Yeah, that's true. I'm going to try to move forward by setting boundaries with J in hanging out with our mutual friend where it's just me and the mutual friend. So, more baby steps! Of note, I do have kind of a crush on this mutual friend but I discussed it with my therapist and rather than broachin...

So, the discussion we ended up having went well in that I was able to talk about how I felt and I think there is a plan moving forward. My therapist was a big help in coaching me to focus on J's specific behaviors and what needs to change. There's only so much I can do on my end, but part of what I ...

I'm very lucky to have a therapist. My game plan for now is to sit on it until the appointment on Friday and make a plan with her about what to do. The intensity around this has died down a little bit thanks to having an anxiety attack and draining all those heightened garbage feelings out. I hope t...

Thank you Stephanie and Heather. I feel like when I do bring up my feelings, theirs always supersedes whatever it is I have. I remember J being very angry that I was going to cancel something because I was busy (I was student teaching at the time) and when I expressed my feelings I had to just leave...

Sam, first of all, thank you for your quick reply and thoughtful response. I really appreciate it. There are parts of the relationship that I value and enjoy, which is another reason why I don't want to lose it. They can be kind and hilarious and silly and supportive. But they can also be needlessly...

So, I'm not sure if this is really an abusive relationship by any means, but it sure feels toxic. I've been best friends with J for six years. We've lived together for most of that time, and still do. J grew up in an extremely abusive household and suffers a lot of trauma to this day. Unfortunately,...

First of all I really appreciate your help in this. Though my knee jerk instinct to descend into self loathing has mostly gone away I’m left feeling exhausted and vulnerable. Between this incident, current events, and already having some physical and mental health issues getting me behind in school,...

And oh boy here comes the self loathing waterfall. I mean, I’m 27 and I’ve been with one person, six years ago. I feel like a defect. Will I ever get over this shame? WHO KNOWS?

HEY WHAT'S UP,

turns out he's:

1. moving out of state
2. TO BE WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND, WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY NEVER MENTIONED.

I'm devastated, haha. Wow.

Honestly, as someone who initiates and plans by nature, in my life I have found that way more people seem to struggle with that than not, and a LOT of people's response to someone who initiates and organizes is to let us do it. I've had to ask more than a few times to get a balance, and I have foun...

So I've been hanging out with a coworker outside of work. I like him a lot, which as a biromantic demisexual person does not happen often and has been really nice. However, the few times we've hung out I have had to instigate and do the planning. When we text, he always replies and sometimes we have...

The graphic novel The Prince and the Dressmaker has some struggle with queerness but ends well and is so, so sweet.

Hey, I just first wanted to say thank you for this response. It's something I've been returning to over the past couple of months when I have doubts and insecurities. We're taking things slow, like, REALLY slow, which I think is good for both of us but also creates this uncertain, confusing space wh...

Hi! So I am a bisexual woman who has only previously had sex with a girl. And that was about five years ago. I'm twenty-six now and previously had struggles trying to date, but things kept getting in the way; depression killing my libido, leftover trauma from that previous relationship dissolving pr...