“The more I asked for help, the worse it got.”

What kind of stigma did you experience/observe?

After hitting a “bottom” and coming home from a hospitalization, I think folks expected me to be “better”. And the journey had really just begun. Many people close to me verbalized that I needed to “be happy” or that I was just seeking attention. That was really hard for me to understand and cope with.
I was a CEO of a non-profit, and shortly after coming home, lost my job – and my professional identity. Colleagues distanced themselves from me personally and professionally. Calls went un-returned. Emails fell flat. The more I asked for help, the worse it got.

I felt I had to, no, I knew I had to rebuild everything.

How did you overcome this experience?

I put the phrase “trust but verify” into action. I chose to trust my gut, my doctors, and a few – very few – friends, and then to do my own action research about what would work for me. I’m still learning that the one constant is change, oh…there’s another, it takes everything I have. All of it. To survive.

Help others by sharing a brief, positive message.

You have been given a gift of an expanded consciousness. With that gift comes a degree of suffering that is deeply personal. Share both with the world. We benefit from your gift. We learn from your suffering.