“I constantly grappled with self-worth and struggled to find my place in a society that seemed indifferent to my pain. Even though I tried to mask my struggles, those closest to me sensed something was wrong. The stress and emotional toll were palpable, leaving scars that took years to heal.”
Struggled with:
Childhood trauma
Stress
Helped by:
Self-improvement
“One thing I did was to force myself to get back into the water, something I loved instead of staying in the house crying. Getting back to surfing began my journey to a new “me”. The ocean has a way of washing away whatever feels wrong. This was my best therapy. I strongly advise others to find something they love to do and rekindle their spirit to make good things happen.”
Struggled with:
Depression
Grief
Stress
Helped by:
Reinventing yourself
“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
“No matter how much I’d accomplished, because my life wasn’t excelling at the rate that I desired it to, I believed something was wrong with me. I would compare myself to others, and do things I wasn’t interested in or enjoyed, just to be accepted, and in doing so I lost my identity and my ability to be my true authentic self.”
“Depression and anxiety seemed to be controlling my life, and I felt like I had lost control of my own emotions. I remember once I tried to hide my depression and anxiety from those around me, thinking it would be easier to pretend that nothing was wrong. But it only made things worse and eventually I had to admit to myself that I needed help.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Depression
Stress
Helped by:
Medication
Self-Care
Therapy
“I used my journal a lot at this time. Being in gratitude would truly help me cope with the anxiety. At the time, everyone was reaching out to us. But it was really something I had to process myself and in my own way. I was also trying to hold it together for my son. I never wanted him to feel how stressed I was or that there was anything wrong.”
Helped by:
Journaling
Mindfulness
Self-Care
“The best thing my divorced parents ever did for ~9-year-old me was send me to weekly therapy sessions which I’ve kept up most of my life (minus ~2 years in high school). Thanks to growing up with a profound mental health awareness, I promised myself that I was going to commit to a healthier lifestyle by focusing on my emotional well-being first and foremost. Deep inside me, I knew that was how I’d improve everything else.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Childhood trauma
Epilepsy
Stress
Helped by:
Self-Care
Self-improvement
Therapy
“One day, my heart began racing during practice and I had to step out. Though the team doctors attributed it to post-COVID symptoms, deep down, I knew it was depression and anxiety taking hold. But I hid behind their diagnosis, afraid to reveal my true struggles.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Depression
Stress
Helped by:
“After I hung up, I couldn’t help but cry like an 8-year-old. I’m talking about real sobbing, you know, the ugly kind. That’s when my partner realized the full impact that this job was having on me.”
Helped by:
Journaling
Reinventing yourself