I know how wounding that experience can be. I'm sorry it's gotten to where you have to consider ending the relationship. Sometimes we come to realize that talking to a particular person is just not good for us. It's a stark reality to face.

I have a friend of 20 years. I found that whenever I discussed something really hard that I was going through, I always came away from her feeling way worse than before I talked to her. So I stopped calling her whenever I was feeling blue. It's hard to consider someone like that a close friend. I knew she did want us to be close friends. She sure went about it the wrong way.

We were having long phone chats about twice a week. She's a person who likes to needle people. I figured that added a little spice to our talks, and I was willing to let her occasional snide zingers go by. Then I noticed that, about every 3rd phone call, I was getting baited into an argument. She loves to win arguments. She'ld say something provoking. I'ld try to let it go. But she'ld keep pressing the point, getting rather aggressive about it. Finally I'ld had it.

Her number is now blocked on my phone. I feel bad doing that to someone I've known 20 years. I go back and forth about repairing the rift, which I'm sure I could do. But I keep deciding that I will leave things as they are. She made me feel bad too, too many times. That's not good for me.

She was the one who used to initiate most phone calls. It seemed she liked talking with me a lot more than I liked talking with her. That gets to be draining. I don't require perfect reciprocity. Seldom do we get that.But I've been trying to get away from persons who make me feel lousy.

They say nobody can "make you feel" anything. I understand the point of that. There is some validity in that. But if I keep feeling let down when I engage with a person, then maybe I'm making myself feel bad by giving this person too much access to me.