From the "tbh" thread:
How are you keeping in touch with your friends, family, and relatives, e.g., by phone, video, e-mail, apps, or letters? Do any of these forms of communication work better or worse than others for you?
Are you initiating most of the communications? And do you feel like you are usually taking the laboring oar?
If so, how do you feel about it?
If not, why not? Do you like it when other people contact you?
Have you had any particularly good or bad experiences when speaking with people lately?
Have you been re-evaluating any of your relationships because of how your communications with anyone have been going (or not going)?
Have you been in touch with anyone for the first time in a very long while? What was that like?
Have any of your communications caused you to rethink your relationship with someone? Or rethink something about yourself?
I may add to this list of questions within the next twenty-four hours.
To be honest, I'm sick of always being the one to initiate contact with my friends and relatives.
Yes! Other than my mother (who initiates contact once a week), I have had to initiate almost all contact with family, friends and colleagues. Four people have initiated contact with me once in the last 6 weeks, and I have received thank you messages from the nieces/nephews for the packages of activities I sent them. Other than that, nothing. Even more annoying/frustrating are the many whose reply to my texts/emails/messages is just a one-liner, or an emoji (or no reply at all). Every time I see one of those stupid commercials on tv telling us that "you are not alone" and encouraging people to connect with others, I want to throw something at it.
Not related to this current global medical crisis - but about five years ago, I was venting about this to an older woman and she told me “Never make anyone a priority if they‘ve made you optional.” My mental health got A LOT better after following that advice.
This topic is immense and complex. I will express some of my thoughts in subsequent posts, but here are some questions that might get us started:it's layered - even moreso than I'll propose below. I will say I'm lucky that I eventually purged those in my circle who don't give and take, Go through one even semi-rough period in your life and you learn who your friends are - and you focus on investing in those.
How are you keeping in touch with your friends, family, and relatives, e.g., by phone, video, e-mail, apps, or letters? Do any of these forms of communication work better or worse than others for you?
Are you initiating most of the communications? And do you feel like you are usually taking the laboring oar?
If so, how do you feel about it?
If not, why not? Do you like it when other people contact you?
Have you had any particularly good or bad experiences when speaking with people lately?
Have you been re-evaluating any of your relationships because of how your communications with anyone have been going (or not going)?
Have you been in touch with anyone for the first time in a very long while? What was that like?
Have any of your communications caused you to rethink your relationship with someone? Or rethink something about yourself?
I may add to this list of questions within the next twenty-four hours.
Last edited: