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View Full Version : Depressed over rough last 18 months - No real friends/girl trouble


movieguy1378
February 22nd, 2013, 06:17 AM
Hey guys, my name is AJ, 20 years old.

I`ve always had a rough time making friends due to what I suspect to be Asperger`s syndrome or something similar. (Currently working that out with a shrink, trying to nail that down exactly, diagnosis wise). Never been good at social cues or subtle facial expressions, obsessive interests, the works, can say sometimes rude things without picking up that I shouldn`t have said it, even though I don`t mean to hurt anyone)

I`ve been having a rough last 18 months battling depression/suicide thoughts, since relationship with my girlfriend, Miranda, ended, taking most of my social life with it. I broke up with her, in July 2011, as I found out that she was still extremely hung up on some old crush of hers and had been using me as her 2nd choice as a way to "get over him", making me feel pretty worthless, as she only agreed to go out with me as her backup because she couldn`t have him. Really stung as I had a crush on her for 2 + years at that point and thought we really connected once we were dating.. Made worse as she admitted she hadn`t been 100% attracted to me at first... My personality won her over, which really sucks when I think about it.... Seeming as if I was the guy she settled for, and that was never really good enough physically or something to be her #1 guy.

Have been battling severe depression since breakup. Have been having alot more dark suicide type thoughts. (Wanting to burn myself with coffee/on stove, cutting thoughts, self harm, etc). I even carry a list of local hospital addresses with me, just in case.

Most of these depression thoughts are not solely due to the break up, more that my support system started to disapear because of it, as I found that alot of my "friends" didn`t really have my back anymore. Only one of them bothered to contact me to see if I was alright after the end of the relationship, and most mutual friends I had with Miranda, seemed to passive aggressively start to ignore me. I`d usually talk to my best friend about all this, who I`ve known since the 1st grade, but he`s off at college now and really doesn`t care about me anymore. Haven`t heard from him in months, never returns calls. Even though his school is only a 20 min drive from where I live.

I have one friend who gets a hold of me sometimes, but it`s only when he wants something, never just to hang out.

I had spent most of summer 2012 out in New York on some freelance video work (I currently live in Massachusetts) which helped a bit to take my mind off things, met some cool people, chatted up girls at parties, but ever since I`ve came back home in fall 2012, depression has been coming back up again. Most the people I met in New York are too busy to talk online and the distance, being 3 + hour train ride to NY proves to be a problem, so they can`t really be any kind of social outlet either.

Alot of these depression feelings have been especially popping up, now that we are in February 2013, as back in February 2012 was the time I last ran into Miranda and the new BF (her old crush, Paul) at a rave type party.

Things got really bad there as Paul started to harass me at the party about being there, telling me I should leave/stay away from her. While he was harassing me I didn`t know who he was exactly, or that he was now dating Miranda, as I hadn`t seen her there yet, so I calmly tried to exit the situation, telling him he must have me confused with someone else, me just trying to get away from him, as I don`t appreciate some tall guy looming over me.... After that he said his last words to leave, and he punched me in the lower chest as he walked past me, leaving me to fall to the ground, as he had knocked the wind right out of me. No one really noticed all this as there heavy beat party music going and flashing lights and was very dark....

I stumbled outside to get my breath back, puked my guts out, and when I finally went back in inside, I saw Paul dancing with Miranda and I put 2 and 2 together that that was why he was harassing me. I didn`t confront him on things as I didn`t want to escalate things, and I doubted she would have believed me anyway, would have written me off as some whiny ex trying to make trouble. So after taking another 20 minutes to cool down, I mostly just went back in and acted like everything was fine till the party ended, and then I left and drove back home, bruise developing on my chest. Then I parked my car and finally screamed my head off and smashed my hands on the steering wheel for 5-10 minutes.

Basically lied to my parents about most of that night, giving them a minimal cliff notes version, leaving the main stuff out. Didn`t mention stuff with Paul. My mind kinda shut down a bit after he hit me, so I didn`t remember all the details anyway. They popped back about a few months later, think I kind of repressed the whole night. Just wore a shirt whenever I`d get out of the shower usually, so parents wouldn`t see the bruise. Healed after a few days.

I don`t really know what to do... it`s becoming increasing apparent that I`m just some "good enough" 2nd choice with everyone in my life. Friends, and girls wise. Even people I meet through work in Boston, I can`t 100% connect with. They`re nice enough to me, but we never really hang out or grab food after work or anything. I know that Miranda wasn`t a very good person for using me as her backup guy and I`ve been trying my best to forget her and move on, but it still really hurts. I was in love with the girl... but I feel like an idiot. Especially when the guy she liked over me turned out to be some abusive idiot who punched me at a party.... When I didn`t do anything to him or to her.

I was just there, trying to get a date to go decently with a girl, Emma, I was there with (who I later found out only agreed to go with me to get a free ride, and came there to meet up with some other guy). And Emma was friends with Paul and thought he basically walked on water, so I couldn`t exactly say anything about him hitting me to her or anything either...

Pathetically, only in the last month or so, I`ve started to stop being physically attracted to Miranda. Making it almost 4 years, I`ve been into her. Though I am relieved I`m finally over her physically.

I feel like the only people who care if I was around or not are my parents (who I still live with, still saving money to move out) I`ve never felt super close to them really though. They`re good people and all, but we just have such vastly different views on almost everything that I don`t enjoy talking to them a ton.

Most days I will just go to work, end up eating lunch by myself, come home, eat dinner with parents, and then just watch movies/work on screenplays for a few hours, email people for work, then just go to bed, and repeat it all over again. And on the weekends, my parents are usually doing their own thing, so I usually just go to movies or out to dinner by myself and go to bed early. I don`t really have anyone outside of my family to talk to. My next door neighbor who I used to hang out with all the time, never makes any effort, so that`s not really an option.

I`ve been talking to my shrink, trying to get the depression/suicide thing under control, and to also figure out how I could have been attracted to a girl who could treat me so horribly... I noticed some red flags now looking back, but I guess I just wanted someone to like me, that maybe subconsciously I didn`t really care at the time if I was the runner up... but I dunno, I keep thinking there must be something wrong with me or something. I guess it is probably for the best that it ended though, as she was never very helpful when it came to any depression/anxiety stuff.

In June 2011, I had to go over to go over to my aunt and uncle`s house to stay overnight as my parents were out of town and I was feeling extremely suicidal, and I didn`t trust myself to be alone. But when I tried to explain to Miranda what was going on with me that night and try to get her to understand, she just gave me crap about going MIA and shutting off my phone and didn`t listen to what I was saying and made the whole thing about her. Even when I broke up with her, she made the whole thing my fault for not "trying to work things out"..

Back in the present day, I`ve been on a date here and there, but with Aspergers/social stuff, I end up not picking up on cues when the girl actually likes me, or i don`t know exactly how/when to make a move, and end up tanking the thing and it fizzles out after a date or two. Even if I could get a solid girl, I`m honestly kind of embarrassed to still be at parent`s home, so I can`t really hang out with her here, and I don`t really have a ton of money for gas or to take her out anywhere, so it becomes a bit of a catch 22, as she`d probably be bored as I don`t really have anything going on with me, as I mostly just work and I`m not in college currently.

And I`m also worried to get too involved with anyone as I really don`t want to have another Miranda type in my life.

I`m sorry for the long story, but felt a need to get it all out... dunno if anyone on here has gone through anything similar or could give me advice how they got out of this rut.... :confused:

I`ve been starting to work out, trying to build more muscle and such, had been told can help with depression stuff. Staying active and all that...

Kinda feel like I need to know I`m not completely alone here... I just feel like I`m standing in the middle of minefield and any direction I go in I`m screwed in some way. I`m not 100% sure of where I`m going to end up career wise, or with friends or girls... I don`t even know where in the US I want to live when I do move out....

Thanks for reading

Aggregate
February 24th, 2013, 03:18 AM
The Miranda situation is unfortunate. Its cliched but relationships can be toxic to friendships and vice versa, it sounds just like one bad apple came in and spoiled the bunch.

I think its good that you are still able to socialize with people, go dating, and make the effort to connect with others. Its all too easy to shutdown entirely and withdraw. Its natural you feel cautious about getting close to someone again.

My advice is to look into the situation externally. You sound like a decent person, so don't let the ordeal break down your confidence (but accept that you will take a knock from this, as you have done). Friends and family get through our 'walls of defense' and we value what they think and do, so while this is no doubt going to hurt you, don't believe for one minute it defines or reflects who you are.

I envy how readily you are bouncing back. Obviously this is hard for you, but your one strength seems to be pushing on pragmatically and carefully. Socially speaking, I'm in a hole. I wake up, go on the computer and study / work on web media, programming / game / go to bed. Been doing that for two years due to my circumstances, trying to socialize more by getting out and about but its impossible. Nobody will approach me, I find it hard to approach people, and I take a while to warm up to people and often they just aren't interested in waiting for me to come out of my shell.

Consider yourself lucky in that sense, you have an opportunity to get back up. A person like me is only just realizing how long I've been down.

movieguy1378
February 25th, 2013, 12:03 AM
Thanks for the advice.

Went and talked to my next door neighbor (Chris) yesterday, gave him a bit of shit for disappearing for so long and we talked stuff out for a change and actually hung out for the day. Got to meet two cute female friends of his he invited over for me to meet.

He`s always been good in the past of introducing me to girls. We went to a party back in late 2011 where we mostly were just each other wingmen. It went terribly as we didn`t make much headway with anyone of them, but was fun just to be single and meet new people. Good memories, eating fast food together in a shopping mall parking lot at 3am after the party. Guy talk and all that.

Yesterday, was nice to flirt with some girls and just play some video games, have pizza and hang out.

Been trying to be better about getting the point across to the one or two people who did have my back during the Miranda crap (like Chris did) that I`ve been still going through some depression and it would help if they would do their 50% part to maintain the friendship. Not just me keeping things going by myself. As it just makes me feel worse otherwise. Chris has had anxiety/depression issues on and off in the past also, so he gets it.

Also talked to friend, Eric (one who usually only contacted me cause he wanted stuff). Called him out for never getting a hold of me just to talk, when I would make 90% of the effort to see how he was.

Me, him, and a girl, Rebecca, who I`ve had a bit of a crush on for awhile are going to hang out on Friday and play some tabletop/roleplay games at his house. Eric and Rebecca are the only ones of my former social group who are not away at college now, so we have that in common.

Rebecca`s a pretty cool person and all too. Every female friend I had back in the Miranda time period, thought Rebecca was into me, which I had oddly picked up on also. (As I never usually get hints like that). Not feeling ready to ask out any girl yet, but I`m enjoying at least chatting a girl or two up and just casually hanging out as friends. More comfortable just flirting and working on getting my confidence back, which might work better anyone. Any girls that have been interested in me since Miranda, were female friends I`d meet at parties or something. Just wasn`t ready to reciprocate those feelings at the time.

On the front of trying new hobbies or what have you. I`m looking at joining The Y or some community center, would be good to have something I can do on weekend (play casual basketball, go swimming or something).

And when it comes to moving out, I`ve been asking work people as to good areas of Boston/outside of Boston to live. Most need roommates come summer time, so that would be something to shoot for. Have also been emailing some older work friends that I did some short film projects with back in 2012, seeing if they`re looking for anything they`d like to produce together.

As most of my background, job wise, is in the film industry, would be good to get some more exposure, to hopefully get some higher paid gigs, which would help with moving out. Would also really love to get back out to New York with some editing work, so I`ll shoot for that.

Gonna keep trucking along. All we can really do. And let me know Aggregate if you ever want to talk or anything. I went alot of social isolation/stuck in a whole stuff back in middle. It comes and goes in ways. I totally not being able to approach people easily.

With having a girlfriend I was on top of the world socially, and know I`m realizing that I have to be ok with myself and who I am before I get back out there in any sort of romantic fashion. Not being ok with yourself is just a recipe for disaster in a relationship. All Miranda`s behavior with her crush was just her playing on my insecurities, which wasn`t ok. We all have them. Better off now to be able to look for a girl who`s actually nice to me and has my back when push comes to shove.