Dear Ana:

You are welcome. I am glad you spoke up, telling your truth, and I hope you speak up and tell your truth again and again.

“I felt like I screamed it out loud but in reality I just smiled”- I remember that feeling, it was so distressing to hold back a silenced scream and smile. I used to not understand:  how can so much turmoil, so much despair and misery happen inside of me, and yet.. no one could see any of it, no one saw me. It was like all that noise inside.. was not noticed at all outside of me, a crazy kind of feeling.

“I appreciate the setting boundary examples. I need to practise them until they become a normal part of me.. this is stupidly hard for me”- it’s hard for everyone to change certain habits, it is not a matter  of intelligence. To form a new habit of setting boundaries/ expressing that silenced scream in assertive, appropriate ways- that’s very uncomfortable to do.. but over time and practice, maybe with the help of quality psychotherapy, it will become your new habit.

Post again anytime and I will be glad to read from you and to reply.

anita