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#is it enmeshment/codependency/etc? is it specific emotional abuse or financial abuse or physical/sexual? etc.
aro-culture-is · 6 months
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Aro culture is:
“You’ll get a crush someday!”
Five years later, seventeen years old, no crush and forced into a toxic relationship because your mom is toxic
I'm sorry that that has happened to you. To you, and anyone else in these situations:
You know yourself. Even if your current aromanticism is a phase, that doesn't mean people should be invalidating your current feelings and intentions. You deserve to be listened to and respected.
As much as is possible, establish boundaries in your relationships. I will always advocate that a boundary is not "Do not do this", a healthy boundary looks more like "If you do this, I will respond like this." For example, in toxic relationships, there is often an expectation that you will drop everything for the other. It may be useful to say "If I tell you I cannot hang out right now and you insist I should regardless, I will silence notifications from you for an hour." If they disrespect your boundary, enforce your reaction. If they tell you this is extreme, unreasonable, anything of that nature - remind yourself: I am respecting my time. Even if I would like to be hanging out, I cannot, and being pressured to find excuses or being shamed for circumstances I cannot change in this moment is unreasonable and harming me.
Things will get better, and that is a promise. I know at 17 I wanted to reach through the screen and strangle anyone that told me that - but seriously. My life at 23 isn't perfect at all - but I am in control of it. You will get there.
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