“I poured everything into my salon and my family as a way to avoid my pain. My clients would compliment me on my ‘beautiful smile.’ My thoughts were, ‘If they only knew what was inside my head.’”
‘One day at school, there was an awareness poster with the word ‘molested’ on it. I lost all the feeling in my body.’: Child sexual abuse survivor finds healing in finally sharing her truth
‘Do you think it’s too late for me?’ He bravely responded with a single, ‘No.’: Mom details overcoming alcohol addiction, finding healing in music
“I began to have dreams viewing life in my absence, being forced to watch my son struggle to make sense of his alcoholic mother. A mother who could never get sober. Those dreams changed something inside of me.”
‘Huh.’ I just stared at the ultrasound screen. After 8 years of trying, crying, and praying, that was all I had.’: Woman with PCOS shares family journey through adoption and ‘miracle babies’
“‘Why do only adoption families have to go through all the parenting classes?’ It was intrusive and exhausting. I was excited about the adoption process and the end result of having grown our family, but I was stressed and overwhelmed.”
‘He warned me the only way out of our marriage was in a body bag.’: Abuse survivor shines light on obstacles women face in leaving
“He was everything I had ever wanted. Charming, sweet, successful, and he was head over heels in love with me. I was so happy on our wedding day, but my happiness was short-lived. Afterwards he said to me, ‘Now you’re mine and I own you.’ Things changed dramatically.”
I Have More Energy At 50 Than I Ever Did In My 20s, Thanks To Sobriety
“I would wake up and cry in the mirror, ‘I’m not drinking anymore.’ Then, I’d walk over to the freezer, grab the whiskey, take a shot, throw up, then light up a cigarette.”
‘Either you get your sh*t together or I am taking your daughter.’ Without hesitation, I replied, ‘Help me.’: Single mom candidly details her sobriety journey
“My face was in the toilet for the entire day. I was crying to any god out there to hear me, anyone at all. ‘Take it away or kill me. Either way I can’t do it anymore.'”
‘I want you to adopt us.’ It wouldn’t be easy, but she was worth fighting for.’: Mom adopts stepdaughters into forever family
“Emmy decided that day I was going be known as ‘Mom’ and not ‘Melissa’ anymore.”
‘One day, I woke up and said, ‘I’m so done with this.’ If death didn’t want me, maybe it was time to give life another chance.’: Woman shares anorexia recovery journey, now helps others
“With each new test result, my parents would sigh, and I could feel the hope leaving their bodies with each of these breaths. I saw them cry, almost daily, until it seemed their tears had run dry. And I think it’s only then it really sank in… they had given up hope.”
I Met My Father For The First Time In My Late 30s
“My dad had a massive heart attack. I remember thinking I may never get to meet this man, and if I didn’t in this lifetime, I didn’t think I’d ever truly be OK. I packed a few things and jumped in the car.”
‘I can’t do this. I don’t want to live anymore.’ When chronic pain robs you of everything you love, things can get pretty dark.’: Woman shares extensive chronic pain, diagnosis journey
“I later learned this is one of the most painful conditions known to man. People often ask me how I lived with it for so many years.”