Relationship of substance, a story of betrayal

By Shelley Shadow

This friendship started out like many do. A good connection, a few laughs, getting to know each other and spending a lot of time together. In fact, you loved to spend time with them. You liked them. A lot. With this friend, you could be yourself. Actually, a better version of yourself.

Soon, that friend began to take up more and more of your time. Sometimes you felt like maybe you’d rather do something else other than hang out with this friend, but they urged you to get together. “Come on, remember how much fun we had last time?”

Even though there’s a foggy recollection of some trouble you got into with them, you have to agree that yeah, we had a good time.

Plans are made, you’ll pick them up at the usual place and we’ll set off to have fun again.

Except it doesn’t go that way. Again, things go sideways. Other friends are starting to ask why you hang out with this friend that always gets you in trouble.

You don’t really know why. Only that when the memories of those early good times come, of course you want to get together. Why not?

You start to swear you’ll never get with them again, but soon find yourself hanging out with this friend again, and they turn on you. Every. Damn. Time.

What’s even happening? Why can’t you say no and be done with this friend or at least limit how much you see them?

If these are questions you’ve been asking yourself a lot, reach out to a recovery coach. We’ve been there, and we can help.