The world is on fire (in some places, quite literally), but it's a weird sort of comforting to know that wedding planning can still bring out the family bullies and control freaks like nothing else.
Category: saying no
#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.
#1283: “I need to resign as my friend’s son’s godmother.”
How do you back out when when someone manipulates you - successfully- into something you don't want to do? Plus, help for when you need to ghost a baby and his manipulative parents.
It Came From The Search Terms: July 2020
Yes! It is time! Time to treat the search strings people typed in right before they washed up on these blog shores as if they are actual questions! Inside: Mask etiquette, reformed Nice Guy™ apologies, overly-neighborly neighbors, favor-sharking defined, and more.
#1282: “I want to support my friend without helping him with all his class assignments.”
Hi Captain, I am trying to figure out how to still be supportive of my friend continuing on to grad school when I recently had to dropout of my own program due to a lot of different reasons (COVID striking my family, online course-work not being a good avenue for me, extra course-work due to … Continue reading #1282: “I want to support my friend without helping him with all his class assignments.”
#1281: “Every conversation with my mom is an interrogation of my life choices.”
How does a gentle reminder about doing your laundry from someone who loves you become an existential struggle? Plus, strategies for changing unhealthy communication patterns that do not rely on *persuading* the other person to change for you. Dear Captain Awkward, What are some good scripts for telling my mother I don't want or need … Continue reading #1281: “Every conversation with my mom is an interrogation of my life choices.”
#1255: “I’ve been conscripted! As an unwilling beta reader of somebody’s very personal fan fiction!”
Dear Captain Awkward: Well, not exactly. First, some background: I (she/her) am a member of a Face Book group for fan-fiction readers and writers. I’m a longtime writer of both original work and fan works, so I like to leave comments when people post questions about plotting, characterization, etc. Trouble is, I commented on one … Continue reading #1255: “I’ve been conscripted! As an unwilling beta reader of somebody’s very personal fan fiction!”
#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.”
#1236: “My ex keeps gnawing at the edges of my work and social life.”
Behind a cut for mention of consent violations. Hi Captain, I (she/her) divorced my ex (he/him) a year ago. There were a lot of reasons, but one reason was constant sexual pressure to perform and do things I don't enjoy. This pressure usually took the form of guilt trips, but once escalated to a situation … Continue reading #1236: “My ex keeps gnawing at the edges of my work and social life.”
Short Questions for August 2019: Part 1 of 2
Hello, it's the monthly feature where patrons of the site can ask short questions. Q1: Thanks to years of reading your blog I finally learned how to call out -isms when they happen! But now I'm stuck at the next hurdle, where people who get called out are so mortified they go into an over-the-top … Continue reading Short Questions for August 2019: Part 1 of 2
