Hi, I'm not one to post.. but I've been following this site for a couple weeks and decided to give it a try. My name's Bree. I stumbled upon this site by accident. I've been dealing with some relationship trouble lately, and after lots of time on the internet.. I've come to terms with the fact that my past relationship (which I have always found very hard to be open about) really impacted me. I was in an abusive relationship with my son's father for 3 years, and the weight of it didn't really set in until after I got together with my current boyfriend and cut off ties with my abuser. I'm hoping to learn more about myself and to find healthy coping mechanisms on this site. Most importantly, I'm hoping to meet people who also struggle with connecting emotionally, because i've been told that I am unable to connect.. And I would love to hear how other people have grown after pain, and learned to allow themselves to become vulnerable for the sake of opening up to someone. Nice to meet everyone, and I'ike to mention how much it has helped to lurk these forums for the past couple weeks.