The only thing worse than making a mistake is keeping it bottled up inside. Learning from the mistakes of others could help you embark on the healing journey of sharing and working through a mistake of your own, with someone you trust.
People with obsessive-compulsive tendencies tend to struggle immensely with decision-making. Outsiders looking in wonder why common choices, like where to work or whom to marry, are so challenging for them. Worsening the problem is the proclivity toward maladaptive daydreaming, spending hours on end fantasizing about ideal scenarios. Often, these imagined scenarios don't even entail the full scope of what would be expected were they to exist.
Many people going through grief, infertility, loss, or prolonged stress find themselves quietly withdrawing from family gatherings, holidays, baby showers, weddings, and even casual get-togethers. Often, this is explained in terms of not wanting to get triggered. That explanation is valid. Triggers are real, and the emotional pain can be sharp, sudden, and last for hours. Framed this way, stepping back can feel like a very good form of self-care.
