Hi again

[Sandals]

Hi everyone - just popping in to say hello. 

It's been a while. I hope that everyone has been taking care. I needed to take a little break, and apologize for not calling that out.

Happy to be back. 

Sandals

[Kizzie]

Happy to have you back Sandals!      How are you doing?

[Sandals]

Thanks, Kizzie.     It's been cyclical - like many of us - bad --> better --> good --> worse. But it's so nice to be back with people who get it and don't try to talk you out of feeling the way you are. 

[Dyess]

Hello Sandals, I didn't know you before, but I'm glad you're back and I appreciate your posts. Welcome back.

[Kizzie]

I now that cycle well Sandals lol.  It really does make a difference that no-one tries here to talk you out of how you feeling or what you're thinking doesn't it?  I know that sometimes people do that because it's a lot to hear/handle and either they are trying to help or they don't want to get too involved. Intent aside, it is invalidating when they do and scrapes along some pretty raw nerves, or at least it does for me.

And in terms of not scraping those raw nerves, I've noticed since coming here that I type posts with far less picking and pouring over them until they say the right thing in just the right way - more spontaneous because I'm not censoring everything I think. 

Added Apr 6th - Sorry Sandals - I was interrupted when I was writing this yesterday and just got back to finish this.  I wanted to ask if you find a similar "freedom" here at all? I know you were away for a bit so perhaps not (yet) but I wondered what drew you back.   

And as BeHealthy has said I do hope you're getting more of the better and good these days 

[schrödinger's cat]

Hi Sandals! Glad you're back. 

[Sandals]

Thanks for the warm welcome back, everyone.

Right now, I'm in a "worse" part of the cycle...waiting for a breakthrough to happen. Likely triggered by the icky cheating anniversary, but maybe some other stuff was coming to a head too.

All of you are definitely a help. You provide a valuable mirror, support and knowledge.

On the other hand, there are times when I do get triggered by something here. Ironically, hardly ever by posts that call out TW. It's usually something innocuous that just lands closely for me. And the triggers usually occur when I'm already feeling on edge.

But the good far outweighs the more difficult (nobody or nobody's words here are bad).

<3

[Indigochild]

Hi Sandals, welcome back!

Im sorry your having a hard time with it right now. Im not familiar with the cycle as of yet so i cant offer you any advice, but i hope you manage to get through it. Im sure there are people here who know what that is like.

Interesting how you talk of being triggered on here by things that only mean things to you in terms of triggers, and also how you are more triggered when you are tense...I experience both of these and it is good to have someone put words to this.
I do feel guilty when triggered when tense as i feel i made it happen, though i did not. You can sometimes feel it coming, like a storm brewing and finally the thunder bolt cracks.

But, we are here to listen and support. Good to have you back, even though i have only been here a short while.