# Emotional dependence **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 20, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-dependence/625717 "2012-06-20T04:51:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-dependence/625717/21 "2012-06-21T19:28:46Z")
**Arabella Flynn** , you are _ **totally** _ the epiphany fairy, and you’ve helped me out as well as the OP. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-dependence/625717/22 "2012-06-21T19:31:21Z")
Get a dog. No, seriously. Consider a pet. (: ---
**Author:** ![purple\_haze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@purple\_haze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_haze)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-dependence/625717/23 "2012-06-23T01:28:20Z")
I’m trying to do things that I always wanted to do but never attempted before. I’ve started playing the piano and took my first Zumba class this week. Both helped a lot. I’ve been reaching out to friends and family and am so grateful for their support. Even so this is definitely a difficult time. I realize that there are times in life that things are going to be just flat out painful. All I can hope is that I learn better coping mechanisms than I have now. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-dependence/625717/24 "2012-06-23T21:58:31Z")
Though I’m sorry for your situation, **purple haze** , I’m glad you asked this question, because the answers are wonderful. And I’m little miss independant normally, myself, but this has such great advice. I hope it helps you a little. ---
**Author:** ![purple\_haze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@purple\_haze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_haze)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-dependence/625717/25 "2012-06-27T18:01:15Z")
I didn’t think it was possible to feel this much pain. Work friend has found a reason to stop talking to me and I am absolutely devastated. I’m scared of how bad I feel right now. He was there for me and held me up through a lot of trauma and only 10 days after I left my home and family, it appears that he has bailed. I had every reason to believe that this was for real. I need to talk to somebody. ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-dependence/625717/26 "2012-06-27T18:55:05Z")
> [@purple\_haze](#): > > I had every reason to believe that this was for real. I’m sorry that you’re going through all of this. I don’t really know what to say but I don’t think that you should just discount your feelings. I’m sure that it was real to you and probably it was for him for awhile, too. I don’t want to give you any kind of trite advice and forgive me if this sounds like just that but I think that the best things that you can do right now are to find some kind of counselor to talk to and to just keep going. I can also say from my own experience that for awhile the best thing that I could do for myself was to read long and intricate books. For some reason this was the only thing that kept me going for awhile. It was as if my brain finally got a vacation from thinking it’s own thoughts when it was concentrating on someone else’s words. If you just need to talk don’t hesitate to send me a PM. After all, purple is my favorite color. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-dependence/625717.md?page=1)