Ever feel like you’re failing at your own recovery? Like there’s some invisible timer ticking down, and you’re just… not there yet? I’ve spent a lot of time in that headspace. The one where you’re checking your progress against some imaginary standard of ‘healed.’ You know, the kind of progress that looks like a straight … Read more
I’ve spent a lot of my life feeling like I was failing a test I didn’t have the study guide for. You know that feeling? Like everyone else got a memo on how to ‘adult’ or ‘be successful’ or ‘have a plan,’ and it just got lost in the mail for me. For a long … Read more
The Tyranny of the Silver Lining “At least you still have…” Stop. Just stop. The second someone starts a sentence with “at least,” they aren’t comforting you. They are performing an emergency evacuation of their own discomfort. They can’t handle the raw, jagged edge of your pain, so they try to sand it down with … Read more
The Violence of “Almost Healed” “You’re so close. I can tell you’re almost there.” Ever heard that? Maybe it was a therapist with a soft voice and a beige office. Maybe it was a partner who loves you but is exhausted by your “process.” Maybe it was a parent who just wants the “old you” … Read more
Stop Lying to Me. I once saw a “Good Vibes Only” sticker slapped onto the bumper of a car parked outside a hospice. I wanted to rip it off with my teeth. Look, we’ve all been there. You’re standing in the wreckage of your life—maybe it’s a divorce, a bankruptcy, or a death that makes … Read more