“’You don’t deserve this pain. Not only that, you don’t deserve anything which has been done to you to cause this pain.’ I believed her.”
‘This is what you DESERVE.’ Even my previous therapists made snide comments.’: Woman in recovery for eating disorder says ‘recovery is BEAUTIFUL’
‘I cried and begged God, ‘Take this away from me, or take my life. I don’t want it.’ I knew my mom would never accept me.’: Queer woman urges ‘sexuality and religion can coincide’
“I was a caged bird in my small town with my religious mother, and now I was free, discovering my full potential. I realized Christianity and sexuality do not need to fight each other. They can live peacefully.”
‘He wouldn’t give me my son. He slammed me into the wall so hard I blacked out.’: Woman shares heartbreaking story of abuse, ‘You don’t realize it’s not right until it’s too late’
“I was pregnant and with my kids’ dad at the time, so I didn’t give him the time of day. He told me he had herpes. Just like that. After a year, and he is just now telling me.”
‘All I could think was, ‘How can I have PTSD? Isn’t that just for veterans?’ One traumatic event had changed my life forever.’: Community rallies to raise 15k+ for trauma survivor in need of service dog
“I started passing out in stairwells and parking lots at just 15 years old. We thought it was a ‘fluke.’ My potassium was low, no big deal. After years with no answers and countless misdiagnoses, a neuropsychiatrist finally said, ‘Felicia, have you ever experienced trauma?’ My husband encouraged me to come clean.”
‘I think she has some fractures.’ Nobody knew what was wrong with me. The pain was EVERYWHERE.’: Chronic illness warrior fights to ‘stay positive’
“All my problems, physical and mental, changed me. I get more medical visits than visits from my friends. But I still need to see the positives in life.”
‘They took away the light within me, and I had no support from my school.’: Teen bullying victim with autism shares heartbreaking plea for change
“The bullies made an album of inappropriate images and comments about me. Too embarrassed to show my parents, the school kept it a secret. We were told we had to be ‘tolerant towards other children.’ I just want to venture outdoors and live my dreams without being targeted.”
‘Something happened,’ I sobbed. ‘We had a fight and she called the police. I’m going to the hospital.’ I was convinced my boyfriend would break up with me on the spot.’: Woman with Bipolar Disorder details eye-opening journey to acceptance
“I was so afraid of being ‘crazy’ I couldn’t admit I needed help when I was literally in the hospital for psych evaluation. Today, I’m healthier than I’ve ever been in my life. But it came at a price. I lost my best friend. My soul sister. I live every day in fear of the monster who lives within me.”
‘I collapsed in debilitating pain. My sister found me. The doctor said, ‘You’re fine!’ I cried in my mother’s arms.’: Woman battles Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, ‘I found the courage to ask for help’
“I had horrendous pain in my legs, stomach, back, and neck. I started seeing black spots. ‘My body hates me!’ It was a relief to discover who I really am.”
‘I can’t raise a child. I can’t even take care of myself!’ I had nothing left to live for. Or so I thought.’: Woman recovers from addiction for daughter, ‘All it took was a tiny shimmer of hope’
“Self-medication was the only thing keeping me alive. I sat outside, chain-smoking and chugging a bottle of wine. ’My boyfriend is an addict and I can’t get sober.’ I was never supposed to get pregnant.”
‘This is where I snapped the last living photo of my kids.’ You’re not supposed to bury your children. Your kids are supposed to bury you.’: Mom loses kids in car accident, discovers outdated car seat safety laws
“About an hour and a half into our trip, we stopped so Christine could have a smoke break. We pulled into one of those truck areas. This is where I snapped the last living photo of my kids.”
