Navigating Relationships When You Feel Left Out

Erica Barton | Charlotte, NC Trauma & Anxiety Specialist on Instagram: "When kids grow up in the same unsafe environment, they don’t experience it the same way. Each nervous system chooses a different strategy to stay safe. One child becomes the fixer. They move into fight/fawn. They scan the room, manage emotions, smooth things over, and try to prevent explosions before they happen. Control becomes safety. If they can help enough, fix enough, or be “good” enough, maybe the chaos will stop. As a

Dominic Michael on Instagram: "Most people aren’t exhausted because they’re doing too much. They’re exhausted because they’re pretending. Pretending they’re okay with less. Pretending they don’t need clarity. Pretending they don’t want depth, honesty, and alignment. If being yourself costs you people — pay it. If shrinking kept you connected but disconnected from yourself — stop. You don’t need a new year to become someone else. You need the courage to stop abandoning who you already are. This i