I remember my first night at Longwood College, sitting on a hill watching lacrosse players scrimmaging down on Iler Field. As I sat there, an aching emptiness settled in my chest. It felt like I’d been cast out into the world alone. This loneliness far surpassed anything I’d felt growing up because, at home, I always had my mom. I love you, Mom!
Two things have been constant in my life: loneliness and drinking. And while constant, they became increasingly disturbing, problematic, and concerning over time. I spiraled from self-pity to self-destruction during the first 42 years of my life. I managed to keep it quiet, and that’s the danger of invisible illnesses like depression—they’re easy to hide until they’re not.
So how did I begin to change my self-talk? Instead of letting my inner dialogue dictate my actions, I flipped the script. I started with action, letting it guide my self-talk. By focusing on doing the next right thing, action led to the next right thought. As the saying goes, “Put a smile on your face, and a smile on the inside will follow.”
Listen wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.
Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling
Visit me at recoverydailypodcast.com or email me at rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com.
#LonelinessAndHealing #InvisibleIllness #DepressionAwareness #RecoveryJourney #SelfTalkMatters #DoTheNextRightThing #MentalHealthMatters #HealingThroughAction #OvercomingDarkness #LifeInRecovery
