u/Content-Post-174

My best friend (22F) wants to come over for her birthday, but I’m (22F) in a low-income situation and can’t really afford a gift right now. I got her something last year, but she didn’t get me anything for mine (I don’t really care about that part).

I feel guilty and like I’m not being a good friend. She still wants to celebrate together at my place.
How should I handle this without making things awkward between us? I don’t want her to feel bad or for it to seem like I’m making a big deal out of it, but I also don’t want to feel stressed about it. Should I send her a message beforehand explaining how I’m feeling, or just wait until she comes over and act normal? I’m kind of overthinking it and not sure what the best way to approach it is.

TL;DR: I don’t have money for a gift, my friend is coming over, and I’m not sure if I should say something or just act normal.

i broke up with my ex because our relationship had become really toxic and unhealthy for both of us. we’d been together since we were 15 and we’re 19 now, so it was a long time and things just weren’t good anymore. a month after the breakup he came back begging for me back, but we ended up arguing again and in that moment he said he wished he never had s*x with me, called me filthy, and said a bunch of really hurtful things. ever since then i can’t stop replaying it in my head. it honestly triggered every insecurity i already had and made me feel disgusting to the point where i felt physically sick. i know logically i shouldn’t let his words define me, but i’m struggling to get them out of my head and it’s affecting how i see myself. if anyone has any advice on how to cope with something like this or move forward and stop ruminating, i’d really appreciate it.

hi, i don’t really know how to word this properly but i just need to get it out somewhere.

so basically my mom and her three sisters have beef with their own family, so they don’t talk to their older sister and they also don’t talk to their younger brothers’ wives. my mom still talks to her brothers but not their wives. me on the other hand, i’m actually close with my mom’s younger brother’s wives. i genuinely like them, but my mom doesn’t like that at all and she gets jealous and starts stirring stuff up.

she makes up things about them and slowly tries to make me stop talking to them. over time she had me thinking they were bad people when really it wasn’t even like that. now i’m realizing it was mostly her twisting things and it’s honestly messed with my head so much.

and it’s the same thing with my dad’s best friend’s daughters. my dad doesn’t talk to that family anymore but i still do and i’m close with them. every time my mom finds out she gets mad and starts saying stuff about them too, like they’re gossipers or bad people and tries to make me believe it. and i just keep noticing it’s always her and her sisters making up stuff and pushing me away from people i actually care about. it honestly feels really manipulative and like gaslighting.

when i hang out with them or talk to them, she gets upset and tells me to block them, delete their numbers, and tries to convince me they’re bad people, saying they gossip about me, create drama, etc. but i know them and they’re actually good people who don’t do any of that. it feels like she’s turning them into villains in my head.

i haven’t talked to her for 5 days now. i’ve only been talking to my dad but he doesn’t even really know what’s going on. i’ve just been mentally not okay. i’ve been depressed, i don’t get out of bed most days, i feel drained and exhausted all the time. my mental health has honestly been really bad because of all of this and it’s been going on for years now and i’m just tired.

i don’t really know what to do anymore, i just needed to get this out somewhere. please give me any advice

Any cute matcha cafés you recommend? I just need one with really good matcha 😭