[shakespeare47]

I'm having a hard time getting along with people lately. I don't really have any close friends to reach out to. I even hesitate to tell my wife about the problems I have.

While I'm typing this I'm doubting it... my wife has been very supportive over the years, and just recently she listened and gave me some good advice.  There are also a few fellow students I like and appreciate. But, I wouldn't tell them about some of the more serious issues I'm dealing with.

Anyway, I wondered if anyone had any good stories to tell about bad relationships that turned around? Have you ever become friends with someone you thought you hated? (doesn't have to be that extreme... just stories about relationships that got better would help... or maybe stories about making new friends).

I am sorry you are feeling down about this.

Your wife married you. She wouldn't have done that unless there was a time when she wanted to hear everything about you (including your problems) and enjoyed your company.

Perhaps you are going through a hard time about something. I've posted about a lot of my issues here and through writing for myself, posting, and therapy, I am learning to accept my situation and put my feelings into perspective. By working through my issues, I have been feeling more loving toward my husband. Some things got blown out of perspective because we didn't talk things through (sometimes I wasn't as direct about my feelings with him as I should have been) or when we did talk--it got very intense and emotional. We seem to have gptten past many of our hard feelings. We fear the fighting could come back tommorrow. Everyday that we feel loving toward each other rather than fighting--we are so grateful. This is our good news.

There was this girl I hated in high school. Her boyfriend and I were friends and she was very jealous. One time she called looking for him at a party. I had answered the phone and told her I would grab him. I put the phone down on the table and just left it there. About an hour later she showed up very angry. We hated each other so much. Well several years after high school she and my husband decide to get together (he went to school with me too). I tagged along. She and I hit it off and she's now my best friend. I love her like family. We have laughed together and cried together. I did not see it coming!

[TishaBuv]

I’ve had and seen plenty of bad turn good again and vice versa.

Sometimes problems can feel overwhelming and I too hestitate to share it with others, even our spouses who love us dearly can't always handle everything all the time - they are only human. I try to not overburden people and this is why PC is so good, it's a place specially for sharing these thoughts - you can't overburden us here it's what we are here for.

I think we can always improve how we relate to others, and just by being self aware you are doing something positive - some people go around their whole life readily blaming others for everything never realising they had a big input themselves.

To add my positive story - 5 years ago I was very isolated, I had tried to develop friendships but nothing seem to come of it. I even began to feel there was something wrong with me.

Looking back I just wasn't meeting the right 'fit' of people for me, it was voluntary activities and sport which brought some wonderful new people into my life, a lot of acquaintences, some friends and a handful of close friends. Sometimes we just need to find the right places to meet our 'tribe'.