“There was no safe place for me to let down my guard, so instead I maintained the ‘strong, perfect and unflawed church girl image,’ even though there was a battle looming between me and my mind.”
‘The church said no to women wearing pants. Makeup was frowned upon. At 13, there was no room for mistakes or mishaps.’: Woman battling ROCD, childhood trauma shares journey to healthy relationship
‘We’re all recovering from something. And YOU, mama, are not alone.’: Mother idealizes world where moms support moms in solidarity
“Some say actions speak louder than words, but I would argue words are a very honorable start. So, I want to start this conversation: Hi. My name is Mama, and I’m tired.”
‘This is 3 years and 3 days without a drink. And those 3 extra days are the best of all.’: Mom details sobriety journey, shares words of encouragement
“These last 3 days, I forgot I stopped drinking. I forgot about the hangovers. I forgot about the mornings laced with self-hate. I forgot about the cycle of numbing out and hurting. Those were the weakest parts of my life.”
Your Circumstances Don’t Define You (From A Teen Mom Turned Awarded Nurse)
“When I walked across the stage at 22, I was determined to lead by example. I wanted to show any young mother out there the choice is theirs to make. Only you can decide how your life will turn out.”
When ‘Staying Together For The Kids’ Is No Longer An Option
“We packed up our entire life and moved 12 hours away to Nashville, Tennessee.”
‘I may not be what you pictured an alcoholic to look like, but I am. And accepting it is the best thing that happened to me.’: Young woman shares alcohol addiction, sobriety journey
“It started to become a routine of waking up every morning after drinking and figuring out who I had to apologize to. When I would hear stories of things I did or said to my friends or significant others, I was mortified.”
‘I burst into tears. ‘You’re not crazy,’ my doctor said as he held my hand.’: Woman with chronic illness shares journey to diagnosis
“I couldn’t attend college, I was struggling to hold down a job and just to get out of bed in the morning. I was desperately searching for answers.”
‘I was tired of not feeling good enough. In the back of my mind, I felt like all my problems would be solved once I lost weight and became skinny.’: Man overcomes weight struggles to accept body
“I was always the one who was bullied for my weight. Forever the big kid in class, I spent a lot of days playing in the backyard by myself because I did not have many friends.”
‘I am a better mom when I put myself first every morning.’: Mom urges ‘never underestimate the power of self-care’
“Your self-worth doesn’t revolve around how clean your house is, how many activities you do with your kids, or how many meals you make from scratch.”
‘Oh my word,’ cried my mom when she saw me for the first time since I left for university. I’d lost almost 25% of my body weight.’: Woman candidly shares lifelong journey with eating disorders
“I’m not hungry all the time. I don’t dream about food anymore. I’m certainly not perfect, but I am happy.”