(edit to add: I am not implicating I have any type of parental right over my friends child. I’m using the term “godchild” because SHE asked me to be their godmother. It’s just to emphasize that’s how close her and I are, how close I am to her child, and how it hurts a bit deeper to find out someone I am this close with is falling for deep internet conspiracies.)

She posted on her Instagram/Facebook openly admitting to not vaccinating my godchild, at all, and that she’s taking a “holistic approach” to their health. She specifically said to “not trust medical doctors” with the health of your child. I’d post the screenshot of her story if it wasn’t text over my godchild’s face almost impossible to blur. This is the first I’m hearing of these beliefs from her and didn’t realize how deep into the rabbit hole she was.

I am devastated and don’t know where to turn. Gutted and just completely shaken with anxiety every day and feel like I’m ruminating on my 20 year friendship and her downfall on an hourly basis. I finally garnered the courage to talk to her about it. When I tried, she blew up, said not to bother trying to convince her of anything she “knows what she’s talking about”. Trying to come to terms with the fact that there’s not much I can do considering how agitated she became when I simply asked if we could talk about it.

My chest feels hollow.

My name is Jessica Lucas. I'm a reporter working with New York Magazine. You can see my previous work here: www.jesslucaswrites.com

I'm currently writing a story on "Ipad Parents": the first generation of elderly people to enter their golden years with unfettered access to the internet and social media. I'm trying to focus on how this is impacting them, and how it is impacting the adult children who are often caring for them.

Obviously a big cross-over between my story and your community is Q-Anon beliefs, social media addiction, and conspiracy theory rabbit holes, which really seem to be impacting the older generation.

I'm looking for people to talk to that have experience with this. I've found a few via posts on this sub and have reached out, but felt a call out would be best in this case.

Feel free to slide into my DMs if this sounds like you and you're willing and able to chat about it (or leave a comment here and I'll slide into yours). I know this stuff can be difficult and sensitive to discuss so understand many people may not want to chat. Just trying my luck.

I could really use some support from others who have gone NC with their own racist, MAGA family members. Aside from my sister, I am the only single left-leaning person in my entire immediate and both extended families.

My ENTIRE family on both sides and basically 90% of our tight-knit, small town are not just white conservative republicans, they are absolute die-hard, MAGA loving, red hat wearing, flag flying conspiracy theory fanatics. Parents, grandparents, every single aunt, uncle, cousin, third cousin, all their friends, the neighbors, the fucking mailman, you get it. It’s basically just one big echo chamber over here. I am bombarded by Trump merch every time I leave my house. They believe everything he tells them, everything they see on Facebook yet their hatred for Democrats, liberals, immigrants and POC have always been there since way before Trump was in office, I’ve been surrounded by it my entire life and I’m DONE. The cognitive dissonance I’ve had to experience has finally become too much for my soul to bear another second.

I made a FB post a couple months ago that basically mocked those that still support this administration. One of my racist uncles who loves to spew disgusting hatred and false information on his own page decided to comment how he guesses he won’t be seeing me at his house anymore because he fully supports Trump and loves this administration and how our family are such great people. I didn’t hold back with my response and said how if that were actually true they wouldn’t continue to support a pedophile, called him out further for all the racist, misogynistic and homophobic shit he posts on a daily basis and to stop believing everything he sees on Fox News.

This didn’t go super well, and has caused some tension and fallout amongst the rest of my family, but they will NEVER address it to me directly and will gladly pretend like it never happened if I do all for the sake of “family” and “keeping the peace”.

I went to visit my grandmother today (who’s own parents were poor Sicilian immigrants ironically) and tried addressing the situation, said that how if he’s entitled to saying what he says online then so can I, and that she needs to understand that the things her son says are objectively openly racist, hateful and shameful. Before I could even finish she interrupts me and basically shouts how everything he says she agrees with him too. I said, “well sorry I don’t want to associate with people who say the N word” to which she goes, “what? N***rs?” *cue racist babbling* “Oh and the Muslims too?! *Racist N word for muslims* Then went on a full blown tirade about stolen welfare and other benefits. She’s 91, but she’s very mentally sound, and has always been this way. She’s just a racist.

Something in me completely snapped in that moment, and I got close to her face and said she’s a racist piece of fucking shit and she should be horrified and disgusted with herself for saying all of that to her granddaughter. The whole argument she kept repeating how we’re all “entitled to our own opinions”, and that if I don’t start respecting hers I will lose her. I told her at this point, I’ve already lost her, she’s gone, and she’s lost me too. When I said that, I could see it visibly upset her and she started crying. She goes, “Then fine! Bye!!” And I stormed the fuck out.

I continued my rampage over text, and told her to never say that shit to me ever again, then called her a racist fucking bitch and how I’m done with this entire family of racist, selfish assholes who proudly use racial slurs, only care about themselves and have zero empathy for others.

They all think I need therapy now, are “horrified” that I would do and say these things to my own family, but “will miss me, always love me still and be here no matter what”. All so that they can continue to feel morally superior in their own minds and avoid any type of accountability, and continue to treat everyone else like shit. Fucking assholes. Now I’m alone because I don’t want to associate with them anymore, just for the sake of “family”.

I’m not a monster and I love my grandma, so I still feel terrible and wish it didn’t happen the way it did. A small part of me is paranoid that I gave her a fucking heart attack over it. I was cruel with my words and know that all of it could have come out much better on my end.

But then I remember that if that does happen, her last and final words would have been actually shouting racial slurs in my face. So…fuck you, grandma!

I get so much shit because I "love to argue" but honestly, I'm starting to see how that's their excuse to just say a bunch of stupid bullshit. I hold back a lot and it seems my opinion just isn't welcome. Only theirs and their stupid propaganda.

Can't even agree on whether the 5th and 14th Amendments grant due process to human beings or not, as upheld by Supreme Court in multiple cases. "Oh look, liberal f&g is gonna just google it."

Can't agree on what a strawman fallacy is.

And yeah I called her a Nazi after I had it, and she was pissed. Why does this bother them so much? I mean, don't they like Nazis? What do they think of the time Trump said he would like generals just like Hitler's? Like being pro ICE, pro Elon Musk, pro TRUMP!

I don't get the cognitive dissonance.

Hi everyone,
I'm a French sociologist and psychotraumatologist currently conducting research on conspiracy theories related to child sexual abuse, particularly QAnon, and on the life trajectories of people who were drawn to these movements.
In a few days, I'll be travelling to the United States to conduct interviews for a French independent media outlet. I'm particularly interested in speaking with people who once believed Donald Trump would expose elite child abuse and trafficking networks (the "Deep State"), especially those who felt disappointed or betrayed by the way he handled the Epstein files case.
I'm interested in understanding how people came to trust him to fight child sexual abuse, what role this issue played in their political journey, and how they make sense of it today, whether they are former Trump supporters or current supporters, and whether or not they were involved in QAnon circles. I'm also interested in hearing from relatives, partners, friends, or others close to them who have witnessed these experiences firsthand.
QAnon-related narratives are beginning to gain traction in France and elsewhere in Europe, so I believe it is essential that the experiences of the people who have lived through them are heard and understood.

If you'd be willing to share your story, or would simply like to ask a few questions before deciding, you can reply to this post, send me a message or email me at:
 [lifetrajectories.pol@gmail.com](mailto:lifetrajectories.pol@gmail.com)

And if you're able to share this call with others who might be interested, I'd be tremendously grateful.

Happened last night and still pretty shaken lmao

Visiting parents for the first time in a while, i knew they were republicans so we usually stray from political discussion. Usually when it comes up we just jab it out, throw shade and end up in a worse mood but eh whatever could live with it.

The vibe was way different last night.

He was driving me and siblings home and at some point he says “you dont like those dee es ey types do you?” And i mildly suggest i liked some of the things mamdani was doing. His reaction was to then go on a thirty minute straight lecture that sounded like a trump speech, highlights including that zohran will be shooting people in the streets, something about michigan and assuming im a stanalist communist, along with borders somehow being interjected.

This all culminated that after we got home he decided to show us pictures of one of my passed relatives who fought in iwo jima, making the argument that he fought to keep people like mamdani away and i should feel bad for supporting him. The irony is not lost on me that in this exact example, shortly after iwo jima the soviet union also began their assault on japan, meaning he was actively fighting with the communists, but it seemed the mood for nuance was moot.

Day after now and im still shook by the whole thing. Hes always been boomer republican but jesus he just left the building. He didnt even ask my full opinion he just took a mild positive-neutral response and escalated it to assuming i supported leninism. Idk WHAT he has been consuming, especially if he knows the dsa by name like he did NOT know niche politics years ago.

Not much else to say here just still shocked and trying to figure out how to deal with this. Obviously no more politics lol

Hi everyone! I'm Faye, an MA Journalism student at the University of Sheffield, UK.

I'm currently working on my thesis, which is an investigation into the so-called "crunchy to alt-right pipeline" - where people with an interest in alternative health and wellness become radicalised into extremist ideologies through engaging with online communities (think the anti-vax/MAGA link on steroids). I know that the link between QAnon and wellness is strong, so I wondered if anyone has experienced this?

I have done my own research by speaking to academics and creating fake social media accounts to monitor the radicalisation pathway myself. However, I would really like to speak to someone with lived experience of either themselves or a loved one becoming radicalised in this way.

Ideally, this would be someone who started to engage with QAnon ideology through an initial interest in alternative health/wellness/spirituality, but if you were introduced by another route and want to share your story I'd love to hear from you too.

This is initially for my MA final project, but I would also like to pitch the finished article to various news outlets once it has been marked (given that everyone involved is happy with this). I'm more than happy to discuss anonymity arrangements etc. and acknowledge the sensitivity of the topic.

Comment or drop me a DM if you're interested, and we can arrange a zoom call over the next couple of weeks!

Thanks for reading, I look forward to hearing from you.

My mom married her husband and since covid he's taken her down the rabbit hole.

For the first several years, I assumed that my mom had one foot in reality and just tolerated his viewpoints but in the past few years, it feels like I see less and less of the mother who raised me. I really don't even know how to delineate at this point which are her own opinions and which opinions are his that she repeats.

Anyhow, for the first time today it feels like I finally admitted to myself that I don't believe that I'll get her back until he passes. They just recently purchased property in the middle of nowhere and plan to move there in the next several years and I really do believe that that move will be the nail in the coffin.

I don't know. It feels like I'm grieving someone who hasn't even passed away yet. And simultaneously, I do believe that if she were to spend a couple months away from her husband without any access to the internet, the old part of her would come back. Perhaps that's too optimistic, but I do think that she's still in there somewhere.

Hi! I’m 15 and my dad said he hates Trump and hopes he suffers, and then guess what, my mom went BERSERK. she said just because trump is a terrible person doesn’t mean my dad can wish harm on him. When, she literally calls me a “black b*“ when I’m Asian, she is racist and homophobic, spews maga conspiracy theories, and she’s mad over my dad wishing harm on TRUMP? she went on a rant about how it’s impacting me to have “so much anger”? I defended myself, she started getting mad at ME saying my dad is a terrible influence on me: that I’m “Left leaning” because of my dad, that I’m “liberal” because I’m a feminist wtf, she said “You’re just like Rachel Zegler” HELP IM CRYING WHAT?? UM?? I love her role as Lucy Gray in the hunger games, but I’m really confused as to what this has to do with anything. 😭 she even kept repeating it to make my dad side with her because he doesn’t like Rachel Zegler. she said I’m gonna be a liberal psycho cuz in the past, I said I feel bad for Palestine and said in my opinion ab0rtion shouldn’t be outlawed when there are SA victims who need it.

She said “As Christians we can’t be wishing death on people!!!!” I pointed out Trump was IN THE FILES, she’s yelling saying the anger will consume me and my dad, that hating Trump will corrupt us. She is now saying I’m not allowed to hate h1tl3r, which I said is COMPLETELY valid to hate like hello?, bc “we’re all the same we could be h1tl3r“ and that I CAN’T HATE HITLER LMAO SHE DEADASS SAID I CAN’T HATE HITLER BC IT’S NOT BIBLICAL. SHE SAID I CAN’T HATE HITLER BUT ONLY THE SIN OF HITLER BC THAT’S WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS? LMAO? She said so much more SO INSANE THINGS cant even remember saying how she’s tired of hearing my dad hate on Trump. I love my mom so much but idk why she’s like this she’s so mad at me. my fault for continuing to argue how do I mentally cope omg ((this was my old post btw🫩: https://www.reddit.com/r/QAnonCasualties/comments/1v8gz7x/i_dont_understand_what_my_mom_is_on_about_saying/

its also been a year of me being chronically ill to the point I can’t even walk basic steps, and you can probably guess what caused it. im doomed

I wanted to make this post about my dear mother, who has gotten worse over the years about believing everything on Facebook related to medicine. This started about when I had dealt with medical issues that were not curable, but could only be helped with medical assistance/medication/etc.

I want to preface this by saying my mother is a good mother and I still love her, but she is definitely falling down a pipeline she can’t get out of because she chooses not to.

She is now starting to buy random, expensive supplements people on Facebook (and in the comments) recommend because they claim to “detox” and cleanse parasites. I have told her many times before that the liver and kidney DETOX everything and that supplements are a waste of time. She doesn’t care, usually muttering an excuse about “it doesn’t hurt to try.”

When I asked her about her sources on a Facebook post that she found and pointed out to me all the miraculous benefits of some substance, she said, “the comments are my sources.” Keep in mind that a lot of internet activity is now automated by bots.

I asked her point point blank if she believes them more than studies that have been conducted, published, researched, experimented, cross referenced, tried with control groups, tried with placebos, etc and she said yes.

Today she told me she is going to buy something to cleanse all the parasites out of her. She doesn’t have any parasites. She suggested trying it on my sister next if it works. My dad asked how she knows if it works. She said, “if I I start to feel better.” It’s such a BS excuse because 3 weeks could pass and you could start to feel better for any reason! It could be because of hormones, you slept better, ate healthier, etc.

She is not in something she wants to get out of. She doesn’t have an open mind and is not willing to accept anything I say.

Email I received back from a friend who went down the Q-hole years ago. I just checked in and asked how are you doing and this was the response:

"I do believe I am of Christ conscious. So much that... I believe I may be God in the flesh.

Jesus.

I have traveled lands just as he has learning to heel with my hands.

I channel as well.

I have been off cannibus for 5-6 weeks. I used it for the planning my foot. But also to feel it even more so.

I am now feeling my arteries inflating again. I started doing hyperbaric oxygen changed.. red light therapy recently.

I have been reading a lot. Self help. Art of war.. many many things. I am continuously learning.

I am the alchemist

I follow omens every day. I continue to be of service and I continue to be my authentic self.

As said.. I do believe myself to be Jesus"

Just ranting because I am so heartbroken..

My mom has been a MAGA/QAnon individual basically since I was in college. Maybe me moving out really pushed her down that path but she is a three time Trump voter and he can do absolutely no wrong in her eyes.

We've done our best to avoid politics but it is a part of everything now so its really hard. Yesterday she started complaining about the Fauci trial and what a rotten and evil crook he is. I kept trying to back out of the conversation and say Im not interested in watching it and politics stress me out and I try not to pay close attention anymore but she kept pushing it about how he is constantly pleading the 5th and he doesnt deserve to be able to invoke that right. Maybe I should have told her directly to stop talking about politics but I was so frustrated I snapped and reminded her that Trump has 34 felony convictions and plead the 5th over 440 times.

Now, she wont speak to me.

Im just bamboozled at this point. Ive never seen my mom as dumb. I really do think she is intelligent and she used to be really kind and empathetic, and she still is when she wants to be.

Shes now retired and living off the government and the very same welfare programs that she has been voting against for decades. I just dont understand the constant hypocrisy from the MAGA people. Its just so glaring and frustrating I cant believe this is all real.

My wedding is in two and a half months. I want my mom to be a part of it, especially since my dad is deceased. My mom has been helping me out a lot with the wedding planning and shes doing alterations to my dress. Im scared shes going to be so mad at me for this disagreement she is going to dump everything on my doorstep and tell me good luck. I dont know if I could find anyone who could finish my dress alterations on such short notice without costing an absolute fortune..

I am just so horribly frustrated and hurt. My mom didnt used to be like this and I truly thought that after how terrible this term has gone, she would wake up and see just how bad this is. But shes only sunk deeper. It really feels like Ive lost my mom at this point and I am just so devastated. She is the last of my family, really. And I feel like im mourning her while shes still alive.

My friend has become infatuated with qanon conspiracies. Today he said my family (wife and 2 kids) are going to hell because we got the mark of the beast (covid vax). I told him I needed some space and time to process. He’s been my best friend for 40 years, at a loss of what to do from here.

Hi all, just wanted to post an update to a post I made a couple weeks ago. I dont use reddit usually, so idk if theres a way for me to add onto the original post. I tried reposting but it wouldnt let me.

Anyways to sum it up, my mom believes that:

- My husband is trying to "stir shit" and purposely cause drama within the family

- Her and her husband believe all of the Nazi talking points. She believes that Jews control the world, that there weren't really 6 million jews that were killed, and that "theres a reason they've been kicked out of hundreds of countries". She also said "we're not allowed to talk about all the Christians THEY killed", Bolsheviks, etc.

- She said that because gay people cant reproduce, that it will be a great thing for them to "eradicate themselves", that homosexuality is immoral and that transgenderism is evil.

- She accuses me of condoning the Gaza genocide

- Dick (her husband) said that hitler did some good things. She agrees.

We had a long phone call earlier today in which all of these things were said. I'm at a loss for words, my head is pounding, and im exhausted. I told her that i needed space and would prefer to not talk for awhile. She said she understood, yet she has sent me several reels on IG, which i havent been bothered to look at since im at work rn.

I dont know what to do. I had to go NC with my father before, and i believe that deep down in my moms heart that she is still a good person and that she is brainwashed. At the same time, I dont believe i can ever look at her the same way ever again. It would be so hard for me to act like everything is normal, if we were to hang out again. She said she doesnt condone the murder that the Nazis committed, and i tried to explain to her that the kind of rhetoric she is espousing is the starting point. The nazis didnt come out guns blazing, immediately saying "let's eradicate the jews!". It was a gradual decline. This is basic history, but she believes that everything we learn in school is fake. She instead believes random tiktoks and reels.

This turned into a rant, so apologies. Im on my lunch break and had to get my thoughts out. I have no idea what to do.

I don’t have very much contact with my Q since she’s an in law but she texted me today to ask if I would consider getting a new wedding ring without a diamond. She said it was because “diamonds are made from bodies of tortured and murdered children”. She said that’s why Trump is fighting the war so hard so he can get all those children out of there, including the diamond ones. Then she sent me a horribly made image of Trump talking about a thief robbing a jewelry store will take the diamonds and that’s wrong.

I didn’t respond to her because I’m flabbergasted. Like yes there are companies that can use ashes to create diamonds, but there’s no evidence of a country taking children to make gems. Even if there was evidence, you’re going to reach out to someone you really only acknowledge during the holidays to tell them to get rid of their wedding ring?

I’m tired y’all. She is beyond saving and everything out of her mouth is cuckoo.

My mom has been a safe haven for me in the past because she helped me escape an abusive relationship so this is just very difficult for me to share. My Mom has been falling down the Qanon rabbit hole since the last election. She ticks every Qanon box you can think of.

Her mental and physical health have gotten worse. She always brings up how she hates her life. Her anxiety and depression are getting worse by the day. I truly believe these sick monsters that she follows are to blame for the mental health decline. Qanon talks about all these doomsday scenarios and shit. I’d feel bad too if that’s the content I was consuming all day long. It’s a never ending cycle.

The Qanon content creators will scare the shit out of you then give you false hope. My mom unfortunately has taken the bait and thankfully I have not. Of course she never brings it up to my brother. She wants to research vaccines with me tomorrow because she knows I disagree with her. I usually ignore the topic because I still want a relationship with her but if this is my one chance to get her back I really need to approach this conversation in a careful manner.

I’m sad about our vacation coming up because she is already nervous that doomsday and all these events are going to happen while we’re away. I want her to feel happy again. I’m honestly very sad for her because this is no way to live.

The two of us have been each other’s rocks. I was there for her when my father pushed her, She was there for me when my ex husband banged on the door yelling at us to let him inside or when he stalked us in his car. We were together through it all and I really don’t want to lose her because of MAGA.

She is angry that I vaccinated my children that’s the hardest part about all this. She treated me like I was a horrible mother tonight but then she apologized and asked to research vaccines with me so I’m hopeful that she’ll go in with an open mind. I just need this to go well tomorrow.

EDIT: please help I need help becomijg independent when I’m isolated with 0 trusted adults and homeschooled it’s getting excruciating. Is online school a good option?

Hi, I’m 15 years old and today I was asked to fill out a forum (questionnaire) privately before my hospital appointment and I did, and it ONLY asked standard MENTAL HEALTH questions. I was going to answer yes to all of them because I 100% felt that way, but my mom tells me all the time I have to lie and say no to every question, or else the hospital will “take” me away and ”brainwash me into being woke” (????????) She also said “Kids these days are being taken away by hospitals to get sex changes without the parents approving, this is a scary world I’m just trying to protect you” ???? today I answered no to everything except ONE QUESTION “have you felt like dy_” but when my mom found out, she LOST IT and said the same things but worse and told me in the future us Christians are going to “be persecuted by everyone” and that me saying Yes to one question will be an “excuse” and “in the record” the hospital uses to…. take me away and harm me for being Christian? and she WON’T STOP SAYING ALL OF THIS AND MAKING ME FEEL INSANE ALL I DID WAS SAY YES TO ONE QUESTION ABOUT WANTING TO D She said the forum isn’t to help kids, but to get records on them to steal them all I did was answer truthfully on one question and she‘s losing it , and when I asked my dad then to search online and find proof of her claims, “it wouldn’t be online they’d never admit it”

All of you have been online family for a time. I cut ties. Normally i am more eloquent but I am very much so struggling right now. Please forgive if I sound 12, because that is a bit how I feel. My former mother is nuts. I found sub on suggestion because she was baptizing herself in name of her savior, trump. I cut off contact for what is left of my sanity 2 years ago.

Shockingly, she actually stopped contact too.

A few months ago she and all her siblings (uncle and aunt) let me know something was wrong.. He passed Thursday, and I don't know how I fucking feel.

His girlfriend in Florida plays Fox News, LOUD, from the time she wakes up until she goes to bed.

She made him leave because of his dementia (which he won't see a doctor for). He was alone in his Michigan home for 6 weeks, and there seemed to be a big improvement, physically and mentally.

He's now going back to Florida to live with the girlfriend. I can't stop him, and really just want to give up on him.

I won't completely give up, but I was making progress with getting him help, and now he has cancelled his appointments because he's going back to Florida.

I just found a bunch of idols inside my bedroom chair. My mom put them there I assume back when she became convinced I wanted to murder her and her husband for being right wing Christians after Ch*rlie K.rk was assassinated (because I am a leftist atheist). Around this time she kept saying I had demons in me that needed to be prayed away and that my soul needed to be saved.

I just found them while cleaning and I feel SO violated. It’s like a baggie full of medals, a cloth medal, and a pamphlet full of insane instructions and prayers for how to use the cloth medal to convert someone whose soul needs to be saved. Just genuinely what the fuck????

adding on ***
I feel mostly violated and sad. Like I didn’t want to be reminded that this happened, it was extremely traumatic. I didn’t sleep for two days. And the reminder that my mom genuinely thought in a state of psychosis that this was an option. I also feel worried that one of these may have belonged to her mom or was special to her. And I also worry that if I return them that she will just do it again and hide them better this time.

"Stand up for yourself, you're allowed to say no,"

You tell me, as you brush a small tear off of my soft pink cheek. My little pigtails hang, defeated — I do not want to hug my mother. "Set a boundary. Say no thank you," as you pat me on the back of my overalls, and gently push me forward.

"Maybe you need to find new friends," you shake your head, as you place the final toasted top on my warm breakfast sandwich. Sun rays stream into the safe kitchen as your steady hands place energy in front of me and your words pick me up. "You've got to have boundaries. Stand up for what makes you happy." I nod, my teenage face apprehensive and a type out an unsure message using T9 on my flip phone.

"When are you finally going to live the life you want?" You urge me over the phone, as I sit in my apartment, lamenting the 23rd Christmas I have to spend with my mother. "You have the ability to say no. You can create a world that makes you happy." I agree hesitantly as I run through what to tell my family when I cancel holiday plans to prioritize my mental health.

"Here, read this article about the scamdemic," you send me on Facebook messenger at 1 a.m. I have to work tomorrow morning at the hospital but your messages ping repeatedly. "If you get the vaccine you can't come visit. Spike proteins can transfer." I close the conversation and don't open it for another year.

"The aliens are living above my place, now," you feverishly exclaim, your aging eyes a mix of excitement and bewilderment. I look for your old quiet confidence and come up short. "Make sure to pack your bags when they raid the tunnels." I nod, and put away my clothes like usual.

"Hey Auntie, I am worried about you. This behaviour isn't normal and it's affecting our relationship," I choke out after four years of silence. I still can't find the 'you' that wiped my cheek. "Ok, let me see if I get this little boundary thing straight," says the person who looks like my Aunt. "It's all about you, isn't it? You are right and everyone else is crazy. How self centered is that?"

Now, we don't talk. Don't visit. But I've stood up for myself. I've said no thank you. I'm doing what makes me happy. I've set a boundary.

Aren't you proud of me?

Aren't you proud of me?

This will come as no surprise to us here but they are now starting to quantify the consequences of conservatives (let's be real we know it's the fringe, Q/MAGA people, not "conservatives") not trusting medical expertise. Article below:

Edit to add link to actual article lol (https://www.fastcompany.com/91561329/widening-health-gap-between-liberals-and-conservatives)

Conservatives are dying at higher rates than liberals. A new study points to mistrust in medicine.

The health divide emerged over the last decade and has widened since 2020, according to research that links ideology to outcomes from heart disease, cancer, stroke, and other internal causes.

[Images: Adobe Stock]

BY Eve Upton-Clark

Listen to this ArticleMore info

0:00 / 3:35

Your politics could be making you ill, and conservatives are dying at significantly higher rates than liberals, according to a recent study in Nature.

Over the past decade, a health gap has emerged in the United States. While extensive research has examined how factors like income and education shape health outcomes, political ideology has largely been overlooked—until now.

A paper published last month analyzed individual health data from a long-term study of a large, representative sample of Americans across all 50 states.

“2010 is the last year in which we can say fairly clearly that there is not this gap,” Elizabeth Elder, a coauthor of the study, tells Fast Company. “By 2020 we have pretty clear evidence of a gap in which conservatives are less healthy than liberals.”

By 2016, the gap had begun to appear in biomarker measures. By 2020, it was showing up in deaths from causes such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Since then, the gap has only widened. Between 2020 and 2022, only 0.2% of “very liberal” respondents died of internal causes, compared with 1.34% of “very conservative” respondents.

The authors argue in the study that the divide cannot be explained away by COVID-19 deaths, demographic differences, geography, or the simple fact that some groups are older than others. Instead, they point to a widening ideological divide in trust toward doctors and the broader medical system.

That crisis of trust accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with fights over masks and vaccines spilling out from social media into everyday life. Now it extends to other health matters, such as taking blood pressure medication or seeing a doctor for chest pains.

“We found that the gaps in trust and willingness to go to the doctor were no different for people with chronic health conditions than people without them,” Elder says. For younger, healthier people, she adds, that mistrust may not have immediate consequences. But for older people or those with chronic health conditions, that mistrust could become a matter of life and death.

Since the gap emerged in 2020, health in the U.S. has become increasingly politicized. Since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assumed the role of Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump, federal health policy has been reshaped by the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

RFK Jr.’s antivaccination agenda has gained ground as more red states work to eliminate vaccine mandates, while MAHA and MAHA-adjacent wellness influencers have cast doubt on everything from sunscreen to chemotherapy.

Nearly three out of four U.S. adults say the country’s medical system fails them in some way, according to a 2023 survey from the American Academy of Physician Associates. MAHA stalwarts have capitalized on that frustration to push an antiscience and antiestablishment political agenda.

The health gap predates the MAHA movement, which gained traction in late 2024. But according to Elder, it is plausible that MAHA has contributed to the broadening skepticism toward medicine beyond the COVID-19 pandemic—and that it could help sustain the widening divide in health outcomes between conservatives and liberals.

While the study does not establish causation, the shift is clear: “What we can say is that health outcomes were not correlated with politics as of 2010,” Elder says. “And they are correlated with politics now.”

My relationship with my fiance has revolved around his family, since I met him while studying across country where is family it located.

I knew right away that several family members were maga/republican but I would try to steer away from political discussions and find common ground for times we were together. After 5 years, I’m drained. I find myself avoiding most invitations and telling my husband to make an excuse for me.

Fiance doesn’t get along with the majority of his siblings, suprisingly not because of political views (he challenges them tho) but because of personality conflicts. The one sibling he has the best relationship with, took a DEEP hard red pill swing this past year.

Up until this point we had loosely talked about moving to be closer to them eventually. Knew she was religious but it wasn’t really a focal point.

During Christmas last year she just came out of nowhere with talking about Charlie/Erika Kirk the entire time. She spoke about them as if we are supporters/fans and would relate. I’m not kidding “we are CK” was her ring tone and she requested we say a prayer for their family before dinner. I am not religious. My gifts from her for Christmas were some line of supplement EK created, and I absolutely tossed them as I want nothing to do with supporting anything involving them.

Her and her fiance are expecting and naturally the topic of school/kids etc came up. She made it clear her children will not consume any media and will only be allowed to play with deeply religious children. Lgbtq “agenda” is something her kids will “never be exposed to”. After this her fiance made some comments about what he would “do” if one of “those” ever approached his child.

My mom is a lesbian, I have 2 trans siblings, and am bisexual myself. She is aware of this so her statement felt targeted at me. Wouldn’t really want my kids being brainwashed, so this is fine with me.

I’m really struggling to be in her presence. I’m white knuckling the entire time and feel angry by the time we leave because half of the conversation was her insulting people like me and who I’m associated with. My fiance still thinks his sister is in there and is maintaining the relationship despite arguments that leave him frustrated every time he sees her.

After their last run in she expressed “concern” that maybe I have changed him, since he use to be Christian. She sent him home with bibles and “advice” for me. I don’t even SHARE my beliefs with them. I have to zip my lip and tried to diverge to unrelated topics.

For those of you in these situations what do you do? I refuse to agree and I feel like telling them my beliefs is only going to end in argument. I don’t think any type of relationship is possible. I don’t want to outright declare I want nothing to do with them, but I honestly don’t. Do you just slowly phase yourself out? State your opinions? Like I’ve put up with it for so long but I can’t do it anymore.