We all navigate stuff that no one else can see, yet it shapes our behavior, emotions, and connection with each other. Dizziness, fatigue, brain fog, and chronic pain make simple tasks in my life very difficult. And depression, anxiety, and fear make simple interactions challenging. As I learn to pace myself, honor my body’s limits, and rest in stroke recovery, the inner battles rage on. Creativity, prayer, and tools like spoon-and-cup theory help me walk through each day. Progress comes slowly, and as with mental health care, slow progress is still progress, and consistency brings healing over time.

Our battles are invisible to one another. We don’t see the hours of recovery exercises, the careful planning it takes just to get through a day, or the cost of pushing too hard. And the same goes with mental health. I can spend hours, days, months, and years in torment and never speak a word of it to another human being. The only one suffering is me. That’s why speaking up matters. When I name the fear or feeling and tell another person, I not only weaken its power over me, but I also create opportunity for us to understand each other. Invisible ≠ insignificant.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. 

Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779

Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org 

#InvisibleIllness #StrokeRecovery #MentalHealthAwareness #RecoveryJourney #ChronicPain #BrainFog  #Depression #AnxietyRecovery #SpoonTheory #EmotionalSobriety