I wonder if anyone else has felt that moment when you realize you’ve lost touch with who you are. For me, it crept up slowly, like a fog rolling in. I was caught in a cycle that I thought I could control, but it took the help of CMHA’s addiction services to shine a light on the path back to myself.
Honestly, reaching out for help felt like a huge leap. There’s this weight that comes with admitting you need assistance, right? But once I stepped through those doors, I found an unexpected sense of relief. The counselors were not only understanding but genuinely invested in helping me navigate the chaos that addiction had brought into my life.
What struck me the most was how the focus wasn’t just on stopping the substance use. It was about rebuilding. I had to confront a lot of emotions I had been burying. It was tough, to say the least. There were days when I felt overwhelmed, but having a safe space to express those feelings without judgment made a world of difference. It’s like they say, you can’t heal what you don’t acknowledge.
I remember one session where we talked about self-discovery. The counselor asked me, “What do you enjoy doing?” I paused—because, honestly, I had forgotten. But it got me thinking. I picked up an old hobby of painting, something I hadn’t done in years. It was liberating to express myself in that way again. Finding joy in small things like that felt like reclaiming a part of myself I thought was lost forever.
I’m curious to hear from others—how do you rediscover your passions? Or what small steps have you taken to reconnect with yourself? It feels incredibly important to share these experiences, and I believe there’s so much healing in that community aspect.
It’s still a journey for me, no doubt about it. But with the support I found at CMHA, I feel more equipped to face the challenges ahead. And who knows? Maybe sharing our stories can inspire someone else to take that first step too.