From High Hopes to Deep Disappointment: The Anxious Attachment Loop
You know the feeling. You're chatting with a new friend, or a family member, and there's a moment – a shared laugh, a heartfelt comment, a feeling of genuine connection.
And just like that, your mind races ahead. This is it! This feels good. This connection is real.
You're filled with this wonderful, warm sense of hope and joy. You start to picture more moments like this. It feels amazing, doesn't it?
But then, something shifts. Maybe they seem a little busy, or a plan gets canceled, or you just get a quiet moment that feels... off.
And suddenly, that lovely, hopeful feeling twists into a familiar knot in your stomach. That joy drains right out, replaced by a heavy disappointment. Your brain, in what feels like a blink, jumps to:
"Did I say something wrong?"
"Are they pulling away?"
"Am I too much?"
"Why does this always happen to me?"
"Maybe I'm not that important to them after all."
"See? I knew it wouldn't last."
A Non-Exhaustive List of The Most Loving Things You Can Do For Yourself
Self-love isn't a switch you flip on; it's a journey of exploration and acceptance. Here are some practices to cultivate lasting self-love:
Give your inner child what they craved when you were younger. This might involve creative expression, playtime, or simply feeling safe and loved.
People Pleasing Has Little to Do with Keeping Others Happy
People-pleasing is an external attempt to prove your worthiness to another person. It may be hard for you to believe you are worthy, just as you are. We may consciously think “I don’t want to let this person down” or “If I say no, they will be mad, upset, disappointed, etc.” Because the idea was planted somewhere of “I’m not worthy” or “I am only worthy when I do xyz,” self-sabotage sets in to confirm these beliefs.
5 Signs Your Inner Child Needs Therapy
Your inner child holds onto all the experiences, positive and negative, from your younger years. Sometimes, these experiences can leave them feeling hurt, scared, or unseen. Cue your inner child acting out in relationships, at work, and more. Therapy can be a powerful tool to help you heal your inner child through validation, reparenting, and empowerment. So, how do you know if your inner child might benefit from therapy? Here are 5 signs to watch out for:
Things to Know about Trauma and Hyper-arousal
Hyperarousal is a state of heightened physiological and psychological activation in response to perceived threat or danger. It is one of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and can be triggered by memories, thoughts, or stimuli that remind the individual of the traumatic event…