How do you deal with a friend who always wants to be center of attention?

Question

I have this one friend who I got close to because we both had fun together. As we started talking more, she started talking like me and acting like me. When she joined this one after school club I asked her to join with me [thinking it would be fun], she started talking like me in front of my friends to get laughs, tells stupid jokes and acts stupid on purpose to get laughs, flirts around with all the guys, and laughs really loudly to get attention. I'M SO ANNOYED BY HER, I CAN'T STAND IT. People say I talk like her, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW SHE TALKS LIKE ME. When I'm around her, I don't want to be myself anymore and I just turn quiet. I don't people mixing me up with her. I mean, it wasn't a big deal at first, but after a while, it builds up. And you can't help but either to compete with her for attention or just ignore her as much as you can. How can I deal with someone like her? She's okay when it's just me and her. & please dont say "try talking to her" cus I did, & she just gets mad.

Answer 1

Hi Abcjosiee,
What all people are seeking is : "a sense of belonging", and wholeness : being.... However, we can't "get our hands on" what this means exactly.... In childhood, we learn to protect ourselves from the slights and disapproval of others... by withdrawing and building a shell around "myself".....
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This "shell", succeeds at protecting us, but there's a cost: we lose at least some of our ability to experience being connected and belonging... to family, relationships, community, humanity.... The shell produces : a sense of isolation.....
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This isolation IS painful... it's not necessarily a sharp or throbbing pain, but it's very persistent.... It simply refuses to go away, and may show up just a vague sense of dissatisfaction or disturbance : a feeling that "this isn't it" ... somehow my life is not complete and whole just as it is, I "need something more"... Then the mind cooks up the notion of what it needs, and organizes life around trying to obtain that : money, success, sex, pleasure, etc....
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Attention is in this category of things "the mind", THINKS will fill the emptiness... left over, from the "break in being" which occurs in childhood.... I think of these things as being sort of like the "junk food of being" ... they provide a cheap, low-quality "buzz", that helps to offset the pain of separation briefly.....
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So, there isn't really anything wrong with attention seeking : it's not bad or evil, it's just "one" of many "possible symptoms", of a "deeper disturbance", that's asking to be resolved....
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Bottom line : My experience, with people who seek or need attention is.... that they are often lonely, have low self esteem, are in need of friends, needing validation or are otherwise not getting what they need in the right amounts from their parents, friends, business associates and so on.....
>>>>>>>>>>>>
So, the best thing you can do, is find a solution....
And make her feel wanted...... with help of a counselor...
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Thanks, for the question! :)
I wish you both, all the best!!

My regards!

Take care!

Answer 2

It seems that your friend, if thats what you consider her to be,is very insecure. Obviously she admires your personality so much that she feels a need to imitate you. She must not feel comfortable just to being herself. Her actions make her sound needy and desperate for attention. All you can really do at this point is ignore what she is doing. I would keep my distance from her if she continues copying you. Try once more to explain how , although it was flattering at first, it has become annoying. You are an original and you would prefer to keep it that way.Personally I wouldn't trust her, no telling what else she might decide to take from you. Good Luck Peace2U

Answer 3

i used to have a friend like this, and it drove me mad, she took on all my silly sayings, when i got my hair permed she did too, when i bought new clothes she always got the same things, only she tried to look better than me and as though i was copying her.

There were so many arguments over it in the end that i told her we should not be friends anymore, it was like watching Single White Female, you know where she takes on her friends identity, anyway we have not been friends for many years now and only pass the time off day in the street.

I think your best option is to stop being friends with her,m you say you were friends because you both had fun, well now the fun is gone from the friendship, there is nothing left for you to salvage from this

Answer 4

i know this is a real tough one! this has happened to me before now and its not nice because you find your self changing, then you realise they have stolen your personality and got away with it!!!

the best thing you can do is to cut all contact with her apart from when you have to see her, spend as little time with her as possible so she has less chance of mimicking you. dont be rude about just say your really busy and be as nice as possible about it but don't give an inch!!! dont avoid places where she is just go be yourself but politely avoid her! if she kicks up a fuss it will look like her problem.
don't tell her anything about you or your opinions esp before you have told anyone else as she will just be loud and pass them off as her own.

the fact she gets angry with you when you try to talk to her about it is a sure sign that she has no intension of stopping or any consideration for your feeling, it's obviously
working for her so why should she? she's obviously very insecure (she may not even realise what she is doing) but i doubt you can do much about that esp as she is acting like this.

what ever you do dont change just be proud of who you are and ignore her as much as possible, and the people who say you are like her because you know the truth!

just leave her to it soon people will realise she's false and she will show her self up eventually.

after a while of having no contact with her hopefully she will move on and find some one else’s personality to leach off.

or if wore comes to worse, do/say/wear something weired (just when you are with her) knowing full well that she will copy it in front of other ppl and hopfully that will put her off!

any way good luck with it and what ever you do don't let her get you down! just feel sorry for her!

Answer 5

It sounds as though your friend is insecure in herself. She wants to be the centre of attention because she fears the rejection of people and needs to be told that she is loved. I have met many people like this through life and they cease to annoy me now. I understand how you feel though as it irritated me no end the first time I met a person like this. I ended up destroying what friendship we had by separating myself from him and berating him to other people. He eventually told me how he felt and how insecure he was because of his family life and we got past the whole loud obnoxious thing. You have to understand that what you think about your friend is probably what a lot of other people think too so don't be too harsh as she will change once she knows she has nothing to prove to people in order to have friends. Sorry this is so long and tedious by the way.

Answer 6

I thin kthe best thing to do is meet new friends and spend less time with this one; you can't change people and if you try and tell her she will only get upset so just retreat a bit - maybe she will as k herself why

Answer 7

awww *hugs*

girl this seem very annoying trust me i know, im very independent and dont like it when my friends copy me... becoz i like being me... all you need to do i simply move away from her, i know that it sound harsh but she not listening to you when you want to discuss it soo just find a friend that is different and has there own veiw and love being who they are , and not being some attention seeker


anyway good luck
hope this help

<3

Answer 8

well
ur being self-centered

cant u see ur being admired

hello take a hold of it

buh if u dun wanna be followed and idolized which is shockin

like tell her off righ there
dun care if shez pissed
shell crawl like BCK
so like w/ee:)

Answer 9

dont hang out with her

Answer 10

Fight her