When I make a new friend online and we hang out a lot in a short space of time, I find myself hyperfocusing on wanting to interact with them. I try my best to hold myself back to what would be an acceptable level. It gets to a point where I feel like almost nothing else matters but their next response.
Does anyone else have this? If so, is there a coping technique I can do to reduce it or make it more bearable?
Yep. Most people in psych wards are struggling, need to process, deal. A typical dynamic I’d find: in the common room during free time, a few would be hanging out, socializing. Some sitting in corner would look over, and you could see they wanted to join, but were scared to. So one of us would say, hey if you want to sit with us, feel free. Some would accept, take chair next to us, and they’d sit quietly, and we’d leave them be, not pressure. Some would thaw, start engaging more. And some would leave, go sit in a corner.
Sometimes, I’d be that person, and be grateful for them reaching out, offering to include me.
This can translate to outer world. Just, normal world, can be hard to connect, people are less honest, less weird. I do better with weird. =)