Nothing left but anger

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Genipher

Well-known member
Jan 6, 2019
2,278
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#21
At least one friend. By which I mean not an acquaintance, who'll just drop the relationship on a whim.
A real bosom friend, as Anne of Green Gables called them, can be hard to find. Someone you can bare your soul to, laugh with, cry with, receive correction without offense...those kinds of friends are few and far between. To find one, you'll have to push past fear of rejection and get out in the world and find him or her. Especially since you don't want interactions filtered through technology.
 
Feb 20, 2016
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#22
A real bosom friend, as Anne of Green Gables called them, can be hard to find. Someone you can bare your soul to, laugh with, cry with, receive correction without offense...those kinds of friends are few and far between. To find one, you'll have to push past fear of rejection and get out in the world and find him or her. Especially since you don't want interactions filtered through technology.
If only I could control people's choices.
 

Genipher

Well-known member
Jan 6, 2019
2,278
1,679
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#23
If only I could control people's choices.
But then it wouldn't be REAL. It's the same with God. He could have made us to automatically love Him and obey and be the best sons and daughters for all time, like good little robots. But it wouldn't have meant anything.

I do think it's harder to find those bosom buddies nowadays. A lot of people are distracted with their own lives or are to caught up in themselves to maintain a REAL friendship. People can be selfish. It takes hard work to maintain a good relationship. But I don't think it's completely hopeless...it just can take time and effort to find that bosom friend.

For example, I had one good friend from gradeschool through HS. We could tell each other anything and everything. I had other "acquaintances", but nobody I could trust like my BEST friend. But then, after graduation, life took over. She moved, I got married, and we lost touch.

My second "bosom friend" was my husband. Met him online.

And my third "best good friend" I met in a home church. Our daughters have basically grown up together and are bosom buddies, too.

But while I have other friends that I dearly love, they're not the "stick with you through thick and thin" type.

You may have noticed...I had to put myself out there to find both my husband AND my best gal pal.

I guess my main advice would be, don't give up and hide yourself away. Keep trying. I know it's hard. I HATED putting myself out there. Hated being around people, honestly. But it was worth it in the end.
 
Feb 20, 2016
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#24
But then it wouldn't be REAL. It's the same with God. He could have made us to automatically love Him and obey and be the best sons and daughters for all time, like good little robots. But it wouldn't have meant anything.

I do think it's harder to find those bosom buddies nowadays. A lot of people are distracted with their own lives or are to caught up in themselves to maintain a REAL friendship. People can be selfish. It takes hard work to maintain a good relationship. But I don't think it's completely hopeless...it just can take time and effort to find that bosom friend.

For example, I had one good friend from gradeschool through HS. We could tell each other anything and everything. I had other "acquaintances", but nobody I could trust like my BEST friend. But then, after graduation, life took over. She moved, I got married, and we lost touch.

My second "bosom friend" was my husband. Met him online.

And my third "best good friend" I met in a home church. Our daughters have basically grown up together and are bosom buddies, too.

But while I have other friends that I dearly love, they're not the "stick with you through thick and thin" type.

You may have noticed...I had to put myself out there to find both my husband AND my best gal pal.

I guess my main advice would be, don't give up and hide yourself away. Keep trying. I know it's hard. I HATED putting myself out there. Hated being around people, honestly. But it was worth it in the end.
Problem is not all of us are gonna get married. And church hasn't been much help either with how they often put single people on the margins. Let's face it, the American church has made marriage and the nuclear family an idol. And it's easy to tell someone not to give up when you find what you're looking for.
 

brighthouse98

Senior Member
Apr 16, 2015
658
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#25
Dear sister History let me give you a dose of reality. First I do indeed understand your feeling,note I said feeling. I do not judge you in any way!! I am just going to tell you the truth,you can run with it,or leave it by the curb,your choice. 1. In order to change ones mindset one must first learn how,then why! ( Philp 4:7-9)

Peace can only come by dealing with ones feeling. ( Rom 12:2) 2. We always need support so find a Church you are comfortable in,then just do you best to help another in need, getting off of yourself. Many years ago dear sister,a young woman came to our Church,with problems much like yours, and said I just want to really know what love is!! I do not feel loved by anyone really,and I am so angry,I cannot let anyone in to even help me,because I simply do not trust people anymore!

Anna I said which was her name,you have known me for about 3 months,and I have never led you astray,there is an old lady about 86 who really needs help with her housework,would you for me be kind enough to help her this afternoon? Before she could debate me,I said you will feel much differently if you follow my suggestion.

Oh ok she said,after about 3 and one half hours,she came back beaming,her face was almost bright!! LOL She said oh brother Mark I understand now!!!! After I helped for about an hour or so the Old lady called me to the kitchen for some tea and a sitdown,she knelt by me where I was seated,put her two hands upon my face,and thanked me, She said thanksgiving in the Lord is the secret to staying in his will,above all things do this daily!!( 1 Thess 5:18) and the Lord will bless you,and today he has blessed me with you!! You are a blessing you just do not know it yet sis!!
 
Feb 20, 2016
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#26
Dear sister History let me give you a dose of reality. First I do indeed understand your feeling,note I said feeling. I do not judge you in any way!! I am just going to tell you the truth,you can run with it,or leave it by the curb,your choice. 1. In order to change ones mindset one must first learn how,then why! ( Philp 4:7-9)

Peace can only come by dealing with ones feeling. ( Rom 12:2) 2. We always need support so find a Church you are comfortable in,then just do you best to help another in need, getting off of yourself. Many years ago dear sister,a young woman came to our Church,with problems much like yours, and said I just want to really know what love is!! I do not feel loved by anyone really,and I am so angry,I cannot let anyone in to even help me,because I simply do not trust people anymore!

Anna I said which was her name,you have known me for about 3 months,and I have never led you astray,there is an old lady about 86 who really needs help with her housework,would you for me be kind enough to help her this afternoon? Before she could debate me,I said you will feel much differently if you follow my suggestion.

Oh ok she said,after about 3 and one half hours,she came back beaming,her face was almost bright!! LOL She said oh brother Mark I understand now!!!! After I helped for about an hour or so the Old lady called me to the kitchen for some tea and a sitdown,she knelt by me where I was seated,put her two hands upon my face,and thanked me, She said thanksgiving in the Lord is the secret to staying in his will,above all things do this daily!!( 1 Thess 5:18) and the Lord will bless you,and today he has blessed me with you!! You are a blessing you just do not know it yet sis!!
That's all nice and good. But I already had that experience with my late grandma during her last days. I need friends my age with my life experiences. If you have a family and kids, I'm sorry, but I can't be friends with you. And I have tried different churches. It's exhausting starting over again and again.
 

MatthewWestfieldUK

Well-known member
May 13, 2021
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498
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#27
I had different issues but my anger was building from issues after issue, hurt after hurt. Fundamentally it hurt because I was not able to fix things. And waiting for God was like a mystery risk.
In the end all i had was tears, a river of them.
It took until I was in my 30s for life to have hope. Anything before was being alive but not part of the story.
During my 30s, i get better, but life got harder.
All i would say is.... enjoy the privacy, simplicity and time you have to focus on your hobbies. Because once life changes into relationships and responsibilities, u never get the years back.
 

MatthewWestfieldUK

Well-known member
May 13, 2021
871
498
63
#28
Oh, and u didn't have to justify or change anything. Other humans are genetically pretty useless and lacking.
Focus on enjoying your own interests.
Others are usually faking happiness to match their local culture.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,183
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#30
I don't want interactions filtered through technology. If you exclusively want to use Zoom, I can't be friends with you. And I'm tired of Bible study. I want something else.
Well you rejected out-of-hand everything anybody has said so far in this thread. You seem determined to be upset no matter what anybody says.

You did choose a very appropriate thread title though. You do indeed have nothing left but anger.

I have seen many people in similar circumstances, some happy and some upset. The only difference between the two kinds was the outlook they had on their situation.

The good life is simply a matter of wearing a different pair of glasses. It doesn't have anything to do with what you have or who you try to make yourself into. It is all in how you look at it.
 

JustJames

New member
Sep 18, 2021
27
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#31
Let me start off by saying I am a Bible-believing Christian. I got saved ten years ago. I acknowledge that I’m a very blessed person, at least materially. I have money, a house, the basic necessities. I was raised in a loving Christian family and have never been abused. I’ve always been a good girl. But at 27 years old, I have no friends, no job, and I’ve never dated.

This may be partly because I have Asperger’s syndrome. But lately, I’ve realized something important. Something very depressing: I have no control over anything in my life. That’s why I’ve stopped trying to make friends, find a job, or do anything beyond restocking my food supply. None of my many attempts in the past have worked, so why should I keep trying? As for skills, I like creative writing. But I know that won’t earn me a living.

It’s been like this for a few years now. Time is moving too fast for me to keep up with it. I live with my parents but they aren’t getting any younger, and I don’t want to burden my brother or sister. Other than them though, I have pretty much no one and nothing to fall back on. Then again, I’ve always had this sense of loneliness throughout my life, knowing I’m different from everyone else.

Most of the time I just stay in my room, drawing, writing. In my room I can retreat to my fantasy worlds, far away from any outside forces that would just steal it all from me. I know, not exactly healthy, but it’s better than drinking or doing drugs, or porn.

Yes, I’m sick of being taken from. But again, I can do nothing.

I’m sad to say, but not even my faith has helped out with any of this. I wish I could say I’m confident in God, but nothing could be further from the truth. God is not another human being. He’s not going to speak to me audibly, he’s not gonna hug me when I need it, he’s not going to do anything that’s useful or helpful in the real world. Pretty much the only reason I’m still a Christian is for the hellfire insurance. Beyond that, I pretty much don’t trust him for anything. I know he loves me and all that, but I need more than base sentimentality.

Being a Christian doesn’t make you happier, it doesn’t make you more moral, it doesn’t remove your problems (in fact, it creates more). Like I said, the only thing it’s good for is the hellfire insurance. I know that sounds bad but at least I’m being honest.

I’m tired of knocking on God’s door and having it slammed in my face. The fact is I live in a cold, uncaring universe, I’m subject to its whims, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Nothing I can do to undercut the current of constant and inevitable change. When all is said and done, I will be utterly alone, with no one and nothing familiar.

All I really have left now is my anger at all this. Yeah it devours your soul but at the moment anger is the only thing that makes me feel alive.
Wrong on all counts. Trust me I relate to many of the things you wrote in this post. Thing is though it is easy to make excuses and stay in the rut. You do have control over your life. You are free to make decisions, are you a slave? Are you in prison? Those people have no control over their lives. Your prison is your mind and you have to make the decision to break free from the prison you created.

It's all mental. It takes time to rewire your brain pathways to start thinking positively when your whole life you've been thinking another way. I know it's scary as hell to take that jump into the unknown but your life depends on it. Do you want to live or just exist? I know you say God doesn't talk to you and I get that. It's called faith, perhaps God is waiting for you to take that leap of faith and trust Him to be with you when you turn your life around.

Universe is pretty cold and nature can be unforgiving but there's good souls out there, seek em out. Build up your confidence, learn new skills. Drop the negativity , get into nature more. Exercise. Eat well. I know this crap sounds like a bunch of cliche advice but it really does work.

I wish you the best out there.
 
Feb 20, 2016
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#32
Everyone please pray for me. I can’t sleep and feel like I’m on the verge of an anxiety attack.
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
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Tennessee
#33
Most of the time I just stay in my room, drawing, writing. In my room I can retreat to my fantasy worlds, far away from any outside forces that would just steal it all from me. I know, not exactly healthy, but it’s better than drinking or doing drugs, or porn.
I can understand this. For me the world is a cold dark and uncaring place and my safe haven is home. Eventually though, the safe haven becomes more like a prison. I will pray for God to free you from the cage you reside in. Stepping through the door into the outside may not exactly be healthy either but it's better than drinking or doing drugs or porn. It's not so bad if you think about it. Of course, I try to not overthink it. It's better that way.
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,180
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#35
Everyone please pray for me. I can’t sleep and feel like I’m on the verge of an anxiety attack.
I've been focusing on all your replies through this thread and am seeing a consistency with what you are trying to explain.
And believe it or not... you are rather normal in focusing on all the wrong things... same as many people your age.
And the cure is going to be painful in ways you have yet to experience yet.

If you want a friend you must first be a friend.

That means focusing on what others want instead of what you get or don't get out of a relationship. The only way that happens is by getting to know others...which only happens by genuine care and concern about others.

And it's going to suck.... because on just about every given day people are self centered idgits... including ourselves.

Change like this doesn't happen overnight...it takes a lot of time to shift around with tons of mistakes along the way. And then comes the roller coaster of joy and heartbreak. But some firmly set appropriate boundaries helps.

I know a lady who thought that she never would find a decent husband...and she had good reasons for her beliefs. (Even better reasons than yours) But she was fun and a very giving person to EVERYONE. She currently is married to a really great guy... perfectly happy with kids and a full house. And if it wasn't for her attitude she would have been dismissed by everyone.

I'm not going to kid you...this is going to hurt in ways you are inexperienced in handling. But the formula you have been using hasn't worked yet and currently is getting you further from what you really want out of life.
 

Genipher

Well-known member
Jan 6, 2019
2,278
1,679
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#36
Problem is not all of us are gonna get married. And church hasn't been much help either with how they often put single people on the margins. Let's face it, the American church has made marriage and the nuclear family an idol. And it's easy to tell someone not to give up when you find what you're looking for.

Maybe God isn't calling you to get married. Maybe He wants you to write a novel or go out and help build houses for folks in disaster areas or tutor kids in church or get a job and use your excess cash to feed the hungry.

We have a family friend, he's over 60 years old, that still desires to be married but he acknowledges God may mean for him to be single his whole life. During his time of singleness and the 18 years I've known him, he has helped and served more people than I believe he ever could have done while married.

However, earlier you said you were looking for a friend. While that could come in the form of a husband, it doesn't have to. Either way, takes meeting people either in real life or through tech to find friends.

Would you rather everyone encouraged you to hide away in your room and give up on life? Sorry, not gonna do it. Yes, I found what I was looking for but it was HARD. I can't explain the level of fear I had at meeting new people. If I hadn't pushed myself outside my comfort zone I would still be working my night job, away from people, then going straight home and never interacting with people.

So, yes. Keep trying. Push past your comfort zone.
 

Genipher

Well-known member
Jan 6, 2019
2,278
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#37
That's all nice and good. But I already had that experience with my late grandma during her last days. I need friends my age with my life experiences. If you have a family and kids, I'm sorry, but I can't be friends with you. And I have tried different churches. It's exhausting starting over again and again.
Why would you limit friendship to only single people? Or to people your age? Everyone has different life experiences...when you find that bosom buddy he or she may share ZERO of the experiences you have.

When my husband was younger his best friend was a married guy. My single husband would hang out and was like an uncle to the kids. He and his friend's experiences and lives were vastly different yet they were still best friends.

My best friend is old enough to be my mother but acts like my big sister. She has an adopted child, I have a bunch of kids. There are life experiences she and I will never understand about each other but we are still best friends.

Our 60 year old single family friend often comes over and stays late on the weekends playing board games with us and the kids. He's like a big brother to me and a grandpa (which my kids don't really have) to my kids.

Boy, if I had limited my friendships to "only marrieds" because I'm married or to people only around my age, I would have missed out on so much!
 

Genipher

Well-known member
Jan 6, 2019
2,278
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#38
Everyone please pray for me. I can’t sleep and feel like I’m on the verge of an anxiety attack.
Do you have lavender? Smelling lavender can help calm anxiety.

Also when my anxiety acts up I take a Valerian tincture. Again, helps to calm.

Last time I had an attack I kept repeating Bible verses. Only my mind had gone blank so I kept repeating Genesis 1:1 and 1 John 1:1. Amazingly enough, it helped!

Is there a verse or two that you can use as a "sword" against the anxiety? If not now (hopefully you're feeling better by now and sleeping) but for the future?

Praying for you. Anxiety attacks are awful. ☹
 
Feb 20, 2016
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#39
Do you have lavender? Smelling lavender can help calm anxiety.

Also when my anxiety acts up I take a Valerian tincture. Again, helps to calm.

Last time I had an attack I kept repeating Bible verses. Only my mind had gone blank so I kept repeating Genesis 1:1 and 1 John 1:1. Amazingly enough, it helped!

Is there a verse or two that you can use as a "sword" against the anxiety? If not now (hopefully you're feeling better by now and sleeping) but for the future?

Praying for you. Anxiety attacks are awful. ☹
Thank you.

As for what you said earlier, what I want is for people to quit assuming that I haven’t tried or put myself out there or gotten my heart broken.

I have a sister who lives a few miles away. I often want to hang out with her, but she has two young kids to raise. I can’t relate to either of those things. For one thing, I have absolutely no desire to be a mom and know that I’m not cut out for it. You sound like you’re middle-aged, but I’m 27. I have different relationship needs than you. I’ve already had “friends” of different ages and life experiences. I want someone I can have something in common with for once.
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,180
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#40
Thank you.

As for what you said earlier, what I want is for people to quit assuming that I haven’t tried or put myself out there or gotten my heart broken.

.
And it's going to happen again and again...a lot. Especially if you want a friend that you can relate to and have a lot in common with...

Great friends are extremely hard to come by. I'm over twice your age...it's very difficult to find one.

A good friend being someone who you can call at 3am for bail money and they actually show up quickly...

A great friend is sitting on the bench beside you needing bail money just like you are. They don't happen often.

Just saying.