Don’t engage with people like that. This is one area you must be selfish and refuse to deal with others who bring you down, regardless of their reason. You can’t burn yourself up to keep others warm and expect to thrive and feel decently.

Just let them know you cant talk to people who make you feel like crap and unpredictably and block them so they can’t impose further. Try not to worry about why or empathizing because you need to focus on keeping your ship afloat and house in order and do that requires you to respect yourself by not harming yourself and exposing yourself to toxic others