Actually, I think that therapist is correct. If the generic "No, sorry, my schedule's already full that day" or "No, I wouldn't be the one to do that," doesn't work and you're actually getting badgered, the answer just might be silence. Once we allow ourselves to be drawn into long justifications for why we can't do something, we're just that much more likely to get sucked into something by someone who is persistent. The answer to them is stone wall.

Anyone who is badgering is already being rude. There's no need to be nasty back, but no further discussion is needed. This is *really* hard the first time you do it, but gets easier over time. One of the worst mistakes we often make is talking too much and people who tend to be users have a radar for people they can wear down.

I think I'm lucky in this, if you can call it that, because I have dealt with so many mentally ill relatives and friends. Reasoning with people who are not thinking straight is not only a waste of time but also foolish on my part. I got my training in 'NO' a long time ago.