“My struggles with unworthiness came from deep childhood wounds which stemmed from generational trauma on both sides of my family. I grew up in a multicultural home—one parent a Colorado native with UK roots and an immigrant father from Algeria. From a young age, I felt very different from my peers because of my unique cultural background.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Racism
Self-doubt
“For the longest time, I tried to keep it to myself. I felt this need to stay strong, to keep up the front, especially because people around me relied on me. I worried that showing what I was going through would let others down or make them see me differently. So, I put on a brave face, thinking I could power through on my own.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Depression
Suicidal
Helped by:
Self-acceptance
Volunteering
“Eventually, I ended up telling her that I was gay and that I was attracted to men, which obviously ended our marriage. This was a very difficult and painful time for me, living a double life and acting in ways that felt destructive, harmful and painful, both to her and I. It was a huge relief when I finally was able to acknowledge my sexual orientation both internally to myself, as well as to my then-wife. However, this struggle was just the beginning because I now had to tell my family and friends about my orientation.”
Struggled with:
Childhood trauma
Sexual identity struggles
Helped by:
Self-acceptance
Therapy
“I became interested in health and wellness and started to learn about healthy foods, nervous system exercises, energy, etc. And the same pattern of control started again disguised as health and wellness. Because of the way I was treated growing up and as a young adult, I felt there was something deeply wrong with me- like I was not loveable as I was. I needed to control my body to feel like I was enough, to make myself loveable so that I could be happy.”
Struggled with:
Eating disorder
Negative body image
Helped by:
Self-acceptance
Self-improvement
“Beneath the outward bravado, I battled with self-doubt and kept wondering why genuine connections seemed beyond my ability. Even though I put out valiant efforts to conceal it, my inner turmoil seeped out, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable. And, I knew they could tell.”
Struggled with:
Feeling lost
People-pleasing
Self-doubt
Helped by:
Self-acceptance
Self-awareness
“I absolutely did not want to talk to anyone about this. I found it easier to tell a stranger about my struggles because I knew I would not see them again. I felt that telling family or friends made my struggle real. I felt that they would now be able to hold me accountable.”
Struggled with:
Postpartum depression
Helped by:
Self-acceptance
“This suicidal edge coupled with stress, anxiety, and loneliness made me stop working as a human being. In just two months I had spiraled down into the darkest hole which has ever existed for me. There didn’t exist Marina anymore, merely a depressive and neurotic copy of her, who was unable to laugh and sleep.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Depression
Panic attacks
Stress
Suicidal
Helped by:
Self-acceptance
Self-improvement
Therapy
“Sometimes I look back and think about all the years I spent crying and thinking about how to end the pain, which made me believe that’s how life is. I got to the point where I had no idea what it felt like to feel a little bit of joy or happiness.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Depression
Feeling lost
“Menopause remains one of those delicate topics that rarely finds its way into everyday conversation, especially during dinner. Women are woefully unprepared by the healthcare industry for this stage of their lives, so when something like this strikes you simply feel crazy. I hope to help change that.”
Helped by:
Self-acceptance
Self-improvement
Treatment
“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 trauma
Depression
PTSD
Suicidal