"Don't touch me" isn't complicated. You know who makes it complicated? CREEPS, THAT'S WHO.
Category: Personal Safety
#1298: “Could my adult friend have been grooming me for years?”
The subject line says it all, for content warning purposes, though if it helps: The Letter Writer sent the person packing and it was not a *successful* grooming attempt.
Update for #1208: “Question about Mom-friends being Too….’Mothering.'”
Once upon a time, a kind reader wrote in for advice about her friend, "Mary." Mary just cared about the Letter Writer SO MUCH, you see, that she felt entitled to advise her on any and all of life's challenges, kiss her on the top of the head, take over in the kitchen, recount a … Continue reading Update for #1208: “Question about Mom-friends being Too….’Mothering.'”
#1285: “My sister is in love with someone she knows tried to rape me.”
The subject title is the content warning. No graphic details, but the situation is exactly that bad.
#1279: “My metamour isn’t taking social-distancing precautions and my partner is unfazed.”
Dear Captain, My partner (P) and I (both mid-30s, she/her) are happily engaged, and have been living together for a few years now. Things have been great. We’ve both had a lot of trauma to work through, and have been nothing but supportive and understanding with each other as each we’ve dealt with our own … Continue reading #1279: “My metamour isn’t taking social-distancing precautions and my partner is unfazed.”
Link: The Answer To All Your Social Distancing Loophole Questions is “No.”
Rachel Miller is at VICE today getting an important thing out on the table: "The Answer To All Your "Social Distancing Loophole Questions is 'No.'" "But what about my Really Good Reason that I Must go out/gather?" you may be asking. Good news, it's covered in the piece! "Are there exceptions to this rule? Of … Continue reading Link: The Answer To All Your Social Distancing Loophole Questions is “No.”
#1261: “Scripts for Shelter-In-Place Peer Pressure.”
Hi, I live in an area that is under a shelter-in-place order due to COVID-19. A few of my friends have been inviting me to activities that violate the order. My go-to excuse (and the truth) has been bringing up that I live with a high-risk individual, so I'm going to stick to the shelter-in-place … Continue reading #1261: “Scripts for Shelter-In-Place Peer Pressure.”
COVID-19 Update & Questions #1258 (How do I help my friends?) and #1259: (Social-distancing for extroverts)
Hello, readers, thanks for your emails, your support, and your questions in this time of global pandemic. How's everybody doing? (Yes, I know the first iteration misspelled COVID as Corvid, I ❤ ravens and crows and have been doing it all week, what can I say). Personal update: Mr. Awkward and I are both virus-free … Continue reading COVID-19 Update & Questions #1258 (How do I help my friends?) and #1259: (Social-distancing for extroverts)
#1243: “Broaching a service dog with dismissive family.”
Ahoy Captain, This past year I (31/F) finally received a diagnosis for what I've been struggling with for over half my life. I have Complex PTSD/PTSD (I'll spare you the differences and overlaps) (Ed. Note: No worries! I, Jennifer, will link people to a basic explainer.) Encouraged by my therapist I shared the PTSD with my … Continue reading #1243: “Broaching a service dog with dismissive family.”
#1230 and #1231: Conversations that are mostly negotiations with ourselves and our feelings.
If you end up trying to negotiate with your feelings, especially Future Feelings that Future You isn't even feeling yet, use action there, too, like: "If this was a mistake and someday I feel the thing I'm so afraid to feel, what (if anything) will I do about it?" Feelings are coming one way or another, you aren't the boss of them but they definitely aren't the boss of you, either. Make friends with them, invite them in, see what they have to tell you. You can decide what to do about them.
