I just had a frustrated commenter (Carol) on my facebook page.
She said “I could care less about having a relationshit”.
It’s not worth the BS and the hoop jumping,
and the fact that no one cares about boundaries.
Single is peace.”
I just wanted to jump through the inter webs and give her a hug.
Too many people these days can relate to this.
Relationships are crumbling.
Dating these days is scary AF.
She’s voicing the frustration of many folks
who deep down clearly want to have safe and secure connections in love,
but have been so disillusioned with their past experiences,
that they just feel like throwing in the towel.
Still wounded and shell shocked from their previous attempts.
You might be single or even in a partnership
but if you’re reading this piece of content,
it means there’s a chance that you’re wanting to master
the complex art of becoming better at love.
Even Carol— as disheartened and demoralized as she is,
you can tell she really wishes things were different.
She wouldn’t be seeing my content if she REALLY had given up.
Same with you.
I can relate— because I felt the exact same way.
I went on a search to find out the root cause
of what the hell makes relationships so complicated.
I was shocked and relieved to find out.
It was a “eureka” moment when I discovered it:
ENMESHMENT TRAUMA.
Enmeshment is a developmental form of trauma
where you’re raised in environments
where there is blurred,
unclear or a complete a lack of boundaries between family members.
Think of your family of origin.
In cases where enmeshment is present,
members often have a difficult time differentiating their own emotions,
needs, desires, and issues from others in the dynamic.
If dad is upset, then you are too.
“I can’t be ok, if you’re not ok. So I need to fix others to feel safe."
There’s excessive over-involvement and over-reliance on others
to make decisions for you,
with an over-expectation of receiving emotional support from you.
Or vice versa.
This pattern gets hard-wired into your nervous system.
If left unchecked, it gets passed down to your children.
And then they eventually feel they are responsible for your emotions.
Your intimate partnerships start to become chaotic:
- Lack of identity and sense of self, inability to think for oneself
- fawning (fixing identity)
- people-pleasing
- excessive fear of conflict
- trouble forming and maintaining healthy relationships
- reliance on external validation
- over-run by feelings of guilt, shame, and resentment
- Chronic health issues
All happens when a relationship gets s
£ xual, but even before.
Pretty soon you feel like you have lost yourself.
“I can’t have me and have you at the same time.”
This creates a massive push/pull dynamic
that’s characteristic of a Trauma Bond.
No wonder Carol would rather avoid relationships.
Anyone who says “I’m done with relationships” is likely Enmeshed,
and doesn’t even know what that is.
If you can relate to this list, this isn’t your fault.
You simply haven’t yet learned how to Become Trigger-Proof,
and heal from Enmeshment Trauma.
It’s a process.
It’s a skill you can learn,
and it involves going much deeper than talk therapy
where you’re just telling your story and getting advice every week.
Why?
Because since it’s a DEVELOPMENTAL Trauma,
much of the issue has begun before having language,
and it’s so insidious you didn’t even likely know this was the root of the issue.
So that’s why going to a Therapist is helpful to have an assessment
and validated in your story,
but leaves you frustrated without any tools.
That’s where Debra was.
Debra was on her 2nd marriage and stuck,
her relationship was frozen,
feeling like her life force energy was off,
and her daughter who had been a part of our community for a year,
In that event, she had an epiphany about Enmeshment,
and began applying the tools to rewire it from her biology,
and experienced such a profound shift,
she wanted to share exactly how she did it and the impact it made
in this 8 minute video.