Overbearing friends

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I am writing this in the hope that someone here can help me.

I am having a problem with my friend. Lately whenever we speak I find myself wishing that she would just shut up. Usually I get this way with people some of the time but recently it’s only happening with her all of the time. She has an incessant need to talk about herself lately. We are in the middle of exams and every time she feels like taking a study break she comes and disrupts me, even though I might not want a break. Then she talks about herself and her studies and her problems! I don’t even want to listen, I find it draining. I know I might come across as selfish but I think she is. The other day I was feeling particularly stressed out and I tried to tell her but she ended up speaking over me and drowning out what I had to say. So whenever she talks to me now I practically ignore her, and make “hmm” noises every now and again. I even continue doing my work and she still sits there talking. What should I do? Should I tell her to shut up and leave me alone?

Any advice would be appreciated.

I knew someone who was kind of like that. Since you've already tried to tell her and she didn't stop, either she's being rude, or she just doesn't get it. If you don't care about seeming rude, then I guess you could tell her to shut up and leave you alone. Otherwise you'll just have to grin and bear it, and avoid her as much as possible.

Thanks, I don't think I could actually bring myself to shut up as she's generally wuite a nice person. I think most of the time she just "doesn't get it". It's so annoying. I can't even talk to her about it.

I've got a friend like that, she's all 'me me me'. you could always try getting up and walking away when she does it. either that or invest in some ear-plugs.

It's a female trait, but it doesn't appear in all of them.

erm... how much experience of females have you had exactly?

in a psychological study of the differences between how men and women talk, (can't remember the reference), it's actually been proven that what you describe as a "female trait" is, in actual fact, a "male trait".

Sorry I'm late - just found this topic!

Like reading so many others' AS experiences this gives me déjà vu.

Sometimes we are accused of being narcissistic (an ex-girlfriend understandably did that to me) but are not, but I think our naiveté makes us vulnerable to exploitative/abusive 'friendships' with people who really are. I was in such a friendship for eight years.

After all, the narcissistic person has a lot of of the same anger and frustration at the world that we do (I'm not getting what I'm entitled to, etc.) and is somebody to commiserate with! That's how I fell into it.

Just another thing for AS people to watch out for.

I don't think anyone yet has offered a solution that I've seen, which is what the person wanted.

How about going up to her, taking the initiative. It can be hard, if you're not that type, but if you just go up to her and start talking about a problem that you need help with, she might get to see that others have problems, too.

She might have gotten so involved in her own problems and life that she's failed to see others' - but when she starts to see others, and what they need, then her life will not be as big a topic.

This, to me, is the bigger problem than her just talking all the time. That's a symptom, I think. But, there's a bigger pproblem, and that is she doesn't know anything else to discuss.

Elderly people often do this (sorry for the further generalization, but at least I didn't say always) because they don't have other subjects to discuss. But, I have found in talking with elderly people, if you tell them about your friends, family, life, etc. they will become interested in you and ask about you and won't be so concerned with their own aches, pains, etc.; they will have something else to think about.