Letters to the Editor
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Did I write a letter and not realize it?
Well, this certainly struck close to home; not to be all 'misery loves company', but it's kind of nice to know that it's not just me.
To me it seems like more than a time-of-life issue, or matter of changing roles. I think it stems from a lack of faith; I have no faith in my relationships with even my closest friends, so I feel like if my interactions with them aren't flawless the relationship will buckle. This creates a negative feedback loop where I feel so anxious about doing or saying anything 'wrong' that I don't do or say anything, which makes me feel boring, which makes me feel even more anxious, repeat ad infinitum.
My theory is that it's a lack of faith in myself, my own insecurities that I project onto other people, and that if I can become secure in who I am and where I am in my life...well, as secure as possible anyway...the core anxiety won't be there and I can stay out of that downward spiral. So I'm trying to work on improving my opinion of myself in other areas and just hoping that my relationships with my friends will follow suit. I'll let you know if that ever works...