so, I've been thinking about my... complicated... relationship to my parents and I'm struggling with something (well, multiple somethings). basically, after a long time of doing therapy (though i'm not currently seeing a therapist, but looking for a new one) I've realized that my upbringing was full...

hey moonlight! i also just wanted to add that (as someone who considers herself to be "too sensitive" for her own good): being vulnerable and sensitive aren't necessarily bad things. in fact, some folks (myself included) really appreciate that :) and it becomes a lot easier when you just s...

My experience resembled a lot of what this article says here (one difference between me and the author though is that i'm mixed/half-Black, but it's still very obvious from my appearance that i'm part-Black/a woman of color): http://www.rookiemag.com/2015/06/black-girls/ I actually wrote about it on...

hi there, Lucy! so yeah, i'm actually in the same boat-- 21 years old, never been in a relationship or had sex before. i'm still in the process of unlearning problematic things regarding stigma about it and trying to be more comfortable with that, but it's good to know i'm not alone

Hey Mo! Yeah, it definitely helped me feel better (and I've unfriended another toxic person who was on my friends' list, so I feel happy about that too!). Thanks so much for your advice

Hey Sam! mm, yeah I guess I see what you mean there. I will say, she was definitely very charismatic, so I guess I couldn't see how disingenuous she was until it was too late :/

Hey Mo! I'm so sorry to hear that you've dealt with something similar-- it's awful :( You know, I actually totally forgot about being able to block callers on my phone lol so I blocked her so that she can't call, text, etc. and it feels great! I already unfriended her on facebook earlier yesterday, ...

Hi there! I need help dealing with my feelings around this situation I'm currently dealing with-- oh, and please let me know if anything's confusing or something (there's different details going on in this ramble). So, as you can probably tell from the title, I've had a toxic friend in my life, but ...

hey there, Breeze1892! :) IMO, as someone who's a total book nerd, unless I had mentioned that book and how it was my favorite or something, I'd probably interpret it as someone being interested simply from the title/topic (especially if they'd expressed interest before). let me ask you something: a...

yes, please! that'd be really awesome, thanks Heather

we actually just had a sleepover that we planned on pretty short-notice, and that was definitely necessary. I'm gonna ask her what kind of big thing she thinks we could do together (we both really like to travel so it'll probably be something along those lines).

okay I'm back! I mean.... I don't really have many other things to say except how much I wish this wasn't happening and how other things that I worry about seem so trivial in comparison, you know? it's also just scary not knowing how much time we have left together. like, I'm tearing up right now ju...

yeah, that sounds like a really good idea. I'll def bring it up with her.

thanks, I'll probably have more of a chance to talk after I get out of work for the day :/

yeah, i'm fairly certain she's good healthcare-wise, but i actually haven't asked about what mental health support she's got going on or not. i should probably check in with her about that. i know, it was really unexpected...... yeah, when i think of illnesses, i tend to automatically think of peopl...

so, to cut to the chase-- one of my best friends recently made it known to me and some other folks that a few months ago she was diagnosed with leukemia... and as if that isn't terrifying enough, she's also HIV-positive as well (which I've known about for years) and I have no clue how her health con...

oh man, you still remember that! haha thanks, Heather-- coming from someone who's such a badass yourself, that means a lot to me

(also, sorry about writing so much.... like, jeez!)

you know, tbh I never really thought about my responses to someone's rejection/not pressuring them to respond a certain way as like a "hidden gift" to someone. it always just kinda seemed like, well... a respectful thing to do? lol idk but yeah, i totally see what you mean. I guess it also...

(also, sidenote: "bupkis" is a really great word that i haven't heard in forever! hahaha )

yeah, that totally makes sense. i mean, i'm very well-aware that rejection is inevitable (as shown in my last edited/added two sentences in the post above). but for me it's to the point where it's like "the odds are so slim, and if it hasn't worked out ever thus far, why bother trying?" wh...

I actually didn't know this piece existed, so thanks for that! :) oh god, i got kinda nauseous looking at the "do not"s-- not because i've ever done them myself (good lord, no), but because the guy i was talking about before made me feel bad about calling him out on his creepy behavior and...

well, i have a fear of showing interest in someone, but that's probably due to some fear of rejection I have like you said (as well as a fear of closeness that i've improved on a lot, but am still admittedly working through... yeah, it's a really weird dichotomy). you'd think with the number of reje...

see, but like.... that requires logic and reason. lol

no, but really, that makes total sense to the rational part of my brain. but the irrational part just keeps feeling like it's a matter of pride, i suppose.

hey Heather! oh man, if only it could be as easy as trying to remind myself that I'm not doing what that guy was doing. lol well, I guess I forget just how much of a role intent plays in these situations. okay, well... that does makes me feel a bit better about my chances of coming off as creepy bei...

well... I guess I'd know someone was interested if they asked me out on a date or broke the touch barrier a bit or gave flirty compliments or even just by the way they look at me I'd kinda be able to tell as well. hmm, I guess you've got a point there, Kaizen... I don't seem to be very good at expre...