Negativity? Depression? How to make a friendship with doom and gloom?

[nuliajuk]

I have a relative who has been hospitalized from time to time with paranoia and psychosis. The one thing they discouraged her from doing when she was in the hospital was forming friendships with other patients. Although it seems like a great thing to have a buddy who knows what it's like, the doctors have found over time that people with problems tend to feed each other's problems when they spend too much time together... if that makes any sense.

[colorisnt]

No it absolutely makes sense.

I have a friend with OCD and Bioplar I and while I love and care about him, I find that he sort of "gets off" on having "worse" problems than I do if that makes sense. That's why in the past year, I've kind of pulled away from him. I think it's worse for him to see me when he's not well that it is for me to see him.