I have a friend of 2 years who I haven't talked to since April of this year. I left saying that I was on a social media break and deleted most of my social media and blocked everyone I knew. It was for a pretty selfish reason. The reason was: - Feeling like I got replaced & that my presence was a burden on others - not wanting others to feel like they had to constantly reassure me - not being able to hold conversations like I used to which made me feel as if I was a bad friend - feeling like I was nothing more then a people pleaser and if I couldn't always make someone happy then there was no reason to the friendship / people will only like me if I make them happy - feeling pressured to always text even if I don't want to for days to weeks on end - letting my mental issues cloud my perspective on the person - feeling insecure about their achievements and new found confidence in things - the fear of being obsessed with them - constantly feeling like i was annoying them and that they would eventually get tired of me and never text me ever again anyway. - always wondering if I was saying the right thing or if I was being a bad friend for always offering unsolicited advice or always pushing for communication because I thought they weren't being honest with me

Needless to say the reason why I distanced myself and completely stopped answering their worried texts was because I was letting my mental health and insecurities and whatnot swallow me whole and I was to afraid of being judged to open up and say anything.

However that being said, after 2 months I feel the need to respond to their text and at least let them know I am alive and well and I am just fighting with my mental health and I am so sorry for leaving them in the dark like this but I don't know how to do that because what if I come off as manipulative or as if I am just back for attention or something really bad and what if my true intentions are misconstrued. I want to reply so bad but I don't want to make the other person feel guilty or manipulated to stay or something like that. I just need some advice on how to approach it.