what becoming more secure did for me

post by Chipmonk · 2024-08-22T17:44:48.525Z · LW · GW · 5 comments

This is a link post for https://chrislakin.blog/p/becoming-more-secure-mfer

Contents

  Becoming more secure
None
5 comments

After I quit my job two years ago, I was conflict-avoidant [LW · GW] to the point of depression [LW · GW]. I did ~nothing for five months and moved in with my parents in the middle of nowhere.

Social conflicts used to rip me up. I would be anxious for days, sometimes months

I was so avoidant of feelings I didn’t know they manifested in the body

Then, with a nudge from a good friend and help from a skilled coach, I began some rapid growth [LW · GW]. 

And I didn’t have the terms for it yet, but I began deconstructing my emotional insecurities one-by-one:

Becoming more secure

As I became less emotionally insecure, my depression, social anxiety, and avoidance fell away. I found healthier strategies, so they were no longer useful defense mechanisms [LW · GW].

With a secure baseline, I moved cities, pivoted careers, and began building a much more aligned life for myself. Since then:

Previously, I would have been too afraid to do these things mostly for fear of getting into conflict with others. And while I still get into many similar situations, they no longer register as “conflicts” that I feel avoidant [LW · GW] of or anxious about.

(I was also fortunate to have some financial security during this time in the form of ~6 months of runway.)

Boundaries [LW · GW] are intuitive to me now. I couldn’t tell you the last time I did something because of guilt or manipulation by others.

(I’m actually somewhat conflict-seeking now. Conflicts are often fun and informative!)

Even my cuticles became securely attached!

Beginning ~7 years ago, my cuticles were consistently disheveled. I would pick at them when I felt anxious. But sometime within the last year, my cuticles completely healed. This was not the result of any new skincare methods and not the result of “willpower”. I think I’m just significantly less anxious so I don’t pick at them anymore.

But, still growing!
 

5 comments

Comments sorted by top scores.

comment by Logan Riggs (elriggs) · 2024-08-22T21:30:46.709Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I've really enjoyed these posts; thanks for cross posting!

Replies from: Chipmonk
comment by Chipmonk · 2024-08-23T04:38:09.922Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

thanks! There's a lot I don't post on LessWrong because I don't think it matches the vibe. Even this post has gotten some substantial downvotes

comment by 1stuserhere (firstuser-here) · 2024-08-23T18:06:02.154Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Good post, thanks for sharing! found it somewhat relatable to my prior life experiences too

comment by FinalFormal2 · 2024-08-23T01:59:47.550Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I prefer the other title

Replies from: Chipmonk
comment by Chipmonk · 2024-08-23T04:37:20.612Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

haha i didn't think 

what becoming secure does to a mfer

would resonate on lesswrong