this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2026
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Mental Health
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Talk, and listen. Say out loud the things that seem obvious.
If they ask "Are you mad at me?" tell them the truth. "I'm not, but we can talk and I can reassure you if you want"
They went 10-20 years being shut down, not allowed to say the truth, or having the truth be twisted and weaponized.
Imagine being lightly bitten by a dog once a month for 15 years, and suddenly you go out into the world and see a pitbull for the first time. It doesn't matter if he's the cuddliest, happiest, well trained boy, you're going to be nervous when he gets up from his bed to go drink water.
In time, and with support and patience, people can learn not to be afraid every time the dog moves.
I'm was a on the anxious side for a long time, but I'm fine now. With people I care about, I just express "I'm really tired/hungry/bored/sore/etc." at random frequent times. It's pretty easy and makes it clear that my emotions are usually not about them.