I'm not sure. When we go out to lunch and hang out it's good, but I'm worried the dynamic may change. She has been through a lot of the same things a previous friend had, and I'm worried it will turn into another relationship where I'm the therapist again. The roommate already sort of trauma dumped ...

I think the other thing that I struggle with is roles. At work, I have to be an adult. At home, I revert to a weird childish role. The only time I feel comfortable being myself is when I'm alone, but then I worry that I won't be safe, especially if I'm having a day where my thoughts run away from me...

I sent my friend a text explaining what I felt and why (not the first time it's happened in this searching process). I think I was firm but fair, but I still wish I were more able to control my temper. She responded, and I guess the search is still on. Hopefully I'll be able to hang on and then find...

A lot of this has to do with gender, but I have opted to post it here because it has other elements mixed in. I'm also not really looking for advice. I just need to type it out and know that someone else has read it and witnessed it. I keep ending up out in situations that I'm not comfortable being ...

Hello! I am back with an update. Since my last post, I have been hired as a teacher. Which is great news! But I emailed my principals to ask if I can use Mx. as a prefix, and they have now asked me to meet with them. I don't have high hopes because pretty much everyone thus far has addressed me as &...

So I was getting concerned by her lack of response so I reach out to a mutual friend to ask if she's okay. Turns out B is fine. Logically, I know that this is the best outcome, that she is okay and just doesn't want to engage. But I can't help but to feel a little hurt over being ghosted and possibl...

Well today I sent B a final message in an attempt to contact. She has not responded at all, and I have a reason to suspect that I have been blocked (which feels weird). Half of me is relived that we will probably never talk, but the other half is feeling really unresolved. I'm a bit sad it ended thi...

Part of my frustration is that I know that they can control it to some extent but chose not to. My dad can chew with his mouth closed when he's eating mindfully, but he usually eats while reading or scrolling through his phone. My aunt proved that she can chew with her mouth closed to when she reali...

This started in middle school around 10 years ago now. I came up with suggestions like eating at a different time or place, or using headphones/ear plugs to dull it out. Those requests were denied. Basically I needed to grow up and get over it like everyone else. It’s a little better now that my mom...

I have come to realize that I have more sensory issues than the average person. I am not sure if the demands I'm making are extreme, and I don't want to get mad about something I shouldn't be mad about. There are two main boundary issues in my family. First is that I have misophonia. I know that's n...

Hi! Thanks for the answers. And I read through that piece last year when I was preparing for my first appointment! I didn't even see the doctor, I saw her PA because I just needed a regular check up and had no concerns. She didn't even do an internal exam at all. Not sure if it will be the same this...

Hello! I've got my second ever gyn appointment coming up, and I have a few questions. 1. They ask if your periods are regular. Mine are, as in they're predictable, but I'm not sure if they're more spaced out than normal. Instead of every four weeks, the start of one period to the start of the next i...

B hasn't responded to me yet. I'm trying not to overthink it, but it's a little weird to me that she wanted to speak the day of and now doesn't seem to want to talk at all. My guess is that she isn't checking her email a whole lot, so I might have to text her.

I feel guilty right now because it feels very one sided. This is a person who has given me a lot of support, and I feel like I haven’t given any back. I’ve been on the giving side of one of those relationships, and it’s super easy to burn out. As for how I feel about my conversation with B, it’s mix...

One of the people who helped me write it offered! I can’t believe it was that easy. I still feel guilty about taking up their time an energy, so there is a possibility that I might tell them that I’m okay and call a warm line instead, but I feel like refusing is also rude? Who knows. It might not wo...

I was just thinking about this today, actually. I based my middle school fashion sense on Avril Lavigne wearing a tie. The "Part of Me" music video where Katy Perry cuts off her hair and pretends to be a man to join the military gave me feelings. It was nothing specific, more just like &qu...

I think that support in this way a reasonable thing to ask for, but I'm scared to anyway. I'm planning on emailing the people who have helped me write it (not A) with a final draft and an ask to moderate/be on call. I don't actually anticipate people offering to do it, but I'm okay with that. I thin...

So B read it and texted me (I think I just wasn't clear enough in my email). She sounded upset, but it did sound like she really read it and is thinking about it. She apologized and explained her side a bit. She also emailed to ask if we could set up a time to talk. I'm nervous, but I want to give h...

Well, I sent it over to B. We shall see how it goes. I sent (hopefully) a firm boundary that any discussion about it should take place over email (that way it's less likely to catch me by surprise or when I'm out in public). I hope she is able to take it as well as A did. At the very least, I hope s...

Hi! I'm reopening this thread to ask advice on an adjacent issue. I plan on going to get some mental evaluations done for my reading issues. Something the psychologist mentioned in my consultation is that it might be due to social emotional issues. Now, I am painfully aware that I have some social e...

My conversation with A went well today. She was really nervous and definitely almost cried a few times, but she kept it together and it was productive. I think she'll change her ways and do better in the future. Now I'm going to have to figure out how to talk to B. I feel like it's something I'm goi...

My conversation with A is happening tomorrow! I'll be sure to update. I hope it goes okay.

So I didn’t quite follow the instructions, but I did come up with step-by-step instructions. I’ve adapted it for B too, but I want to see how it goes with A first. Meeting with A 1. Ease into it- Talk about the mundane a bit. Ask how her trip was. 2. Affirm her- Thank you so much for agreeing to mee...

I don't really plan on saying anything. Everything I want to say was written down in the narrative. I think it will probably be more of a time for A to ask questions and tell me about her interpretation. Because of where we live, I think it's unlikely that I would be able to meet with B in person. I...

This is complicated to explain, so there will be a tldr at the end. I recently wrote a personal narrative about an upsetting event that happened to me. The Upsetting Event was cause by two very well-meaning people who were looking out for me, however their actions caused some serious and long-lastin...