My friend today asked me an amazing question. He said, βDo you think the avoidance thing is specific to our generation or LA specific? Like is someone in Arkansas thinking about anxiety?β
Obviously yes someone in Arkansas is thinking of anxiety haha but it made me really think. Our generation is HORRIBLE (me included) at facing shit and taking accountability. Itβs all masked underneath this βtherapy talkβ shit.
Hear me out. Letβs say you have a friend and youβre feeling conflict/tension with them. After a few weeks of them being mean, you confront them about it. Theyβre passive and not addressing their actions. We would INSTANTLY write them off as βAVOIDANTβ versus βA friend whoβs hurting me by being shitty even if they donβt intend to.β
And yes, that friend is being βavoidantβ. But, thatβs a simple write off for behavior. Behavior has been so quickly written off to fit into this Therapy Talk.
Hereβs another example: A girl who really likes someone is attaching to them quickly because sheβs excited to get to know them and is having so much fun, sheβs moving faster than usually and trying to rush commitment. Society would consider her βAnxiously attachedβ versus βThis girl is really into this person and itβs shifting her choices and actions.β
I think what iβm getting at is, it seems dismissive and avoidant to just simplify these big feelings and actions into these terms when in reality, yes the terms are true. But, we should probably be making space to really talk and express in full detail a persons actions including our own, and get to the bottom of it. The categories can be apart of the larger narrative, but they arent the full reasoning.
I hope this made sense lol