When you grew up in an environment where connection meant danger, your nervous system learned to associate other people with threat. Maybe reaching out for comfort got you dismissed. Or criticized. Or hurt. Maybe the adults in your life were unpredictable, so you learned it was safer to handle things alone.

When your mind is flooded with stress, loss, or disappointment, it’s normal to draw a blank. Gratitude requires presence, and presence is hard when you’re exhausted or overwhelmed. Start small. You don’t have to feel grateful for your whole life, just for a single moment.

Healthy boundaries are clear limits that protect your emotional, physical, and mental energy. They help you stay connected to others without abandoning yourself. Boundaries are not about control or punishment. They’re about clarity and respect.

When people say they have a lack of trust in people, it usually isn’t about being suspicious of everyone. It’s more subtle. You might share surface-level parts of yourself but hold back the real stuff. You might wait for the other shoe to drop, even with someone who seems kind. Or you might second-guess every promise, apology, or commitment.

Healing doesn’t mean forgetting, pretending it didn’t matter, or erasing your history. Healing means learning how to live in today without the past running every decision, reaction, or relationship. Past pain leaves marks on your nervous system, your self-worth, and your sense of safety. Healing is about tending to those marks with compassion and giving yourself now what you didn’t get back then.