I'm moody. Can I still be a good friend?

[Writer]

I go up and down a lot. I'm pretty sure that some people here in this forum have gleaned this. I'm not manic depressive - I'm just under a lot of stress and already deal with depression. I've had treatment for years. Overall, I'd say that I'm a lot better off than I used to be, but I'm certainly nowhere near perfect.

My fellow classmates see me go through these changes and they think it's about class or something specific. It's not. I don't want to burden any of them with my internal struggles, but when I'm really down it's hard to be social, and they notice that.

I do try to set my problems aside and listen to them as often as I can. When I'm really bad, however, I think that I'm absolutely unfit to be a friend.

A moody person: A potential friend or someone who's better kept at arm's length?

I just want to be myself and permit myself to be human, but I don't want to push people away.

[mix]

1. Grad school was stressful for me too.

Find pleasure in your studies, that's really important.

[Deja Q]

2. Seconded, but people still tell me to go where the money is...

On the plus side, little is profitable anymore so fuck 'em; definitely do what you're passionate about. God gave us passion. God gave us talents. In a Christian nation, to be deprived of using them is the biggest sin of them all.

[Writer]

3. Oh yeah, certainly. I do enjoy what I read and write about, and it's why I'm in graduate school.

Social capital, however, is also important to me. I'd like to maintain the friendships that I've started... not have everyone pull away from me because I'm emotionally off-kilter.

[mix]

4. Friendship will be there, focus on your degree. nt