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Invalidation – Silent and Destructive
Invalidation is a silent pandemic. People with conditions, illnesses, and disabilities of all kinds are subject to rampant invalidation, sometimes from all sides. In many cases, even the people who do or claim to care about an individual can invalidate them regularly. And they often don’t realize they are doing it. But we don’t talk about it. Those who feel invalidated often don’t feel comfortable or safe speaking up. Some believe the invalidating statements to be true. But when someone does bring it up to the invalidators, it doesn’t always go well. Over the years I have faced invalidation in many forms and from many people, but the most invalidation…
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The Pressure of Perceived Expectations – Stories from Recovery
Can you feel it? That crushing weight that moves so slowly, pressing you down against the ground, until it’s hard to breathe. Pressure is often the enemy of mental health, and it can come from anywhere – yourself, family, employers, teachers, and even people who aren’t intentionally putting pressure on you. My mind manufactures pressure dressed up in an endless number of ways. Expectations begin like icicles. It starts as just a drip. In high school, people expected me to do well simply because that was my pattern. Academics and athletics came easily, but I quickly began to feel as though it were my job to excel. But when the…