From Abbey herself:
Through all the challenges and wins in my life, I’ve always wanted to use what I’ve learned and experienced to help someone else. I have often found friends who have experienced something I’m struggling with or something I’m wishing I could accomplish and it made a world of difference to me and I want to be able to be that light to somebody else. I lived in a VERY judgmental and difficult [church community] where I never felt safe to navigate and try to understand the difficult questions I had. It wasn’t til I went to submit my mission papers 2 years ago that I realized I was in the middle of a faith crisis. I dealt with my identity and what I would do next with my life - which was volunteering in another country for several months and it ended up being the BEST decision I ever made for myself. I changed career paths and worked on my business that I’ve dreamed about since I was 7 years old.
I am a child of divorce. I went through 4 different divorces before the age of 11 and it caused a lot of abandonment issues. I also had a LOT of issues because of my own dad that have followed me through my whole life. At a very young age I had to navigate losing my relationship with my own father (which has since improved) while navigating building a relationship with my now step dad (who I LOVE). I learned that family isn’t always about blood. I learned so much about myself and my future needs. I didn’t know anyone with divorced parents and often felt alone wishing I had someone who understood what I was feeling and navigating especially during such a crucial time in my life.
I think the biggest thing I want to share is about mental health. I wish it was talked more about during such big years of my life. Since I was a little kid I l dealt with undiagnosed ocd, anxiety, ptsd and depression. I grew up being told I was paranoid, lazy, etc. because no one understood why I couldn’t do my school work, why I was so overwhelmed and cautious all of the time, etc. I myself thought I was crazy and that something was wrong with me. Since being diagnosed in 2019/ 2022 I’ve had to learn how to understand my brain and be sympathetic to what my needs are while also being a functioning adult in a really challenging world."
Tune in to hear more about Abbey and her story.
