I told myself I was just an introvert.
That I needed downtime away from people.
So I accepted it and didn’t question it any further.
My son’s dad was more of a hermit, so our lifestyle felt normal.
After we divorced and I entered other relationships, the exhaustion came back in a different way.
I thought I just didn’t like people.
That I was too particular.
Difficult.
Hard to get along with.
Spending time with a partner’s family felt overwhelming, and I struggled to hide how uncomfortable I was. It created tension in relationships.
I ended most of them.
I would notice patterns, feel misunderstood, or not feel heard. Over time, it built up until I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
I thought I was the problem.
I didn’t realize how much energy I was using just being around people.
I didn’t hate people.
I was exhausted by them.