What is NOT people pleasing: doing something for someone because you want to help and be there.
What IS people pleasing: doing something for someone to avoid feeling guilty, and then ending up feeling used.
You can always tell when someone grew up with intense fear based parenting. They always think they're in trouble. They apologize for things they don't need to apologize for. And they over-explain things so intensely you can feel their anxiety.
Skills we should start learning in childhood:
1. How to be ok with disappointment.
2. How to be with someone who is crying or upset without try to fix it.
3. How to say “no, I’m not interested” or “don’t do that” without over-explaining or apologizing.
4. How to show genuine curiosity and interest in others.
5. How to live your life based on what’s aligned with your values and gifts— not the approval of others.
6. How to be resilient after heartbreak, rejection, and suffering.
7. How to be kind to yourself after making mistakes (the bigger, the more kind).
8. How to rest and take breaks guilt free.
Are children disordered because they can't sit still for 6 hours a day?
Are adults depressed because they feel sad and apathetic when they can no longer make ends meet?
Are people who've been abused having "mood swings" or natural reactions?
We're diagnosing coping mechanisms.
We're telling people who don't adjust to a sick society they're the problem.
We're treating symptoms as something to suppress so everyone can get back to work.
This unspoken reality is failing us all.