Venus, yes, I know you are cynical, I have recognized this about you for some time now.
I don't blame you really, as I have been off and on "very cynical" myself. I know that you "try very hard" to improve your outlook and your life too, I see this and I respect you for your efforts. And some of the things you say, I agree with too, for example, not everything can be resolved by "medication" etc. I know you are always trying to learn and think about things that can help you that become "positive" for you and your effort to embrace "meaning" in your own life.

However, there are a wide variety of "needs" that different people have and needs that are "different" from the things you have found "helpful for yourself". Hey, it's not always easy to be mindful of that either because we tend to really know our own needs and often do not readily understand how different someone else can be from us.

Personally, I don't particularly care for an article that just points out "unproductive behavior patterns" like this without also getting in to the "whys". I want the meat and potatoes, not just the end result that I am sure many people can identify with, especially if someone struggles with some kind of mental illness where they have been so misunderstood that they withdraw in some unproductive ways just to "function" somehow.
And to be honest Venus, that is what I did, and I genuinely did not understand "why" and I was treated "badly" for something I simply didn't understand and could not help either.

I struggle with complicated grief disorder and complex PTSD, and I certainly "withdrew" but had no idea "why". An article like this would not have helped me, and could have even made me feel worse tbh. It's just too broad and it doesn't offer some of the significant ways, or that how these behaviors could be symptoms of a disorder where the person should be getting help so they can understand themselves better.

This is what is being expressed in the different reactions you are getting in this thread.
It doesn't mean someone is "angry at you" for posting it, but some people do know first hand that sometimes it isn't as simple as the author is implying. It can be triggering to some because, for example with PTSD, the person struggling is constantly addressed with "just" comments that they can't seem to do and do not understand "why". Well, there are "real" reasons for it and it is a lot of "work" to learn how to "manage some very challenging symptoms" and it isn't just a matter of "being lazy etc". And for some, a "hug" can really be such a life saver, even if seeing that tends to turn you off or even repulses you in some way. Actually, there are disorders where people "are" very turned off by "hugs" and expressions of physical compassions.

Human beings can be "very complicated" and we keep learning more about "why" all the time as we study the human brain and continue to keep learning.

OE