I Used To Be Terrified of Women…

Growing up I had a very difficult relationship with my mother and my sister. My mom struggled with bpd and narcissism and I believe my sister resented having to parent me. When these, the most important female relationships you can have, are so unsafe- it can make it really hard to have female friends. I didn’t trust women, I was so afraid of being hurt by women that I avoided them altogether. I clung to my male friends, some of them very sweet and caring and funny, others vile and predatory. I needed sisterhood but I didn’t know how to get it or how to keep it.

It wasn’t until I began to heal from my childhood that I realized how incredible and magical sisterhood is. To have true and deep female friendships is the greatest gift I have ever been given. Women are my safe place.

I am so grateful for the kindness of women, the courage of women, the immeasurable beauty of women. I would not be here on this earth without the sisters I have found. I have been so lucky to have women that have taught me what it means to “show up” for someone. I am blessed.

#Lemon8Diary #womenempowerment #embracevulnerability

2024/4/4 Edited to

... Read moreFear of women can stem from difficult childhood experiences, as many might struggle with complex family dynamics. Understanding and healing from these past traumas is a vital first step. Female friendships, when nurtured, can provide emotional support, foster empathy, and promote deep connections that enrich lives. The benefits of sisterhood include not only companionship, but also encouragement in personal growth. Women often find strength in supporting one another, breaking down barriers, and embracing vulnerability together. In today’s climate of empowerment, it’s essential to build sisterhood among women for collective resilience. Participating in community initiatives or local support groups can create safe spaces for sharing experiences and building trust. Workshops focusing on self-esteem and emotional healing can also be invaluable in promoting strong, positive connections. Remember that, while past experiences can shape our perceptions, it’s never too late to seek out the beauty of healthy relationships with women. With time, patience, and an open heart, you can rediscover the joy and magic of these friendships.

20 comments

Madelyn's images
Madelyn

So glad you were able to turn that rough start around & enjoy the magic of sisterhood ❤️ amazing reminder that while our childhoods soemtimes don’t prepare us accurately, it’s possible to unlearn & change 🥰

See more(1)
BrittanyNicole's images
BrittanyNicole

Oh the ways I can relate. And how I love this so much! All of your posts hit home for me!

See more(3)

See more comments

Related posts

I used to be terrified of getting bulky. Now I'm terrified of getting weak. If you've been wanting to start lifting weights but don't know where to begin, this is for you. You don't need to figure it out alone. Get help. Start small. Stop making excuses. You're not too old and it's not too
Lisette | Fashion & Lifestyle

Lisette | Fashion & Lifestyle

10 likes

If I could go back 10 years and talk to my 42-year-old self, those 10 things in the video are exactly what I would tell her. ☝️ I was always prioritizing my health but I was doing it all wrong. Chasing every trendy workout, logging endless cardio, and absolutely terrified to touch the heavy wei
Lisette | Fashion & Lifestyle

Lisette | Fashion & Lifestyle

25 likes

I used to be terrified of eating more, too. I thought eating less meant more progress. I thought hunger was a sign I was doing things right. I thought that being constantly tired, cranky, and stuck was just part of the grind. But here’s the truth I learned the hard way: Eating less doesn
Nadianfitness

Nadianfitness

73 likes

Two young women are seated, holding microphones and making expressive faces, with a large green plant and audio equipment on a table. The text "PODCASTS I am loving" is overlaid on a pink background, with Lemon8 branding in the corner.
A collage of four podcast app screenshots, featuring "Murder, Mystery & Makeup," "On Purpose with Jay Shetty," "True Crime Daily: The Podcast," and "Call Her Daddy," showing episode titles and ratings. Lemon8 branding is visible.
A collage of six podcast app screenshots, including "Pursuit of Wellness," "UnF*ck Your Brain," "Morbid," "The 'That Girl' Guide," and "Habits of A Goddess," displaying episode details and ratings. Lemon8 branding is present.
PODCASTS I AM LOVING!🎙️💗
I used to be obsessed with podcasts especially for free time, getting ready, going to bed, long drives, etc; but i am trying to get back into it and find new recs so if you have any feel free to drop them!!! #podcast #podcastrecommendations #podcastsforwomen #podcastrecs #podcast2023 #e
nessa🌞

nessa🌞

141 likes

A black and white portrait of Frances Perkins, the first female U.S. Cabinet member. She wears a dark hat, a pearl necklace, and a dark dress with a white fur-like accent, looking directly at the viewer with a serious expression.
The sidewalk trembled with a sickening, wet thud. New York City. March 25, 1911. Washington Square Park. Frances Perkins was enjoying a cup of tea in a townhouse when she heard the fire engines. She ran outside. She looked up at the Asch Building. Smoke was billowing from the upper floors o
Sheila Blackmon

Sheila Blackmon

32 likes

Mini Bible Study + Tarot Prompts
I’m sure none of the hypocritical and judgmental people who call themselves Christians will actually take two seconds of their lives to read this comment, but please know I am not responding to any more comments. And moving forward, I am disabling comments on my posts. You think that you are doing
cherisewilliams.xo

cherisewilliams.xo

130 likes

Don’t be afraid, be terrified 🖤
Feel free to save these! ❣️ Enjoy! ❣️ Should I post more of these? 🤔 #Lemon8Diary #books #bookaesthetic #bookshopping #readingrecommendations #readersoflemon8 #reading #suspensebook #booksbooksbooks #thrillerbooks
DAËON

DAËON

1536 likes

A woman in a yellow dress sits on steps before a pink building with a wooden door adorned with abundant orange marigold flowers, announcing "Lean Latina habits Rebrand."
A woman in a yellow dress sits on a blue bench, framed by an arch of marigold flowers and decorative skulls, welcoming viewers to "Lean Latina Habits."
A woman in a yellow dress sits on steps before a pink building adorned with marigold flowers, sharing her past struggles with fitness and self-consciousness.
Lean Latina habits rebrand ✨
Hola amigas, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to all my new followers and those who noticed my username change. TikTok encouraged me to rebrand, so here we are—welcome to Lean Latina Habits! I’m Kat, a personal trainer and nutrition coach with 12 years of experience. But let me b
Kat Loya

Kat Loya

1614 likes

5 BOOKS TO AVOID UNNECESSARY TAX 👀
Let's get real for a sec – taxes are the WORST, right?! 😩 Like, who actually *enjoys* filling out those endless forms and trying to decipher confusing tax jargon? 🙋‍♀️ Not me, that's for sure. I used to dread tax season so much. But then I had a lightbulb moment 💡 – what if I actually *l
Meredith Jao

Meredith Jao

21 likes

The Art of Erasing
Wanting a perfect layout shouldn’t stop you from putting pen to paper. I used to stare at expensive blank journals, terrified that one wrong stroke would ruin the whole vibe. This green collection changed everything. It breathes life into my illustrations and sketches, but gives me the ultimate
shands.us

shands.us

32 likes

An overhead shot of four book covers: Kiss of the Basilisk, Credence, Five Brothers, and Broken Harbor, with the text 'BOOKS I'M TERRIFIED TO READ' overlaid.
The book cover for 'Credence' by Penelope Douglas, featuring a forest scene, with overlay text 'PRETTY SELF EXPLANATORY...' indicating its controversial content.
The book cover for 'Kiss of the Basilisk' by Lindsay Straube, showing a woman and a snake, with overlay text 'WHY DOES SHE SLEEP WITH HIS DAD WHILE THEY'RE TOGETHER'.
books I’m terrified to read
On one hand I really want to read kiss of the basilisk but also I can’t with her sleeping with his dad for his approval 😭😭 likeee 🧍‍♀️ What’s a book your terrified to read? #lemon8bookchallenge #lemon8bookclub #spiciestbooks #booktok #bookrecs
Readers.archive

Readers.archive

821 likes

A pregnant woman sits on an examination table, holding her visibly rounded belly. She wears a black crop top and grey sweatpants. The image is captioned 'My body before, during and after pregnancy'.
A woman takes a mirror selfie, showing her slender figure in a white tube top and a floral mini skirt. The image is labeled 'BEFORE', indicating her body prior to pregnancy.
A woman lies on a striped towel on a sandy surface, wearing a white bikini top and star-patterned bikini bottoms. She covers her eyes with sunglasses. The image is labeled 'BEFORE'.
My body before, during and after pregnancy 🤰🏽
I wanted to be super transparent about my pregnancy, more specifically my body before, during and after. Sometimes when I’m scrolling on the pregnancy side of TikTok or lemon8 I’ll see people say all of the horrible things that pregnancy does or can do to your body. While that is completely valid a
Kenn444ever

Kenn444ever

3124 likes

6 books i'm terrified to read
will I still read them? yes. have you read any of these? #heartbreak #books #sadbooks
Jazmyn 🎨📚

Jazmyn 🎨📚

641 likes

A young woman with long blonde hair takes a mirror selfie, wearing a pink top and grey sweatpants, with text overlay about social media being fake and her weight loss journey.
A side-by-side comparison shows a woman before and after significant weight loss, with text expressing her continued body image struggles despite being a size 2.
A split image shows a woman before and after weight loss, wearing the same oversized bulldog t-shirt, with text about feeling unclean despite her transformation.
Social media is FAKE
Yes I am in therapy. Lol. This is just my diary entry at this point. One thing ive learned these past 2 years is that people treat plus sized individuals so different. I went from a size 24 in pants to a size 2. 323lbs to 128. Everyone acts different. Nobody avoids eye contact with me anymore. Em
Alabama Foster

Alabama Foster

3701 likes

A colorful drawing of three oranges on a branch with green leaves, showcasing shading and color blending. Color swatches with labels are visible in the top left corner. The drawing is on white paper, with 'Lemon8' and '@nanadrawssometimes' in the bottom left.
Sketch Of The Day
Found a photo on Pinterest of some oranges and decide to attempt to draw them and add color. I’m usually terrified of color and I’m wanting to understand and become comfortable with adding color to my art. I also wanted to practice my shading. Pretty proud of the outcome. Material used: Sketc
Tianna

Tianna

41 likes

What If Your Greatest Struggle Is Connected To Your Greatest Calling?
I’ve been thinking about something lately. The enemy cannot create. He can only distort what God has created. And that made me wonder: What if some of the areas where we struggle most are connected to strengths God originally intended for His purposes? For example: I was once extr
Grace.Filled.Growth

Grace.Filled.Growth

2 likes

I’m almost at 20 followers 🤍💪🏽
I usually post more than what I have been but I’ve been going through some things. I feel like I can share a little more here than anywhere else because isn’t this a safe space for the girls??? 🥰 So, a little about me… the very transparent version because I want to find MY PEOPLE, MY TEAM, MY VILLA
Lina_Rochelle 💋

Lina_Rochelle 💋

2 likes

A hand holds the dark teal cover of Carola Lovering's novel "Bye, Baby," featuring a broken heart pendant design. The cover highlights it's an advance reader's edition from the author of "Tell Me Lies" and includes a positive review quote. A blurred bookshelf is in the background.
Did you enjoy Tell Me Lies on Hulu? Try this!
Carola Lovering is the author of the novel turned hit tv show Tell Me Lies and has once again written an amazing domestic drama. Bye, Baby takes a deeper look into friendships and how they change as you grow older along with the pressures not just society, but other women put on each other.
𝐀𝐔𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐘

𝐀𝐔𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐘

217 likes

A person's bandaged knee with a black leg brace, labeled 'ACL SURGERY and 5 weeks Post-Op,' with a 'WARNING MEDICAL IMAGES' overlay and a sad face emoji.
A medical image comparison showing a 'torn ACL before removal' on the left and a 'grafted ACL' on the right, with text warning about bruising and stitches.
Two comparison photos of a knee in a brace: the top shows a 'SUPER SWOLLEN' knee post-op, and the bottom shows the knee 'HEALING NICELY' at 5 weeks post-op.
my ACL surgery and what i wish i knew
i know this isn’t the normal thing you see on this app, but to me this is important to post because i wish i would have seen something like this about a month ago. August 29th, i had a complete ACL reconstruction. i tore it in a freak accident in the woods, and it really did ruin my dad to day li
anothertori

anothertori

21 likes

definitely not terrified
this is for anyone scared to make a big change. 😅🫶🏻 it’s probably normal, but it’s hard. please share some advice for someone moving abroad alone. ✨🤍 #movingabroad #solotravel #anxiety #relatable #expatlife
olivia ✈️✨☕️

olivia ✈️✨☕️

6 likes

A simulated iPhone chat on a pink background discusses why some women are jealous and insecure, attributing it to never feeling like 'the prize.' The conversation highlights that unchosen women confuse male attention with value and post DMs as trophies due to a lack of genuine memories.
Why Some Women Hate Pretty Girls 😭🔥
✨ PICK-ME PSYCHOLOGY Ever notice the women with no options be the MAIN ones desperate for male validation 😭🔥 Babe… you can’t pick or choose ANYTHING. Why you arguing with women who actually can? Pick-mes bark the loudest because they’re scared to admit no man ever genuinely picked THEM 💀🔥
she posts in prophecy

she posts in prophecy

8 likes

Maggie Taylor had always known the world wasn't kind, but she never thought it could be this cruel. She was barely sixteen when she first walked into the saloon, desperate for a job. Her father had passed away two years before, and her mother—frail and sickly—could barely keep food on the table
Sheila Blackmon

Sheila Blackmon

7 likes

at this point in time I'm finished terrified trying to get to know anyone ever a
jesscunningham8

jesscunningham8

1 like

A collage-style image features a smiling woman in a red top, sitting in a car. Text overlays read "Let's be Friends", "Hot And Autistic", and "CUTIE PIE". The distressed background and multiple photos create a scrapbook aesthetic, inviting connection on Lemon8.
let's talk about being hot and autistic, and some.
Catchy title aside, I'm mostly talking about being a woman and being autistic my experience seems to be a little bit different than most people, and I'm really hoping I can find community. I grew up in the 90s and was diagnosed at a very young age due to my extreme and apparent learning
Sweird

Sweird

7 likes

See more