Dear Lindsey:

“The vacation was amazing-so much fun” – I am glad it was fun because you deserve to have fun!

“On a positive note, I think that my anxiety attachment is improving” – this is a very positive note!

“I am continuing to reduce how I respond to my ex because I am limiting conversations- my brain is relearning to not keep the same patterns” – yet another very, very positive note!

“I am exhausted, and my gas tank is not filling up.  This happens during trips. Maybe it is because I’m not at home in my bed and not on my schedule?” – as an anxious person, I know that I need my daily routine to keep me grounded, so maybe it’s the same for you: routine calms you and things outside your routine disrupt your calmness, maybe?

“He can tell right away when I’m off. He senses so much so quickly” – this is one of the big reasons why this relationship is as healthy as it is.

“I feel crowded. I am watching his dog until Monday because he went to Colorado to ski until Monday… I am 75% sure that he goes on more than 1 trip a year by himself (less than family trips) which could cause issues… I feel like I am being negative when I have positive things going on” – if you love to ski or you’d love to have a vacation in Colorado, but can’t afford it, then I can see how you’d feel resentful for dog sitting for him (free of charge I imagine) while he is doing what you can’t afford doing. Is this how you feel?

“Since we have started texting, I have wanted to be in a happy and healthy relationship and here it is” – since you and I started communicating, this really is the first healthy relationship I’ve been reading about. Doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges in it, of course.

anita