General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I am heartbroken about my friend. [View all]KY_EnviroGuy
(14,498 posts)No_hypocrisy many of us are both introverts and raised to be stoics (mostly by parents that went through the Depression), so it's natural to not complain and especially to never create a scene. However, we're also highly vulnerable to abuse from selfish people, especially extroverts and psychopaths. Took me 'till past my 60s to learn to keep my guard up.
One thing that helps me is to have at least one trusted, loving friend that is a good listener that I can share my emotions with in private without fear of gossip coming from the conversations. Those events go a long way toward relieving internal stress, and also provide courage to be more assertive toward those who are abusive. In some ways, those special friends are our lifeline.
I would strongly suspect this man feels extremely emotionally isolated, which can be just as dangerous as a hurt neck because we tend to just quit caring about ourselves at all.
Best of luck and I hope you can do some things to help this fellow get through this very difficult time.
You might also discover he has a great shoulder for you to cry on as well!....