This piece really stayed with me, especially the idea of bearing witness as a human need. I found myself wondering about the line between “hyper-independence” and simply being alone. Sometimes what looks like a coping style from the outside feels, from the inside, like standing in a moment where there is no one there to lean on—not by choice, just by circumstance.
Your writing made me think about how powerful it is when someone steps into that space and says, “I see you.” Thank you for naming that so tenderly.
That is absolutely an important distinction. What I have learned is that hyper-independence can be adaptive, and it can simultaneously become a coping skill when withdrawing from others and not allowing for support in a time of need. This can lead to feelings of isolation, and the cycle repeats. Though we can’t rewrite past moments, we can go back to younger versions of ourselves, offer ourselves the support we needed at the time, and move forward in a way that supports our overall well-being. Thank you for reading and commenting 💛
Wow, I feel like this was written specifically to me. Thank you for writing!
This warms my heart! I’m so glad it resonated with you, and my hope is that it gave you some comfort 💛 thank you for reading!
This piece really stayed with me, especially the idea of bearing witness as a human need. I found myself wondering about the line between “hyper-independence” and simply being alone. Sometimes what looks like a coping style from the outside feels, from the inside, like standing in a moment where there is no one there to lean on—not by choice, just by circumstance.
Your writing made me think about how powerful it is when someone steps into that space and says, “I see you.” Thank you for naming that so tenderly.
That is absolutely an important distinction. What I have learned is that hyper-independence can be adaptive, and it can simultaneously become a coping skill when withdrawing from others and not allowing for support in a time of need. This can lead to feelings of isolation, and the cycle repeats. Though we can’t rewrite past moments, we can go back to younger versions of ourselves, offer ourselves the support we needed at the time, and move forward in a way that supports our overall well-being. Thank you for reading and commenting 💛