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When #transparency Matters More Than Labels

I’ve never been the type of person who fears #Relationships without strings.
Casual connections don’t scare me. Emotional intimacy without romantic commitment doesn’t scare me. What does unsettle me is when someone isn’t honest about what they want (with me or with themselves.)

Recently, I got involved with someone I genuinely liked. We’ll call him Cole. And from the beginning, I tried to be upfront about who I was: an atheist, someone who doesn’t want biological children, someone who values honesty even more than commitment. He assured me none of that bothered him. He said it three separate times, actually.

But beneath those reassurances sat unspoken truths (truths he didn’t share until everything was already unraveling.)

One evening, out of nowhere, he told me he had been intentionally avoiding messaging me. Not because he was busy, not because he needed space, but because he was bothered by the very things he claimed didn’t matter. Suddenly my lack of #Religion (which wasn’t a problem before) became the center of his discomfort. My disinterest in #Motherhood miraculously turned into something he had secretly struggled with the entire time.

It was jarring. Not because he felt differently, but because he never said it.
Because he let me believe something that wasn’t real.

Then came the line that told me everything I needed to know: “If I wasn’t interested in you, I would’ve just ghosted you.”

I remember feeling a weird sense of disorientation, like he was offering that as some kind of comfort. As if the bare minimum (not disappearing) was meant to reassure me.

Of course, ironically, he soon began ghosting anyway.

When he finally resurfaced, it was with:
“I just need a break. I’m not ready for a relationship.”

It’s a familiar excuse. It’s gentle enough to soften guilt, vague enough to avoid accountability. But by then, the damage wasn’t the lack of commitment; it was the lack of transparency.

I’ve had casual relationships that were healthier and more emotionally stable than this one, because they were built on honesty. I’ve been in non-romantic intimate relationships that thrived simply because all parties were clear about expectations. But this? This was a slow erosion of trust disguised as politeness, wrapped in half-truths, and delivered only when silence became too heavy to maintain.

What made it more complicated was that faith suddenly entered the conversation. This was not something he lived consistently, but as something he used to justify withdrawing. He spoke about Christian values while simultaneously doing things his own faith would call dishonest, selfish, or irresponsible. As an atheist, I don’t judge people for their beliefs, but I do notice when someone’s actions don’t match the moral framework they claim to follow.

In the end, I wasn’t angry that he wasn’t ready. I wasn’t angry that our values didn’t align. What hurt was that he didn’t trust me enough to be straightforward.

Relationships (romantic, casual, or undefined) all rely on the same foundation: transparency. We deserve the truth, even if it’s uncomfortable. Especially if it’s uncomfortable. Being upfront doesn’t guarantee a relationship will last, but avoiding honesty guarantees it won’t be healthy.

What I learned from this experience is simple: I don’t need commitment from someone. But I do need clarity.
I don’t need someone to share my beliefs. But I do need their actions to match their words. And I don’t need perfection. I just need someone who respects me enough to tell the truth.

#Avoidance might feel easier in the moment, but it always ends in more hurt than honesty ever would. And while I walked away disappointed, I also walked away with something valuable: a renewed commitment to holding my boundaries, communicating openly, and refusing to make myself small for someone who isn’t ready to meet me with the same level of transparency.

If anything, this experience reaffirmed what I’ve known all along: Transparency isn’t just important: it’s the quiet backbone of every healthy connection.

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Hello from hospital #Hospital #Faith #Depression #Anxiety #FamilyAndFriends #Relationships #MentalHealth

I thought I should provide a detailed update to explain what’s been happening the past 2 weeks. Almost 2 weeks ago while I was attending a cardio exercise session one of the class members made a very careless error which resulted in me being knocked off my feet and landing badly on the floor. I knew straight away something serious had occurred as I could not move.

An ambulance took me to hospital where I was diagnosed as having a complex tibia fracture. My leg was cast in plaster and I was admitted to a private hospital. In Australia wd have public hospitals where the treatment is completely free but wait times for elective surgery can be over a year, and private hospitals where the standard of care is first class but you will often have “gap” payments even if you are privately insured, which I am.

Two days ago my CT scans were repeated because in spite of being on complete bed rest my pain has been getting worse. The scans showed the fractures need surgical intervention so next week they will operate and use screws and plates to fix my leg.

This means all up I am probably looking at 5 weeks in hospit and a 6k medical bill.

Pain management hasn’t been easy due to many factors and already I am very homesick and tired of the pain.

In all of this I am trying to see the big picture. Thank God I don’t have to go to the public system. My pain has an end date, many people live with pain every day without an exit hope.

One complication is I am not allowed to shave due to the risk of bleeding as I am on blood thinners. Excuse the shocking photo. I look like a fugitive.

God is in control. I am not. This I need to constantly remember.

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Mental Health Matters

Welcome to my mental health channel — a safe, judgment-free space where we talk openly about healing, self-awareness, emotional wellness, and personal growth. My goal is to help you understand your mind, build healthier patterns, and navigate life with more clarity and confidence. Whether you’re working through trauma, relationships, self-esteem, or just trying to become a better version of yourself, you’re in the right place. We learn, grow, and heal here — together.

Dr. Liv

www.youtube.com/channel/UCnOQSIelwltua6UKC8mk9eQ

Dr. Liv

Hi, I'm Dr. Liv with Livwithnewinsight-a Licensed and Certified Mental Health Practitioner. The purpose of this channel is to share my professional knowledge, skills and expertise in Counseling and Psychology to help promote positive change and growth. I will provide videos on a variety of mental health topics including: anxiety, depression, self esteem building, self love, effective communication, conflict resolution, effective decision making, grief and loss, emotional regulation, stress management, interpersonal relationship dynamics, cognitive restructuring & more!This channel DOES NOT JUDGE OR DISCRIMINATE! My goal is to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for healthier coping so that you feel better, become your best self and live with new insight. Ebooks, mental health resources & more Website: https://livwithnewinsight.com Email: 4newinsight@gmail.com www.betterhelp.com/fulivia-cannady shopify store for mental health resources: https://newinsightdoc.myshopify.com/
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I'm new here!

Hi, my name is NikAtNite. I'm here because the man I love with all my heart has been diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder and he is currently without a doctor and is also not taking any of the medication that he needs to maintain a normal life and his illness is just spiraling out of control propelling him away from reality and into full blown psychosis. A psychosis that causes him to have violent outburst and extreme reactions which then end with his depressive state that has him feeling like everyone would be better off without him around or even on this earth. Yet even thru all of this he still is not declining the request to get professional help but getting into his own way. I just want to know how to get him the help he needs or how to help make our relationship stronger despite it.#MightyTogether

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Understanding rejection

Sometimes I look back on some of my relationships, the ones where they already had another boyfriend before they ended up dumping meeven my ex wife, and I think how cruel that actually is. My last relationship i gave it my all she had five kids and I helped her with Dr appointments taking the kids to school helping around her house and even in my condition but I did it for her kids it gave me a sense of purpose . Before I met her I was already disabled with 6 of the eight back surgeries already done she said had no problem with that

The relationship lasted eight months she was only using me until her supposed ex husband got out of jail. All the romance she threw my way and I reciprocated I was in heaven.

Long boring story but I am really starting to question who I am how could I let this woman walk all over me e and not see it coming. I consider myself not to be a dumbass but it wasn't only her i have let people do this to me for a long time even supposed good friends . What makes a human being be so stupid when it comes to being able to detect someone is hurting you? Maybe it's my low self esteem humble people are easy to con but I don't understand why I let it go so far 💙 #MDD #PeripheralNeuropathy #allidynia #dd d#Diabetes #Disability #hyperalges ia#MuscularDystrophy #RareDisease

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To anyone out there who is struggling with negative self-talk: I understand your pain; you might know it’s wrong but feel powerless to stop berating g yourself!! I get it…it’s easy to give others a free pass but not yourself! I have been in the pit of desperation/depression and down deep in that pit I would continue to slam myself… Now, in a loving relationship with my husband—but I struggle to accept his telling me I am amazing etc….Its a work in progress to keep negative self talk at bay!! But I am not giving up!!!! Hugs to you all in this group!!!

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When Perfectionism Crosses The Line

Perfectionism can sometimes mask as positive ambition. Society can have a way of celebrating high achievement and the relentless pursuit of excellence. However, there’s a meaningful difference between striving for quality and being trapped in the self-defeating cycle of trying to achieve impossible standards. There comes a point when perfectionism and the desire for the best out of life crosses the line from healthy ambition into a destructive setup for repeated failure.

Often, perfectionism can begin as motivation but gradually over time turns into a source of self-criticism and inadequacy. Instead of building you up to greater success, achievement, or fulfillment, it brings you down into feelings of failure and inadequacy. When it gets to this point, it can become necessary to seek help to undo these sabotaging patterns.

The Fear of Not Being Enough

Perfectionism tends to involve deeper fears, which can turn into external projection. Beneath the drive for flawlessness can often be a deep belief that in order to be acceptable and worthy, that you have to do everything right or perfectly. It's generally an all-or-nothing setup that can feel like if you're not doing things the right way, or making the right decisions, then it's not good enough. This can get in the way of relationships, commitment, jobs and career, and fulfillment in other areas of life.

When the standards for success are set with impossible expectations, failure becomes inevitable, and with each failure becomes a form of validation that you must really not be good enough or worthy of happiness or success. Perfectionism, in this sense, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

It is also the case that sometimes in striving for perfection you might actually achieve something significant. However, instead of satisfaction, you may feel only a brief sense of relief before the bar rises again, often more and more out of reach each time. Over time, this cycle can leave you feeling inadequate, unworthy, and even burned out.

The Anxiety Behind Perfectionism

When you're under the constant pressure to get everything right it can create overwhelming anxiety, even to the point of panic attacks (it can also come with OCD tendencies). You may find your mind and body remaining on high alert, always scanning for mistakes or imagining worst-case scenarios. Even small mistakes can feel catastrophic, triggering spirals of worry, self-doubt, and fear. This anxious tension often appears as uneasiness, overthinking, or trouble relaxing, because when perfection feels like the only safe option, it can be hard to ever feel safe to be at ease and let your guard down. In a sense, the tension builds until you achieve perfection, and then and you can relax. However, when the perfection isn't achieved, the result is a dynamic of constantly growing anxiety in tandem with defeat and hopelessness.

When Perfectionism Starts Limiting Your Life

It can sometimes be difficult to see the point where perfectionism turns from motivating you to limiting you. Here are a few indicators that the line is potentially being crossed:

Paralyzed by procrastination. You might avoid things (especially opportunities for success) because the risk of falling short can feel overwhelming. This is one self-fulfilling prophecy of perfectionism. It can be so scary to fail that the fear of failure can lead to avoidance of starting at all -- thus causing the failure to happen.

Decision-making becomes agonizing. You may overthink decisions, especially when the stakes become higher, often out of fear of regret, or getting it wrong. Even if you're aware that not all decisions always work out, to someone with perfectionistic tendencies each mistake or less-than-ideal outcome still brings the fear of not being worthy or good enough, and like you've failed.

Accomplishments either feel short-lived or non-existent. Even after a significant accomplishment, instead of feeling proud, joyful, or accomplished, you may instead start to notice every flaw and play over in your mind what wasn't good enough or what "should" have been done better. In these instances, satisfaction can become replaced with self-criticism and a relentless (and quite stressful) focus on how you weren't good enough.

Relationships begin to suffer. I have written extensively on grass is greener patterns in people and the role that perfectionism can play in taking fulfillment out of relationships, leaving you constantly looking for better. In the projection of perfectionism, you may hold others to the same standards (even unreasonable or unrealistic ones) that you apply to yourself. Perfectionism, when it crosses the line, can in many ways be viewed as a compulsion to keep you from being vulnerable. This can cause issues with intimacy, closeness, and general fulfillment in relationships. When you don't feel good enough about yourself, it can be hard to see someone else as good enough (unless, of course, they are perfect).

Moving Forward and Letting Go Of Perfectionism

Perfectionism often comes from experiences growing up. It can begin early in life where love or attention felt conditional, or where there was conflict between parents at home (if you were good or perfect, maybe they'd argue less, or not get angry, etc.). Perhaps you learned that being “good” or successful earned praise, approval, and love, while mistakes led to disappointment, disapproval, or shame. These painful experiences can linger long after childhood, shaping how you measure self-worth.

Sometimes perfectionism develops as a way to manage anxiety. If you can control everything and avoid mistakes, maybe you can prevent bad things from happening. In this way, it can actually be an attempt to create certainty in an uncertain world.

These are just some of the ways that perfectionism can develop and take hold. Just remember that it is something you can come through the other end of.

#perfectionism #Anxiety #MentalHealth #fearoffailure

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Homesickness and tears #Relationships #FamilyAndFriends #Depression #MentalHealth

It’s a week since the ambulance took me to hospital . There is still no definitive discharge date or surgical plan. Right now the focus is trying to get my pain managed.

Today was a rugged day. Physiotherapy was intense and relief from the relentless pain is not working. I want to go home and things go back to normal. My tear stained pillow will hopefully bring peace, relief and hope.

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