Dear Prudence,
I recently finished grad school and found a great job. I did well in school but also suffered from long-term verbal abuse and bullying by a faculty member who seemed to dislike my independence. We had to interact on a weekly basis for more than a year, which took a toll on my mental health. I had night terrors, anxiety attacks, and episodes of depression. I’m glad to be on the other side of it, and my job has a very welcoming environment, but I struggle to discuss my school experience in a neutral way. It comes up frequently because I’m still new in my field. How do I make “normal” conversation without either oversharing or throwing myself back into an anxiety attack?
—The Cost of Education