I have an acquaintance that calls me often because she is bored or feeling restless. She's a very miserable person and I have a difficult time handling people who are perpetually depressed and won't do anything to examine that state. She is also a very angry person as a result of being depressed which also makes her difficult to handle. She is the type of person to complain about everything - work, people, the world, her health, her life - but will never do anything to change things.

1/

I am always unsure of how to respond to such people. I don't know how to talk to them or advise them because they don't want advice, they just want to complain or vent or yell and then go back to their misery. They want to drag someone else down with them and get mad when you don't respond in kind to their negativity. I don't have patience for that stuff. I'm a goaler. I'm a doer. I'm someone who doesn't believe in complaining and never taking any steps to fix anything or even trying to.

2/

She works a lot and hates her job. She also hates people and everyone she works with. She judges everyone and always has complaints about people around her. People are boring. Life is boring. Her health is bad. etc etc and on and on but never any ideas about making a change or trying to explore different things. She has no hobbies. She doesn't read books. She doesn't like music. She doesn't enjoy anything at all. She doesn't like putting effort into things. What kind of a life is that?