Tag Archives: love

Connecting with Family

My brother (he’s actually my half-brother from my biological dad), Doug, was born on February 7, 1952, and I was born on July 8, 1972. I always remember his birthday because he was twenty years older than I was. Doug was an incredibly happy man. Everyone liked him. He always had a smile, he brightenedContinue reading “Connecting with Family”

Hanging out and Healing

Last weekend, I got to spend some time with a couple of other survivors. One of them lives out of the state and was here to attend a family function. So, another friend of mine drove to have breakfast and hang out with him for the morning. It was a good time to talk andContinue reading “Hanging out and Healing”

Friendship Struggles Continued…

If you have read some of my other post, you know very well that I have struggled with building and maintain friendships all of my life. Upon some reflection the past few weeks, I believe I’ve had a small breakthrough. And just to start off, I am fully responsible for the position I find myselfContinue reading “Friendship Struggles Continued…”

Circle of Friendships

Regardless of what kinds of trauma you have experienced, I have found that various groups of friends and levels of intimacy within those groups is really important. I’ve talked about this idea before, but I think that I’ve matured and learned even more about how this concept works. We naturally have these circles of friendsContinue reading “Circle of Friendships”

Sharing Vulnerability

I was talking with a friend today at the gym, and he mentioned that he had a pretty rough week. Surprisingly, he mentioned to me that some friends had ghosted him recently, and he was trying to navigate that experience because he believed that these friends were trusted people whom he had known for aContinue reading “Sharing Vulnerability”

Emotional Immaturity

For most of my life, I have been an emotionally immature man. I can function well in social situations, I can handle friendships and relationships in a way that is not alarming, and I understand what good emotional health looks like. But I believe, like many survivors, I was stuck emotionally at the age whenContinue reading “Emotional Immaturity”

Boundaries in Relationship

As a survivor, I struggle a lot with boundaries in relationships. Unfortunately, I believe its common for survivors to have a tough time setting and maintaining healthy boundaries with friendships and other relationships. When I was younger, I was so starved for attention that I had very few boundaries with others. I wanted to haveContinue reading “Boundaries in Relationship”

Bad Days

Yesterday was not a good day for me emotionally. I didn’t get great sleep the night before, which I’m sure had a significant impact on my feelings. On my drive to work, my mind spiraled with negative thoughts about my performance at work, my significance to others regarding friendships and relationships, my workout life, andContinue reading “Bad Days”