Is Everyone Secretly Mad at You? This Is Why You Think So

2025-08-21 00:00:18.344

A Reductress post about a woman confirming nobody was mad at her highlights a common insecurity: the fear of upsetting friends. This feeling, often amplified by stress or premenstrual symptoms, leads to overthinking messages and seeking constant reassurance. Psychotherapist Meg Josephson explains this as the "fawn response," a coping mechanism developed in childhood, particularly prevalent in women, where appeasing others becomes compulsive. This reassurance-seeking, while seemingly harmless, can strain relationships and become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Social media exacerbates this, making it easy to misinterpret messages. Josephson advises pausing before reacting to perceived slights, acknowledging underlying anxiety, and trusting friends' words. Accepting that conflict is inevitable and doesn't equate to friendship's end is key. The article emphasizes that friends are likely less preoccupied with our actions than we imagine, and that focusing on self-reliance is ultimately more liberating.