Stop trying with ’friends’?
My therapist mentioned rejection sensitivity, and my psychiatrist noted ADHD with co-occurring autism.
It’s not that I can’t make friends, but friendships often feel one-sided. I’m usually the one initiating contact, checking in, or suggesting plans. If I stop reaching out, many friendships seem to disappear completely.
What confuses me is that I often feel blindsided. I’ll think I’m building a genuine friendship, only to realise later that I’m much more invested than the other person. I can’t tell whether I’m expecting too much, misreading the relationship, or simply investing in people who aren’t as interested in building a friendship.
It also seems like most people already have established social circles, while I don’t.
Can anyone relate? Do you misjudge the depth of friendships, or are these imbalances actually real? What does a “normal” level of communication and effort in friendship look like? Is this an ADHD thing, an autism thing, an adulthood friendship thing, or some combination of all three?