Many people are surprised — and deeply unsettled — when memories of sexual abuse begin to surface years later. You might find yourself thinking, Why now? Why didn’t I remember this before? Did I make this up?

Wait—what?
I know. It sounds backwards, maybe even wrong.
After all, addiction causes so many problems. It wrecks relationships, drains bank accounts, costs jobs, and breaks trust. It destroys health, safety, and stability.

On the surface, the holidays are supposed to be about happiness, memories, and togetherness. And sometimes they are. But often, they’re also heavy, complicated, and even lonely.

Self-harm is confusing. After all, why would anyone want to hurt themselves? Pain is something we usually run away from, not toward. Because of this confusion, people who self-harm are often stuck in a painful spiral of shame and self-disgust.

Boundaries. We hear about them all the time — setting them, breaking them, and everything in between. But what are boundaries, reallyy?

I know—you're probably rolling your eyes right now, maybe even muttering, "How on earth could anxiety possibly help me?" It feels like your constant nemesis, wrecking your peace of mind, leaving you restless, edgy, and sick with worry. Add the physical symptoms—stomach cramps, migraines—and it seems impossible to see anxiety as anything but an unrelenting enemy.

Steve stormed into my office, slamming the door behind him.
“My son doesn’t respect me, and I won’t take it!” he panted. His hands shook as he sat down, still riding the wave of his anger. Then came the confession:

It’s a label we often throw around when we see people caught in the same harmful patterns again and again. From the outside, it looks simple: If you really wanted to get better, you would. After all, you keep choosing this.

But is it really that simple?