Exposing the skeletons in your closet can bring strength and power
My life story is 45 years in the making and although names and places have been changed, the events described are all true and blatantly honest. If anything I say sounds like I am describing you, perhaps I am and maybe it is time for you to face your truths as well.
Although my life is like the cliche “a work in progress,” I recognize that my strength is derived not only from my accomplishments, but from mistakes and pitfalls that have tried to sabotage me on my journey. I have spent decades battling demons that have lived rent free in my brain and I am hoping that exposing them will finally help me and others to heal. I will never claim to have an answer that fits every situation and every person, but I can offer what has been most helpful for me.
My writings are raw, unedited, and sometimes extremely painful to read. However, please do not pity me or feel sorry for the things that I have endured because without them I would have never grown into the woman I am today.
I am far from perfect and I know that I still have so much work to do on being my best self, for myself. My decision to expose the life I have tucked away in the back of my brain is something I always knew I needed to do in order to put it behind me and hopefully help others to find their voice.
The struggles I have faced include a raging eating disorder that held me hostage for over 25 years, bouts of depression, anxiety, severely unhealthy relationships with men, domestic violence, and a grossly impaired image of my self worth. I have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on individual, group, family, and couples therapy, inpatient and outpatient treatment, psychiatric medication, and schooling to advance my knowledge and ability to care for others with the same type of struggles. Although I am not alone in the challenges I have faced, there have been countless days where I felt like I was living in an isolated abyss of darkness and nothingness. Yet, here I am still standing and ready to empty my closet of skeletons to free myself and others from the secrets we hide from the world.
As I tell my story I believe that the layers of the onion will peel back and reveal who I truly am inside. I think I know who that person is but perhaps I am wrong. There is the chance that I will not like her and realize that perhaps she did deserve what happened in her life. There is also the possibility that she is one of the strongest and kindest people you will ever meet and her story will help you to recognize your own amazingness and propel you to greatness. I ask that you take the journey with me as I explore, analyze, and pontificate on why bad things happen to good people and how we can make the pain our power.
