Dear Lit Love,

Your post starting this thread was expressed so well and made me recall similar situations. There is no easy answer as to how to deal with this type of individual. That depends on the person and what will work with HER.

Your first post is so very well stated that maybe you should state it exactly that way to your acquaintance. It gets your point across without being ugly about it. It is honest and direct but also soft and "should" be well received. If I were "the acquaintance" and you told me EXACTLY what you stated in your post, I would be appreciative of your honesty.

BUT, I may be of a totally different personality than the real acquaintance of which you spoke.

Another option might be to re-direct the conversations and turn them on her. When she asks a question of you or makes statements regarding your mental "health" or "attitude" toward your condition, you may just turn around and ask HER, "Why do you ask?" "Do YOU have a mental illness?" You may say "I would prefer not to talk about the matter.
Let's keep things on a lighter note and not discuss health issues."

About "depression".... It is one of those which came first, the chicken or the egg, things in my opinion. A family member was pushing the depression theory on me for my lack of doing anything. It took a while but I finally got through that if SHE had my health, SHE would get depressed, too. How would SHE like not being able to ........ and I would start the list. Wouldn't that depress YOU?

Everyone with a chronic illness and/or pain gets depressed from time to time. Often times, it is the illness that causes the depression. Not to say that people can't have depression that is compounded by illness but some of us never experienced depression UNTIL our lives were destroyed by a chronic illness.

There is a relationship between depression and chronic illness that most healthy people do not understand.

When we become shut away from the world due to our health, having friends is important but maybe one or two really GOOD ones would be much preferable to one potential friend that will cause you grief and emotional upset.

MY advice, bottom line, tell her how you feel and let the chips fall where they may.

Thanks for the thread. Hope things work out the way you would like them to be.