in my life(ex. trying to complete online classes for real estate license and get a job ASAP so I don't move into abusive mother's home and can get my own place again), that I may not be communicating as much, but I relapsed and talk to my partner all day instead of prioritizing certain goals as I feel lonely here in this city... I have a lot of trauma surrounding this city and agoraphobia developed from it as well. When I move(which will be by the end of next month), I will look into therapy and (slowly) try to make friends IRL again and take it easy this time. I will also explain my odd behaviours (ex. "Sometimes, when I am going through tough times, I tend to shut everyone out. However, I will communicate with you when that happens and how much time I will need alone (ex. XYZ amount of weeks of a social break)" -- I have done this before with my current partner and the ghosting partner I had prior...As well as that former friend who drinks under the influence -- I let people VERY close to me know about my habits, as to not hurt them...)
Yes 😕 I can make connections but maintaining them drains me. Usually because I end up giving more to them than I receive and I feel like I have to be strong for them all the time. I've had a good friend here - probably my only ever best friend but then it got ugly and blew up. They told me what they thought of me and it hurt too much. Now I keep everyone at a distance and am careful with what I share of myself. Which in some ways defeats the purpose of being here.
I struggle with anxiety and depression and cptsd and a few other things. But I've kind of discovered that not many people seem to like depressed people so I usually keep to myself with that. People often add to the anxiety and self doubts I have
I don't have other social media accounts. And I don't have friends in real life. I'm no contact with family. I socialize here and that's when I choose to. I guess I'm basically a recluse. I don't go out unless I have to. I don't like to talk on the phone and the one person I used to text died this past December. Idk sometimes it would just be nice to know that I'm in someone's thoughts and that I'm not as alone as it seems