Obsessed with being liked.

[Nunk]

I’ve had this obsession for many years, I’m on medication and I’ve had numerous counselling sessions about. I can feel another bout of coming on the last couple of days. My behaviour changes and I struggle sleeping and constantly ruminate about it. I go out of my way to be nice to people in many ways. I just want to be normal and to accept that people either like me or they don’t but I can’t. Just wondered if anyone else feels like this and how they deal with it.

[The_Butterfly]

yes. It’s the middle of the night here and I came online because I woke up with a pit in my stomach over things that I said and did yesterday. I’m worrying how they were perceived and if it put people off. I feel intense shame. And embarrassment. And the sad thing is, nothing bad happened yesterday. Just normal routine daily living stuff. Yet I’m dying inside, battling the rejection that “I just know is coming.” I hate feeling like this. I hate it so much.

I wish I had advice for you, because I’d use it for myself too. I remember long ago imagining being homeless. And something inside me said, it’s just you and God in the end. Nothing else anyone thinks of you matters. Even if everyone rejects you, God won’t, ever. That worked a little, and honestly helps now to ease this pit in my stomach, but also heavily depends on one’s persuasion about the big man upstairs. I’m going to try dereflection next - it’s part of Viktor frankl’s logotherapy. Good luck to you. You are not alone in wanting others to like you!

[Nunk in reply to The_Butterfly]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, I really hope you get the answers you’re looking for.