How My Definition of Healthy Relationships Has Grown For a long time, I thought love meant giving everything I had and then somehow finding more to give. I thought connection meant answering every message right away and pretending it was totally fine that someone ate the last slice of pizza without asking. Over time, and... Continue Reading →
Finding Strength in Sharing the Journey When I first stepped into my own recovery journey, I never imagined that one day I would be able to walk alongside others as they navigated theirs. At the beginning, I was just trying to survive my own patterns of codependency, people-pleasing, and the weight of old wounds. Over... Continue Reading →
How I stopped swimming in other people’s drama pools For the longest time, I misunderstood “detachment.” I thought it meant cutting people off or becoming some kind of emotional robot. No feelings, no problems, right? Wrong. What I’ve discovered is that healthy detachment is not about shutting people out, it’s about keeping my heart open... Continue Reading →
Or in other words...How I Protect My Peace While Supporting Others There was a time when I thought empathy meant giving everything I had, my time, my energy, my emotional reserves, until there was nothing left for me. I’d walk away from conversations drained, resentful, and sometimes even a little lost in someone else’s pain.... Continue Reading →
Reconnecting the Dots: Mind, Body, and Spirit in My Recovery For most of my life, I lived in my head. My thoughts were constantly spinning, analyzing, anticipating, overthinking, people-pleasing, worrying about how I was being perceived, and running imaginary conversations on loop like a bad sitcom rerun. My body? Ignored. My spirit? I wasn't even... Continue Reading →
How I Respond to Guilt Trips (Without Losing Myself) There was a time when a sigh, a disappointed glance, or a few carefully chosen words could send me into a spiral of guilt. I’d drop everything to smooth things over, even if I wasn’t the one who caused the problem. That’s the grip guilt had... Continue Reading →
The Difference Between Walls and Boundaries: Finding the Sweet Spot Between Openness and Protection When I first began to set boundaries, it was confusing and difficult. I used to think I was setting healthy boundaries, but in reality I was building emotional walls, tall and thick ones. I told myself it was self-protection, a way... Continue Reading →
When Boundaries Are Tested: Holding the Line When It’s Hard Because sometimes, “No” is a full sentence… even when it’s whispered through clenched teeth. Let’s talk about that moment when you’ve clearly drawn the line—and someone tries to tap dance all over it. You know the one: You’ve told a friend, “I’m not available to... Continue Reading →
How I’ve Repaired Relationships Impacted by Codependency (And a Few I Had to Peacefully Let Go) If codependency were an Olympic sport, I would’ve medaled in the early 2000s. Back then, I thought being the “fixer” of every emotional emergency was just what strong, loving people do. Turns out, it was just me subconsciously clinging... Continue Reading →
The Role of Trust in My Healing: Or How I Learned to Stop Side-Eyeing Myself There was a moment (okay, many moments) when I realized I didn’t really trust myself. Not with decisions, not with people, and definitely not with online shopping past 9 p.m. Healing was happening, slowly, but trust? That felt like assembling... Continue Reading →
Confessions of a Recovering People-Pleaser: My Hilarious Journey to Healthy Relationships Once upon a time, in a land not so far away (okay, my own life), I was the Queen of Codependency. My royal duties included rescuing distressed citizens (a.k.a. significant others, friends, coworkers, and the occasional lost puppy), fixing problems that were never mine... Continue Reading →
I’ll get back to you… when I’m available! Lately, I’ve been pretty stuck on the topic of boundaries. Once again, I find myself facing the challenge of setting them—only this time, I need to work through doing it in a loving and respectful way. I have a situation that needs to be dealt with—and soon.... Continue Reading →
Journey On Strong 