270 - Ask Minaa Anything: Setting Boundaries and Expectations with Family, Friends and Partners
Oct 13, 2023
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Minaa provides insight and advice on managing boundaries with family, friends, and partners. They discuss the importance of accountability, adjusting intimacy levels in relationships, and processing emotions after leaving an abusive relationship. They also share strategies for self-regulation and co-regulation.
Communicating boundaries with an emotionally abusive parent helps assess their willingness to change.
Honest communication and exploring nonsexual forms of intimacy can navigate challenges in asexual relationships.
Deep dives
Setting Boundaries in an Abusive Relationship
Navigating a relationship with a parent who has been abusive can be challenging. Even if the abuse seems unintentional, it is important to hold the parent accountable for their actions. Communicating your boundaries and assessing their response can help you determine their willingness to change. Protecting your own sanity requires erecting boundaries and setting consequences when those boundaries are crossed. Recognize that emotionally immature individuals may not respect your boundaries, and it may be necessary to adjust the degree of closeness with them. When it comes to your child, prioritize their safety and communicate clear rules and boundaries for the grandparent's interactions.
Navigating Intimacy as an Asexual Woman
Being asexual in a relationship with a partner who desires sex can create challenges. Honest communication about your preferences and libido is crucial in order to establish mutual understanding. It is important to redefine the concept of intimacy beyond just sex and explore nonsexual forms of closeness. Practicing nonsexual intimacy, such as kissing, cuddling, and engaging in activities that foster emotional connection, can enhance arousal and desire. Discussing the goals of the relationship and determining alignment in sexual desires will help you decide the future of the relationship.
Dealing with Emotions After Leaving an Abusive Relationship
Leaving an abusive relationship often leads to a range of conflicting emotions. It is essential to acknowledge and process these emotions in a healthy way. Reflect on why you ended the relationship and the benefits you have experienced since. Use journaling or audio journaling to identify discrepancies in your thinking and practice self-regulation. Seek support from trusted friends to co-regulate and discuss your feelings. Remind yourself that missing someone doesn't justify reconnecting with them if they were abusive. Practice setting boundaries with the individual and with yourself to protect your emotional well-being.
You sent Minaa your most pressing questions, and in today's episode Minaa provides her insight and advice to those questions. You asked about managing boundaries with an emotionally abusive parent, how to talk about intimacy in a relationship when you and your partner might have different needs, and how to set boundaries with a friend who is consistently late.
Want your questions answered in another "Ask Minaa Anything" episode this season? Go to verywellmind.com/podcast and submit your question on the form to be considered.