You were created for so much more — Imagine I came up to you at a party and handed you a bag of garbage to hold. Would you take it? Why or why not? If you said yes, your answer probably goes something like this: “Because you gave it to me.” If you said no, your answer would…

Religious guilt is a faith killer — This is going to be a hard piece to write, but I think it’s important, so I’ll try. I’m a Christian, but I’ve found myself getting more and more frustrated with other Christians lately. It feels like so many Christians don’t live in the real world. My mother used to…

It’s your job to enforce them — As an INFJ, I go out of my way to keep peace with others because I hate conflict. Unfortunately, some people don’t care about peace. They just care about getting their way. I often attract people who love to push my boundaries. It makes me furious, but the hard truth…

Sometimes you have to walk away — I have a lifelong friend who I love like a sister, but I had to walk away from her because she’s toxic. It breaks my heart, but I have to take care of myself. …

Are your thoughts making you feel worse? — “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.”—Philippians 4:8 I’ve been very anxious lately, and today this Bible verse came to mind. …

And also why insurance is so expensive — I’ve been having problems with my anxiety and sleep again. It’s been rough. I spent most of the day Sunday and Monday sobbing uncontrollably. This morning, I called my doctor’s office to ask if I could increase my medication. …

I wouldn’t wish this on anyone — I’m in a bad frame of mind today. I only slept 3 hours last night, and my anxiety is very bad again. My best friend just hung up on me because he’s tired of dealing with my anxiety. I can’t even blame him, in a way, but I don’t do…

Please leave me alone — I am no fan of hospice. I think they cause survivors more pain than they alleviate. They are called Authoracare in my area, and I dearly wish they would leave me alone. It has been a little over a year since my mother died. They sent me a card to…

The right medication makes such a difference! — I woke up this morning with a deliciously deep yawn. I’ve had restful sleep the past few nights, and I forgot how wonderful it feels. That delight has been a rarity for me for the past few years. The right medication makes all the difference in the world. I’ve struggled…

This keeps a lot of people stuck — I’ve been struggling in therapy for a few weeks now. I’ve felt stuck and frustrated. I couldn’t put my finger on what the problem was, and I wanted to quit. …

Today is the first day of some big changes — I’m excited! Today is the first day of my new life. If you’ve read my writing, you know I’ve been struggling for some time now with physical and mental health challenges. I took charge of the physical challenges last November, and I’m taking charge of my mental health today. Physical Challenges First…

I’m supposed to help other people with CPTSD — It’s been a stressful week. I had an unsatisfying therapy appointment where I felt unheard. I expressed my distress and concern about my plummeting mood. I had a lot to unpack, but at the end of the session, I left with no coping skills or solutions. …

You have to save yourself because no one else will — I had a frustrating therapy appointment today. I told my therapist I’d been feeling depressed since Vinny’s death, and I felt like it had amplified deep grieving within me for everything else. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right? Be honest about your feelings? Well, maybe not. Her reaction puzzled…

Don’t keep rehashing the past. Move forward into your best life. — In therapy, you often feel worse before you feel better. Have you heard that before? It makes sense that talking about your pain in therapy will make you feel worse. But what if you never feel better? What if you talk and talk about your trauma, but never discuss how…

I don’t think they are for me — My anxiety has been awful again. I was waking up early in the morning with an anxiety attack and crying for an hour. I was desperate, so I decided to try antidepressants again. Big mistake. To be fair, I’ve only been on them for a week and a half, but…

So, I won’t ask anymore — I am very discouraged. My antidepressants made me more anxious, so we decided to discontinue that and work on my sleep for now. My therapist was NOT happy about that yesterday. You’ve worked hard in here, and I hate to see you still suffering so much. They should try to…

Sometimes determination isn’t enough — My mother’s purse is in my kitchen chair. I put it there that awful Saturday night in 2020, and I still can’t bring myself to move it. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving when the nightmare began. My mom was 90 and had shown signs of worsening dementia for the…

“You’re too sensitive” shouldn’t be an insult — “You’re too sensitive!” Does this sound familiar to you? I heard it all the time growing up. My mother told me I needed to toughen up or I wouldn’t make it in life. She knew life was harsh and worried my sensitivity would make me an easy mark. …

When it’s hard to move on with your life — I’m having a hard time moving on since my mother’s death. I put my life on hold for about 6 years to take care of her, and now that she’s gone—I feel stuck. The heaviness of grief lingers, and I don’t know what to do with myself. I have many…

Here’s how I’m doing — I can’t believe it’s been 7 months since my mother died. I have good and bad days, but I’m having trouble moving on with my life. The last 2 years of her life will haunt me forever. No amount of therapy could ever erase those horrible memories. Watching her die…