Can you take a break and some distance Phillipa? Can you not totally cut off but see that she is flawed and you are flawed and lower you expectations of her but enjoy the good stuff of her?
I can see these things, but I am not willing to put up with being abused and attacked. I have already deleted her from my friend list on facebook. If we happen to come back into contact at some point in the future then I will cross that bridge when it comes to me. I don't particularly want to be around someone who thinks I'm a mean, horrible narcissist. Would you?
No, I'm not willing to lower my expectations that a friend will address me without attacking me verbally or trying to make me feel like i'm a bad person for putting up boundaries with her. I don't think staying friends when our issues have become so enmeshed is a very healthy choice.
You are able to see she is projecting her stuff on to you so you can manage that by perhaps taking a step back from her before she gets to this point of overwhelm?
I felt totally drained when I read her words Ms Spock. I was not able to take a step back until later.
If you didn't have PTSD her hissy fit might not effect you the way it is, though she is being unreasonable towards you.
That's possible, but the fact is I do, and it did affect me the way it did.
Can you take the good and not take on the bad?
Do you mean can I only accept her for her good aspects and reject her bad aspects? I think I can handle both unless her feral side does not come out lashing out and scratching. I don't need that crap right now. I've put up with a fair but of her 'bad' side for a while now.
Being friends with someone with PTSD is not easy so maybe she was overwhelmed by your feelings and was unable to manage these adequately. Maybe she just didn't feel heard by you. Maybe she was distressed by what you are going through and overreacted?
She said she didn't feel heard by me, but didn't say where she didn't feel heard. I don't know what she was going through when she read my expression, which I took great care and lots of time making sure was worded in a way that did not attack her...and she turned around and launched a full scale attack on me verbally in return. If she was overwhelmed by me saying that I felt disrespected, then yes, you're right, she didn't manage them adequately. Her intent was to hurt me, the way she was hurting. If you are distressed by what a person is going through, you do not express that by attacking the person.
Please ignore if this is not helpful.
It was helpful in a way, but I have made my decision. Well, actually SHE made the decision when she told me "good riddance".
I feel like you are saying that I haven't been understanding or forgiving enough of her. I'm tired of being the one who has to always be the understanding forgiving one, when the other parties make no effort to understand me or take my flaws into account.
Perhaps I am cutting people out too quickly in your eyes, and that may be the case? I'm taking care of me right now. I'm grieving deeply and I don't need people who treat me that way around me. I'm sure that is understandable.