People see addiction and think it starts with the first drink, the first pill, or the first hit. But for me, it started long before any of that. It started in a house where I was the daughter, but somehow became the adult. Before I knew who I was, I knew how to read a [...]
There comes a point in healing where excuses stop working. Not because the pain disappears, or because the past suddenly makes sense, but because something inside us gets tired of running from the truth. Accountability is uncomfortable. It forces us to sit face-to-face with decisions we wish we could erase. But it’s also where growth [...]
At 28 years old, I can finally admit that addiction wasn’t the beginning of my story. It was just the loudest chapter. Growing up with two addicted parents taught me survival before it ever taught me stability. Chaos became normal. Walking on eggshells became second nature. I learned early how to read a room before [...]
At 28, I thought I had finally figured out what “safe” looked like.Not perfect. Not fairytale-perfect. But steady. Earned. Real.After everything I went through—treatment, rebuilding my life from the ground up, learning how to sit with myself without running, numbing, or self-destructing—I believed I had become someone who could recognize the difference between chaos and [...]
To start off with, I am so proud of you. Life hasn’t been too easy on you lately, and I am truly sorry about that. But despite it all, you have managed to keep your head up and continue fighting throughout. Be proud of everything you have gone through, and mostly, what you’ve become. Stop [...]
Hundreds if not thousands of people have written about the fight-or-flight response. Google it. You’ll find enough articles to keep you reading all year. However, I have an overwhelming desire to write about it again. Why? Because in my experience it is one of the main reasons people experience anxiety, distress, overwhelm, lose sleep, snap [...]
I’m healing, but don’t get it twisted…I still feel the old version of me fighting for space. The version that grew up defending herself.The version that spoke before thinking because silence never protected her.The version that learned to be loud just to be heard. She still shows up sometimes.In the moments when I’m tired.In the [...]
Being kind to yourself involves accepting who you really are. It also involves rejecting who you are not. Here’s a big one to reject: feeling like you have to be perfect. We know we are not perfect, and life can not be perfect, but when we fall short of someone’s standard or our own standards, [...]
I know you. I know who you are. I may not know your name. But I KNOW you. I AM you. I’d like to tell you a few things. First, let me say that I know at no point in your life that you choose to be the way you are. I know you didn’t [...]
(Whether You believe it or not) Do you believe you are valuable, or do you feel like a nobody? A failure? Someone who’s life doesn’t matter. I get it. I’ve struggled with feeling valuable, too. Have you ever said hello to a friend and been totally ignored? I have. If I spot someone across the [...]
Perfectly Imperfect 