Associate
So, where to begin. Sorry for this.
My old mate of 20 years or so and I have had a bust up recently over various things - politics/ lifestyle/ attitudes to life - it was kind of coming for a while but came to a head a week ago and many, many nasty things said, etc.
The point is that a couple of years ago, when I was going through an almighty hideous divorce, was effectively homeless, skint, etc he was very kind and gave me a gift of a couple of thousand pounds to see me through a very rough patch indeed.
Now, in the last couple of days, following our bust-up, he's started referring to that cash as a debt - and not a gift and demanding it. Of course my intention has always been to return the favour as soon as my own meagre finances will allow, but, with the recent bust-up he's taken it upon himself to demand the money immediately and, in a most unpleasant manner, with couched threats of physical violence and downright unpleasantness with emails/ texts.
I wouldn't give two hoots about it were it not for the fact that he has a history of mental health problems - which over the years I have tried to assist him with to the best of my ability. He has a couple of good years and then a couple of real bad ones characterised by paranoia and psychosis during which time he has frightened his ex-partner and children, and the rest of us and during the last episode was even sectioned.
Recently he has taken to seeing 'Mr Potweed" increasingly more intensely than his casual flirtation has ever taken him and probably that had a lot to do with our bust-up.
The point is I'm not in a position to pay him any money at the moment - i will be in a matter of months but the question is do I put up with almost daily threatening emails and texts? or do I take a stand against him now.
How to distract his obvious focus on me for a target of his gathering psychosis.
Or do I get the authorities involved or what? I'm at a loss.
Obviously I know I should have thought twice about borrowing off an 'edgy' friend in the first place but I was desperately poor, desperately unhappy and I have known him for over 20 years; I'd lost my home, my kids and my business during the divorce and he was a beacon of hope in the form of a couple of grand to get started again - something, incidentally, that i will always be grateful to him for.
Practical answers only please, on a post-card. Mindless "Be afraid, be very afraid" Comments keep to your own internal mail system because I already am.
My old mate of 20 years or so and I have had a bust up recently over various things - politics/ lifestyle/ attitudes to life - it was kind of coming for a while but came to a head a week ago and many, many nasty things said, etc.
The point is that a couple of years ago, when I was going through an almighty hideous divorce, was effectively homeless, skint, etc he was very kind and gave me a gift of a couple of thousand pounds to see me through a very rough patch indeed.
Now, in the last couple of days, following our bust-up, he's started referring to that cash as a debt - and not a gift and demanding it. Of course my intention has always been to return the favour as soon as my own meagre finances will allow, but, with the recent bust-up he's taken it upon himself to demand the money immediately and, in a most unpleasant manner, with couched threats of physical violence and downright unpleasantness with emails/ texts.
I wouldn't give two hoots about it were it not for the fact that he has a history of mental health problems - which over the years I have tried to assist him with to the best of my ability. He has a couple of good years and then a couple of real bad ones characterised by paranoia and psychosis during which time he has frightened his ex-partner and children, and the rest of us and during the last episode was even sectioned.
Recently he has taken to seeing 'Mr Potweed" increasingly more intensely than his casual flirtation has ever taken him and probably that had a lot to do with our bust-up.
The point is I'm not in a position to pay him any money at the moment - i will be in a matter of months but the question is do I put up with almost daily threatening emails and texts? or do I take a stand against him now.
How to distract his obvious focus on me for a target of his gathering psychosis.
Or do I get the authorities involved or what? I'm at a loss.
Obviously I know I should have thought twice about borrowing off an 'edgy' friend in the first place but I was desperately poor, desperately unhappy and I have known him for over 20 years; I'd lost my home, my kids and my business during the divorce and he was a beacon of hope in the form of a couple of grand to get started again - something, incidentally, that i will always be grateful to him for.
Practical answers only please, on a post-card. Mindless "Be afraid, be very afraid" Comments keep to your own internal mail system because I already am.
