Hot Mess Summer

by Melissa Foster

“I can see how that would cause stress, but the right partner will strive to help you be the best you can be in all aspects of your life and figure out ways to support that.”

“I researched PTSD for a book, and from what I read, I don’t think anyone other than therapists or physicians could ever be prepared for that. It’s not something people just get over with time.

“In my eyes, when you tell your future partner the first day you meet him that you can put up with a lot of things but dishonesty isn’t one of them, and as the relationship progresses, he lies about everything under the sun, gaslights you, and finds ways to passive-aggressively make you the bad guy in every scenario, it feels a heck of a lot like abuse.”