Preventing a Talkathon

It's never fun to be caught in a one-sided conversation, but how about one that goes on for 30 hours straight? One German woman got so frustrated after her Chatty Cathy houseguest carried on about personal problems for more than a day that she decided to call authorities.

"After an unbelievable 30 hours and failed attempts to encourage the guest to leave last Saturday, the woman did not know what else to do but to call an ambulance," German police told reporters.

The paramedics refused to remove the woman from the property, who was still undoubtedly yammering on about her no-good husband, her daughter who never appreciates anything anyone does for her and the boil developing on her left toe. So her friend said she had no other choice but to call the police, who picked up Chatty Cathy and drove her home at last.

This is an extreme case, but it reminds us that in order to improve relationships with friends, we also need to be good friends. This includes making room for everyone in a conversation. Everybody is entitled to a major personal crisis once in a while, but if you feel the need to go on longer than a typical "Friends" marathon, it might be time to pay a professional for the sake of your health and your relationships.

Have you ever felt like you were participating in a one-sided conversation? How did you handle it without resorting to calling authorities? [Yahoo! News]