When Conflict Feels Like War, Not Conversation

Sometimes it begins in ways so small you almost miss them, a glance that lingers just a bit too long, a sigh that feels too heavy for the moment, or a silence that stretches past comfort. Your body notices before your mind can explain it. And it’s like something inside feels off, your chest tightens, or your words stay tucked in. You were just trying to talk, maybe even connect. But now the air feels unfamiliar, like something changed without warning. Suddenly, you’re not having a conversation anymore, but you’re bracing yourself inside it. At times, it can be when you say something, but people don’t seem to hear it the way you meant. They respond, but it’s not to the version of you that you were trying to show. It all feels slightly off, like you’re watching each other through blurry glass. One of you pulls away, the other pushes back. The words keep going, but not in the same direction. The space between you fills with sharp remarks and quiet hurts. The tension just slowly builds unt...