There are moments when I convince myself I should be able to handle it all on my own. I’ve told myself, “Don’t bother anyone. You’ll figure it out.” But the truth is, some burdens feel too heavy to carry solo. And when I’ve finally let someone in—a friend, a counselor, a pastor, or even just…

During the darkest days of healing from the effects of childhood abuse, I often felt alone. I didn’t trust anyone to stay with me because I didn’t like myself and couldn’t imagine anyone caring enough to tolerate my mood swings, flashes of anger, and poor choices during that season. In fact, I often sabotaged relationships…