“I woke up to the news my grandfather had passed away. And 3 hours later, I was signing my divorce papers. I decided I was done. I was done feeling sorry for myself.”
‘Something’s off. I’m married to someone I love. I have a good job. I’m healthy. Things are good.’ Until they WEREN’T.’: Woman shares divorce, mental health journey, ‘Only YOU have control over your destiny’
‘It’s nobody’s business!’ I’d tell myself. I was in survival mode. I dropped to 75 pounds. I thought I’d never wake up.’: Woman shares recovery journey from eating disorder, ‘I chose a life of fullness’
“I had to navigate the chaos alone. When I finally got to see my fiancé, he was hurt and confused. I was 75 pounds.”
‘I’m too tired and anxious to click another one of those Pinterest articles titled, ’17 Ways to Be a Better Mother.’ I just can’t.’: Mom dedicates herself to self care in 2020
“I am SO burned out. My kids don’t respect my needs. My clients push me around. It’s time to show everyone, including myself, where the standard is for how you treat ‘Meg.'”
‘There’s no quick fix. There WILL always be a next panic attack, a next day of self-harm or cloud of doubt. I started to feel I wasn’t enough for him. I couldn’t pray away the dark times.’
“There’s nothing I want more than to see his beautiful smile. But part of being in love with someone struggling with mental health is dealing with the ugly. It’s true what they say. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. But there’s also a damn dimmer switch in that tunnel too.”
‘At my lowest point, I snapped and bought a gun. I was almost a school shooter.’: Man overcomes abusive childhood, bullying, ‘Kindness stopped me from doing the worst thing imaginable’
“When you’ve been told you’re ‘worthless’ enough times, you’ll believe it. I had no home and often slept outdoors. The isolation and bullying became unbearable. I wanted to feel an emotion other than pain. I wanted to feel, for once, like I was in control. If I’d possessed a rifle, I would have been a killer. If I’d known love, I would have never wanted a rifle.”
‘I whispered to myself, ‘It’s going to be okay.’ The silence in the room was deafening. I held my breath as the wand slid over my stomach.’
“To the woman who wondered if sharing a photo of a dead baby was necessary on my feed. Yes. That baby, the one you ‘didn’t have time to look away from,’ is my daughter. Her name is Dorothy, and I wish I could see her face right now.”
‘Come on, why are you doing this?’ I wasn’t intoxicated, but I just couldn’t fight it. I was paralyzed from shock.’: Sexual assault survivor finally accepts mental illnesses in wake of trauma, no longer ‘ashamed’
“I did the unspeakable. Madness took over and I pushed my mom. I always knew there was something wrong with me, but when I lost control on her it became crystal clear. When the police officer asked, ‘What happened?’ I replied, ‘I need help.’ Little did I know that asking and getting help would change everything. I chose love and never looked back.”
