Am I a bad friend for avoiding anxious people?

Advice

I really trust this subreddit the most I think many introverts can relate to this maybe. I really need some big advice thank you.

Do I have an attachment problem or is it a boundary?

I have a friend who has a lot of trauma and problems in her life, yet she is a very sweet and kind person and adorable.

Yet the way she communicates doesnt really match with my energy. She talks extremely detailed about everything like “And after this I will probably need to go to xy and buy a waterbottle here and then…” like she plans everything externally and it takes my energy bc I just hate unnecessary details in conversations its just how I work since I already think too much about many things

Anyway I tried to study with her together sometimes but itd always leave to me listening to unnecessary details, problems of life, ppl of her life that dont interest me since its always the same topic and just any distractions and not productive time.

I just rly cant bring myself to study with ppl and openly told her that I dont like studying with people together and she shouldnt ask me that again ( i said it nicely ofc)

She cant study on her own bc of traumatic events recently hence why she wants someone

Now she texted me again that the person she wanted to study with canceled and she is extremely anxious bc her exams are this week

My pathetic mind is like “Thats also a bit your fault bc u didnt study earlier but anyway”

In an emphatetic way I understand why shes stressed and would get stressed too bc I care about the exam

But the thing is

Back then I wanted people to be there for me when I was anxious and in a bad spot. She reminds me a lot of myself a few months ago

However I didnt rly get that support and learned I dont need to be there for everyone all the time when I dont want to

The conclusion of mine is: I dont want to comfort her now and be there for her

In fact I dont want to comfort many friends anymore. I was there for a lot of friends emotio and they really appreciated it but god it exhausted me so much that Ive got a fever in the end and my sickness took for like 2 weeks . Most of the time I get sick from emotional distress, my immune system is good other than that

But friends are there for each other during hard times or not?

However I feel a rly weird survival thing inside when she texts me. I cant deal with serious and anxious people/ environments anymore

I really cant.

idk how to respond, act or communicate

I dont want to be a wrong or bad human being and friend I genuinely need advice if I have a psychological problem here for avoiding

Posted Aug 12, 2026, 11:05 AM UTC

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