I Flinch

I flinch when someone waves their hand near my head.
I flinch when someone goes to pat me on the back.
I flinch if someone goes to give me an unexpected hug.
I flinch if someone tries to touch my face unexpectedly.

and why do I flinch?

Because I was abused when I was a child.

My sister flinches too.

But my fiance thinks we should get over it and that we shouldn't flinch when someone does those innocent things.

He believes that because he too was abused.. it's one thing we have in common- our terrible childhoods.

The only thing is.. that flinch.. it's permanent. It's embedded into my nervous system. I can't help it. How do you stop something that's learned?