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rosejayada's avatar

OMG! So timely! I am having exactly this issue with a friend I dearly love who is going through some mental health/life challenges that make it very difficult to have a relationship right now. I am not sure how to stay connected to someone who refuses help or even compassionate witnessing. Everything I say or do seems to be wrong, and I end up feeling disrespected and unvalued. So currently my response has been to stop checking in and seeing how they're doing or if they want to go for a walk or whatever because I'm fucking tired of getting snapped at for the audacity of caring. It really sucks. We've been friends for many years and it's never been quite this bad. Totally open to advice/experience. And also motherfucker is an awesome word and I can't imagine you being you without it.

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Sandra Serrano's avatar

I absolutely love how you explained Aikido and its connection to boundaries—so insightful! It’s true, going the binary route can be tempting. Sometimes it feels simpler to just cut someone off rather than navigate the complexities of a relationship. It’s those tricky gray areas that really challenge us, right? So many of us aren’t equipped to handle them well because we don’t realize there are more options than just all or nothing. Love your perspective and will be thinking about it for a while.

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