Friend withdrawing from people around him?

Question

Hi there,

So I have this friend and he's going though a rough time....or so he's told me. The thing is, he hasn't said what the problem is. He's ignored me, pushed me away and is slowly distancing himself from his other friends ever since. I don't know what to do. I'm really keen on confronting the issue face to face (I've told him he can come and talk to me if he needs to via e-mail) but I'm not sure. Another friend who isn't in our friend circle (but is very wise) has suggested to stay away and wait him to resurface, but I'm impatient; I feel like I can't just hang around and let him push people away. I want to break through the barrier.

Any thoughts or previous experiences of this and if so, what did you do?

Thanks :-)

Melanie B · Accepted Answer

I completely understand your curiosity, but your very wise friend is most likely right. All you can do is let him know that you're there for him if he needs you or wants to talk about anything, primarily because if you don't respect his boundaries, it will likely result in him pushing you away even farther than he already is/has. When he reaches the other side of his crisis, he will remember your empathy, patience and kindness, traits that are far more admirable than pushiness, intrusiveness and impatience.

I hope your friend feels better soon, and I wish you the very best of luck!

I hope your friend feels better soon, and I wish you the very best of luck!

Friend withdrawing from people around him?

Trending Questions