Warrior Campaign
Meet Melinda...
ππππππͺ ππ©π‘ππππ πͺπ π¦π£ "π€π₯π π£πͺ" πππ π πππͺ π‘ππππ ππππ π£πππ₯ππ π πππ£π π₯πππ₯ πͺπ π¦ ππ£π π¨ππππππ π₯π π€πππ£π.
As a teenager, I struggled with anxiety and panic attacks for years but didn't tell anyone. I coped by focusing on achievement and striving for perfection. From the outside, I seemed to be doing well. I had a great group of friends, earned good grades, and was even voted "most likely to succeed." But on the inside I was struggling with anxiety, panic, and hateful thoughts toward myself. It all came tumbling down during my freshman year of college. My anxiety and panic was so severe that I rarely left my dorm room. My thoughts became very dark and I couldn't see how I would go on with life. I thought things would never change for me, that I would live in this prison of anxiety and depression for the rest of my life. I came home from my first year of college and learned that I was pregnant. Everything changed for me in that moment. I had a reason to live - more than that, I had a reason to thrive. I was determined to heal and create a beautiful life for my child.
βπ π¨ ππ ππ πππ ππ₯ π₯πππ πͺπ π¦ π₯π π£ππππ π πππππππ π‘ππππ?
I've found that healing comes in layers. Becoming a mother was the beginning of my healing journey. I started going to therapy and read every self-help book I could find. After my daughter Megan was born, I took medication for a few years to help with my anxiety and depression. These tools helped me cope with the stress of being a single mom, working, and going to school but I still had negative beliefs about myself and continued to be hyper-focused on achievement. I was hustling hard to try to prove my worth.
When Megan was 4 years-old, I started graduate school for my doctorate in Psychology. Therapy had changed my life and I wanted to help others. Around this same time, I started doing EMDR therapy to heal past traumas. This form of therapy can be intense but it is also very impactful. It was the start of another layer of healing for me. I left an unhealthy relationship and started to shift my negative beliefs about myself.
During graduate school I was introduced to yoga. Like many trauma survivors, I had a complicated relationship with my body. Yoga helped me reconnect with my body in a kind and loving way. But it was a process! I hated savasana (final relaxation) for the first five years that I practiced yoga. Being still and quiet for the last few minutes of class created anxiety for me. It was hard for me to be alone with my thoughts. I stuck with it though and I'm happy to say that savasana is now my favorite part of yoga! Yoga was such an important part of my healing journey that I went on to become a yoga teacher.
Even now, more than 20 years later, I continue to grow and heal. I don't think there is necessarily an end point to this journey. It's part of my life's work, personally and professionally. I have found another layer of healing by sharing my experiences through writing and teaching. My first book, My Sacred Pause, is a love letter to women like me - the sensitive, empathetic, people-pleasing perfectionists who give so much to others that they struggle to find time to take care of themselves. I'm currently working on my next book, Badass Self-Care, which is about reclaiming self-love and self-trust.
ππππ₯ π π£ π¨ππ ππππ‘ππ πͺπ π¦ ππππ πππ ππ π₯ππ π¨ππͺ? πΈππ ππ π¨?
I come from a family of strong women who have lifted me up through every hard thing I've had to navigate. My wonderful husband Michael has been a source of love and support for the last 18 years. I have two amazing daughters who inspire me to be the best possible version of myself. Therapy, yoga, and writing have been the most powerful tools in my healing journey. Therapy helped me shift my beliefs about myself and taught me that it is possible to feel my feelings and process my past traumas in a safe way. Yoga helped me heal my relationship with my body, live mindfully in the present moment, and practice self-compassion. Writing has been a way for me to process my thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Sharing my stories through writing has helped me connect with an amazing community of women.
ππππ₯ ππ€ π₯ππ π€πππππ ππ π€π₯ πππ‘π π£π₯πππ₯ πππ€π€π π πͺπ π¦ ππππ£πππ ππ£π π ππ©π‘ππ£πππππππ π₯πππ€ πππ£ππ€πππ‘?
Healing is possible. When I was 18 years-old I could not imagine my life being anything other than what it was - sad, fearful, and lonely. I have a beautiful life now! I still experience anxiety and depression sometimes because they are chronic issues but I have the tools to better manage my symptoms and they don't interfere with my life.
ππππ₯ ππ€ π₯ππ πππ€π₯ π¨ππͺ π₯π π€π¦π‘π‘π π£π₯ π€π πππ ππ π¨ππ ππ€ ππ πππ π₯ππ£π π¦ππ π π€ππππππ£ π€ππ₯π¦ππ₯ππ π?
When someone is struggling with anxiety or depression, just being with them in a kind, non-judgmental way is very powerful. It's okay if you don't know what to say or how to help; just being there means a lot to someone when they are struggling. You can also ask them directly what would feel supportive.
ππππ₯ ππ€ π€π πππ₯ππππ π‘π π€ππ₯ππ§π π₯πππ₯ ππππ£πππ ππ€ π π£ππ€π¦ππ₯ π π πͺπ π¦π£ ππ©π‘ππ£πππππ?
My experiences with healing from anxiety and depression have driven my life's work as a therapist, teacher, and writer. I am so grateful to do work that I love while also helping others.
HMUA: Kamerin Litten
