“I didn’t think of prescription drugs as ‘drugs.’ I washed pills down with Amstel Light. I thought I was doing what I needed to do to sleep.”
‘That’s just the coke talking!’ I shook 5 Ambien into my hand. It had become a full-blown dragon.’: Former addict celebrates 20 years of sobriety. ‘I made the mess into a lesson’
‘I want to be a part of the race.’ I’d go full throttle on the joystick. I felt free from the burdens of my disease.’: Man details journey with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, ‘I’ll always be strong’
“I began racing in local 5K’s with my power wheelchair. I was only able to go 6 miles per hour, but it gave me an adrenaline rush. In those brief seconds, the freedom was priceless.”
‘I’ve never been a confident person, you know that all too well. That’s why you chose me to be your next victim that fateful night.’: Woman pens letter to her eating disorder, ‘I’m not keeping you a secret anymore’
“You’ve never really listened to me before, so maybe telling you all of this stuff is pointless. Maybe you’re not even listening now. Even if you are, it’s not like you’re going to feel sorry for me after everything you’ve put me through.”
‘I’ve had my accounts hacked. I’ve had my words twisted and changed to reflect me as a horrible person. I feel stronger.’: Woman who was hacked says ‘never give up’
“A boyfriend of years left me for another girl. I grabbed my phone and I wrote while my baby gnawed on my nipples.”
‘It’s safe to say I lived. But I never lived the way he did. How could I hate him for flying without me?’: Woman says lost love ‘made me stronger despite the hurt’
“The moment I met him, I felt like I was living my life too. Truly living. Maybe he did what he had to do. I had no control. I had no hand to play. Sometimes you lose, like I did when he ended the game.”
‘In the middle of a heated conversation, a woman called me ‘cold.’ Her intent was to shame me, make me feel bad for not having an emotional response.’: Woman learns to embrace being ‘emotionally strong’
“I’m not a crier. I didn’t cry at my wedding. Her intent was to shame me. Let’s be honest, my b*tchy resting face doesn’t serve me well in situations like this.”
‘When my dad whispered, ‘I love you,’ I knew it was more than that. It was a final goodbye. They were ready to let go.’: Woman diagnosed with eating disorder at 13 finally accepts help, ‘I am ready to start the next, better, decade of my life’
“My parents had shed too many tears over me, and I couldn’t bear it to break their hearts again. I felt ready to die, but knew it wasn’t my time. I was weak. I gave up the reigns and opted for inpatient treatment. I was frustrated, and I let this be known. I would shout and hit the walls. I would argue. But gradually, I came to life again. I am no longer held back by my demons.”
