I agree with this, that distancing works better than defending in cases of being overridden and used for validation. The thing is, you aren't just being ignored (which would be bad enough) but used and censored.

It's good, Ghost Bird, that you're sharing here. There is support here, and out there for you too. Your feelings about the current situation, and about anything, are totally valid. Please don't let anyone make you question your emotions or intuition, just cause it doesn't fit with the story they're telling themselves. It's a tough time