When Your Relationship Doesn't Feel Safe

You edit yourself mid-sentence. The words you really want to say get swallowed before they reach your lips. There's this chronic tension in your chest, like you're always bracing for impact, even during ordinary conversations.

Maybe you've learned to scan your partner's mood before speaking. You calculate which version of yourself will be most acceptable today. The real you feels too risky, too much, too likely to cause problems.

This is what it