Should you tell your friend you don’t have time for their problems?

It’s a relatable scenario. You’re coming to the end of a long, stressful day and you receive a long text rant from your friend, who wants to offload their problems on to you.

Would you ever consider telling that person you simply don’t have “capacity” to deal with them?

A woman has prompted a debate on Twitter after suggesting people should ask for permission before they come to her with their emotional issues.

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Melissa A. Fabello, a PhD student in Human Sexuality Studies, shared a text message from her friend on the platform.

In the message, her friends asks if she has “emotional/mental capacity” to help her tackle a “medical/weight-related” problem.

In an ensuing thread of messages, she explains that the person is a “very good friend” for whom she’d always make time – but she wanted to share the “important” message anyway.

In a further tweet, she also suggested a template message to send to a friend when you don’t want to deal with their problems – although this particular post received some backlash from Twitter users for its “cold and impersonal” nature.

Emotional consent

While Fabello faced a mixed reaction to her her comments, she has opened up an important conversation about “emotional consent”, says Ann Heathcote, a qualified counsellor and therapist at The Worsley Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling.

“Emotional consent is where you ask your friend’s permission to tell you about deep or emotional situations that are getting you down,” she explains. “Why is it important? Because you can share your burdens with someone who is able to emotionally handle it.”

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Sometimes, one friend regularly barraging another with their emotional problems can cause a “strain” to both the recipient and the friendship overall, says Heathcote.

“Being honest and open with your friend will give you both the opportunity to talk about an emotional consent system that work for both of you. It’s important to both know you have each other to speak to should something seriously upsetting happen to either party.”

Etiquette for venting to friends

If you’re seeking help for emotional needs, face to face communication is “always a better means”, says Heathcote – but, if this isn’t possible, a phone call is a better alternative to texting.

“If you’re calling to vent to them, you should warn them before hand with a ‘hey, I’ve had a bad day, are you free to chat?’ kind of text,” she recommends.

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As a recipient, the simple rule of thumb is to listen to your feelings upon receiving the message.

Heathcote suggests: “If you see the text and this triggers negative thoughts, it’s likely their problems are triggering those of your own.”

She adds: “If you’re not ready to deal with their problems, tell them you’re feeling a little down yourself and that you aren’t in the right mind set to give them the advice they need. Friendships should be give and take, this opener could unlock dialect that you can both benefit from.”

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