It’s SO common; the feeling of dread when you think about holidays with your family, your siblings, uncle or grandmother who share very…different political and social values than you. You’re worried about their comments, how to respond, if you should respond, worried about people making comments about weight gain during the pandemic, your relationship status or when you’re going to have kids. Sometimes the conversations aren’t dreaded so much as the obligations…like staying the night on christmas eve, or partaking in various family holiday traditions that either bring on an anxiety attack or make you wish you could call in sick…or just say no. But you feel like you can’t say no because “it’s the holidays” and someone will be upset with you (hello people-pleasers worst nightmare).
Why I can't stop talking about Boundaries to anyone that will listen
When you’re not used to setting boundaries it can feel uncomfortable and even stressful at first. When you’re used to putting others’ needs before your own, or bending over backwards to make everyone happy it can even feel counter-intuitive and cause anxiety, but having good boundaries is necessary to reduce anxiety and improve your quality of life in the long run
Therapy isn't about blaming your parents
You can grow up in a “good home” and still have relationship issues, money issues, body image issues, confidence issues, and more.
Maybe your parents weren’t outright abusive or neglectful. That’s great! …but it doesn’t mean they didn’t make mistakes that affect you now. You probably internalized some negative and unhelpful things, because your parents were human.