I will essentially have to present myself naked to the world around me... without a shield. And.that.is.truly.terrifying

Hi, my name is Patty. I am a grateful believer who is a survivor of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

Life. is. just. hard. There is no way to get around that truth. But are you happy? Really?

This world can be a pretty lonely place. And some days can seem pretty damn dark.

Light up social media to honor those who are struggling. Those who fought the hard battle and lost. Those who live with that loss.

Hypersensitivity. When you can't even stand to be in your own skin

And just maybe, those tears I have been cry'n, are coming from that new onion layer

Emotional numbness. Today is day 4. My first thought upon waking was, 'Why do I not feel anything- and... is that a bad thing?'

After all we've been through you bring me back to Oregon?

It all started with a kiss. In a bar that I can't even remember the name of. In a purple sequined Santa hat.

Stop letting the approval of others define and confine you. Stop apologizing and be fearless!

Relapse... will you allow it destroy you or to grow you?

I have spent my entire life thus far struggling with how I feel about my body- and how it looks. And in this, one thing I am sure of, is tha

And somewhere inside, I just knew. God had just counted 'One'... 'Two'... and that damned rug got yanked!

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.

Stress is meant to be processed- not digested.

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable.

Isolation can be dark, and gloomy, and restrictive, and safe. Isolation is fertile ground for relapse.

All of who I am is meant as a gift to someone who is deserving of that gift. And right now, that someone happens to be me.

So what happens when you sit back and look at your life and it doesn't look anything like the life you thought you would have?