I'm depressed. I'm not sure why.

Last evening I visited with my neighbor, who has been acting very friendly towards me lately. She invited me over, and I was glad, thinking I could use another friend in my life. She got to telling me things about her past. I shared some things about myself. It soon became apparent that she wanted to be listened to and was far less interested in doing any listening. So I listened a long while. I left feeling drained.

Today she phoned me and seemed to want me to stop by again. I didn't.

This has been a recurring pattern in my life. I've tended to attract people who are emotionally needy. These are people, like my neighbor, who seem hungry for attention and want someone to commiserate with them. But they don't reciprocate. I'm tired of feeling used by people like that.

My neighbor has been saying that we should get together for morning coffee more often. We both live alone. It sounded like a nice invitation, but now I'm turned off.

Have you ever experienced someone chewing your ear off and sucking the life out of you with their need for attention? How do you handle it? I guess I have to set limits and boundaries. Like, I might set 30 minutes as the longest I'll stay in a conversation with her.

I'm disappointed to think I have to ration the attention I give her and only dole out so much. She knows I was in the hospital recently but never asks how my own health issues are doing.

I think that visit yesterday is part of why I feel so down today. I don't want to withdraw from people and become more reclusive. But I don't want this pattern to continue.

I have to shake off this down hearted feeling.