Interesting insights! The question of when to be vulnerable and when to put up walls is a very tough one. I think vulnerability is a very valuable and beautiful thing, but there are unfortunately many people out there who either take advantage of such vulnerabilities or still cause harm through a lack of mindfulness or their own wall-building.

Especially when chronic depression or anxiety are involved it becomes much more complex because there can be percieved harm where no harm is done. There can also be the ignoring of harm or writing it off as a fabricated perception. For someone with isolative tendencies it can be especially difficult to handle the idea that the relationship may need to come to an end; once that support link is gone, there may be no one left to turn to (or could be percieved as such even if it's not an accurate assessment).

All in all I stand by my belief that open, honest, and respectful communication is the most important peliece of the puzzle. Without that communication there's no platform to build real trust or even a real friendship. That being said, it doesn't always have to be immediate. Sometimes self care requires some space to breathe.

Thanks for the thoughtful post :)