I"ve wondered about how nice I am being treated. So, I can't help but feel here that MaleSurvivors are only treating me nice, and know I'm stupid or something.

Marinan,

That's an absolutely common feeling among survivors and it's good you ask about it. If you think back to when you were a boy you may well see that you had a lot of self-esteem problems and didn't think you were worth much. Abuse does that to us: we think it was all our fault and that we deserved what we got. We also develop problems trusting people and wonder "what does he really want?"

On a site like this those two problems can come together and make a guy wonder, "Okay, what's really going on here? Why is everyone treating me so well?" I can't say you will never ever be treated badly here, but if that happens just tell a moderator right away. This really is a great community and a safe place where we can begin to undo all those false lessons from our past.

You are treated well here because that's what you deserve.

Much love,
Larry

Larry really said it like it is. How about allowing yourself to consider the possibility that we really do care about you as well as each other just because you are you? It has nothing to do with your being stupid or anything else.

Hopefully, you will continue to reach out and test us and eventually learn that what your seeing and feeling here is for real, something we all have done or need to do to in our recovery.

The best,

Barney

I tend to feel like that anytime someone is treating me well, in spite of who they are.

We are treating you nicely, because we understand at lot of your difficulties here.

Eric

You aren't stupid that's for sure. You've already said a couple of things to me that have helped me see things a little differently. You've been a help to me. You're a smart person.

I welcome you again to the site.

Oh yeah.... and you DO deserve to be treated nice.

Keith

^ ^ What he said ^ ^

.

LAD - Don't leave unless you really need to.

I appreciate your contibutions - really - not just being nice or lying - though i'be been told i'm pretty good at both. wonder if you can do both at the same time? LOL

Seriously - don't worry about anyone else but you right now.
Lee

Wondering why someone is being nice to me is why most of my friends were friends with my sister before I met them. Then it took at least another year before I quit thinking of them as just her friends. It's only happened twice, but my mind has been blown away each time I found out that I had been friends with one of our friends longer than she has. She even has one friend I was in a class with in school, but even after looking through year books I can't remember meeting him until I saw him with her.

LAD,
Your statement sounds like I feel most of the time. I think people are just patronizing me. I guess some are, but I even feel it when I am with the members of my survivor group. I think it is some conditioning that put me in my place for my uncle to continue his abusive behavior toward me.
I agree with Lee, focus on what YOU need and try to tune out the messages playing in the back of your mind that tell you that people are just humoring you.
We are all in this together!