Question whay you value: Do you value being known to others?

    Mental Health study with Patrick Teahan LICSW, "6 Lies From Childhood Trauma 2022". Going through his video these are the parts of each that resonated with me when I was a child. 

#2 People don't want to know you

- not feeling like I belong

- use to compare myself to others 

- still somewhat isolate myself from others

- putting on a mask for people is exhausting 

- social risks are hard 

- confirm the lie to myself

- use to feel like I was watching the world from the outside

    This was reminded to me by my parents often as a kid. My parents didn't have friends themselves cause "friends take work" and "they stab you in the back". To this day I know that it is work to keep a friend but be wary of choosing your friends so they aren't ones that will stab you. If they do then just brush them off and keep going. I use to assume people outside of my home also thought of me the same way my parents did or were even more judgmental of me. Growing up very few people were consistent friends. Some stabbed me in the back and two exes cheated on me. 

    To recover from this I will have to take more risks to find more friends. And deal with the loss of old friends in a healthy manner. People won't know the real me if I don't take a risk.

    I encourage everyone that grew up in a toxic environment to seek help. Whether that is with a professional, a friend or a psychologist on YouTube. The value of friendship is a big deal. Social media makes it seem so easy to get friends with just the touch of a button, but there is so much more to it then that. Be yourself, don't fake anything about yourself just to get a particular person to like you. It isn't worth it in the end. Be you and the right people will be true friends, not fake for the sake of having one more "friend". Choose the people you let into your circle wisely. 

Blessed Be