“I’m sure that other people around me knew that I was struggling, but I only shared this with a couple of people. People in my immediate physical ecosphere didn’t offer up any kind of empathy either. In fact, the exact opposite. Which I think made the condition even worse.”
Struggled with:
Chronic pain
CPTSD
Helped by:
Journaling
Meditation
Self-Care
“I remember the moment I looked in the mirror and felt like a complete failure. I had tried everything possible and nothing worked. I was at a dead end. I thought that something must be so horribly wrong with me that no one had any answers or solutions.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Childhood
Chronic pain
Depression
“My immune system became very weak and I was sick nearly every week. Then, when I did feel better, my resting heart rate was so high I could hardly workout without worrying about my safety. On top of that, I started having issues with anxiety around people and new situations and began having panic attacks at night.”
Struggled with:
ADHD
Anxiety
Panic attacks
“The abuse expanded over time. My mother could be incredibly kind and would have given Martha Stewart a run for her money. The problem came when her mood and personality would flip on a dime, her eyes in slits, and I would be beaten, almost to the point of blacking out, for what reason I couldn’t understand.”
Struggled with:
Abuse
Childhood
Depression
PTSD
Suicidal
“I began medication, which can be a bit of a taboo in the wellness and yoga worlds. A lot of people believe you can ‘heal’ yourself through diet and meditation. But I had been trying that approach my whole life and though I definitely had periods where my anxiety was lessened, this was a point where I needed way more help.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Postpartum depression
Stress
“I never understood why I couldn’t just be happy. I would beat myself up over it, wondering why I couldn’t be content with my beautiful home and fulfilling life. But my PTSD and trauma had a profound impact on my happiness and the happiness of my family.”
Struggled with:
Childhood
Loneliness
PTSD
Stress
“The source to constant happiness is only found within you, and spiritual work is the pathway to find and make that fountain flow. In so doing, you’ll be able to take your challenges and turn them into searches for treasure. Open enough treasures, and you’ll even be able to instantly ignite happiness in those around you.”
Struggled with:
Depression
Feeling lost
Helped by:
Meditation
Spirituality
“The first challenge was for me to acknowledge my own difficulty and accept that it was a struggle at all. I was so lost in perfectionism that, at first, I didn’t accept that I was struggling. Over time, I more openly sought out help and support from loved ones and friends.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Postpartum depression
Stress
Helped by:
Medication
Meditation
Mindfulness
Therapy
“Drugs and alcohol were common place and I was constantly moving around. That’s not to say that my parents were using in front of me, just that it was fairly obvious as to what was going on. Because of this, I actually grew up attending AA meetings and was introduced to “recovery” pretty early on. Even so, I would go on to spend 16 years in an alcohol and drug-induced nightmare that almost consumed my life. Irony at its finest.”
Struggled with:
Addiction
Childhood
Depression
PTSD
“No one possesses the ultimate truth. The advice we receive from others is usually drawn from their personal experiences, but it doesn’t necessarily mean their truth will align with ours. This includes advice from our parents. Although they usually offer guidance out of love, their narratives are unique to them and should not automatically become our narratives. We must consciously create our own stories, otherwise we risk blindly following in others’ footsteps.”
Struggled with:
Feeling lost
Helped by:
Meditation
Reinventing yourself