resilience

There comes a moment—quiet, almost unnoticeable at first—when something begins to shift.

Not everything. Not all at once.
But enough.

Enough to recognize that the life being survived is not the life meant to be lived.

For individuals navigating addiction and mental health challenges, “taking power back” is not a motivational phrase. It is not a single breakthrough moment.

It is a process of reclaiming self—piece by piece.

What Addiction and Mental Illness Take

Addiction does not only involve substances—it impacts identity.

Mental illness does not only affect mood—it distorts thinking, self-worth, and the ability to trust internal judgment.

Together, they create a cycle:

*Self-doubt

*Emotional instability

*Shame

*Escapism

*Regret

Research from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health confirms that substance use disorders frequently co-occur with mental health conditions, reinforcing patterns of emotional dysregulation and negative self-concept (CAMH, 2023).

Over time, individuals can lose connection with who they are. Internal narratives become dominated by criticism, and self-trust begins to erode. Trauma—particularly early and repeated trauma—further intensifies this cycle, increasing vulnerability to both addiction and mental health challenges (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2020).

What “Taking Power Back” Actually Means

Taking power back does not mean controlling everything.

It means learning where control truly exists.

Within trauma-informed practice, power is defined as the ability to exercise awareness, choice, and intentional response—not perfection or dominance (SAMHSA, 2014).

It can look like:

*Choosing not to engage with shame-based thinking

*Setting boundaries, even when discomfort arises

*Acknowledging triggers instead of avoiding them

*Taking accountability without becoming consumed by guilt

*Showing up consistently, even on difficult days

The Mental Health Commission of Canada emphasizes that recovery is nonlinear and rooted in self-determination and hope (MHCC, 2015).

Power is not perfection.
Power is awareness.
Power is choice.

The Internal Battle No One Sees

Recovery is not linear—and mental health does not stabilize simply through intention.

There are still moments when:

*Thoughts become overwhelming

*Emotions feel unmanageable

*Old patterns attempt to resurface

Clinically, this reflects ongoing challenges with cognitive distortions and emotional regulation, particularly in trauma-related conditions and disorders such as borderline personality disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2022).

Evidence-based approaches such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) emphasize the importance of creating a pause between emotion and action (Linehan, 2015).

That pause—that space between feeling and reacting—is where change begins.

It is also where power is reclaimed.

Relearning Trust in Self

One of the most difficult aspects of recovery is rebuilding self-trust.

Repeated cycles of relapse, self-doubt, or perceived failure can fracture confidence in personal decision-making.

Rebuilding trust requires consistency:

*Following through on small commitments

*Practicing honesty, even when uncomfortable

*Engaging in behaviours that align with values

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction identifies internal resources such as self-efficacy and resilience as key components of recovery capital—critical for sustaining long-term change (CCSA, 2020).

Trust is not rebuilt through intention alone.

It is rebuilt through action.

From Surviving to Reclaiming

For many, survival mode becomes the default.

And survival mode serves a purpose—it protects.

But it does not allow space for growth.

Taking power back means shifting from:

*Surviving → Intentional living

*Reacting → Responding

*Avoiding → Facing

*Numbing → Feeling

Trauma-informed frameworks highlight that emotional processing—not avoidance—is central to healing (Herman, 2015).

And feeling is difficult.
But feeling is where healing begins.

A Grounded Reflection
Addiction and mental health struggles can create the belief that identity is permanently tied to suffering.

That the patterns will always return.

That change is temporary.

However, trauma-informed and recovery-oriented perspectives challenge this belief.

Experiences shape individuals—but they do not define them.

Recovery is built through repeated, intentional choices that gradually reshape identity, behaviour, and belief systems.

Each moment of awareness.
Each interrupted pattern.
Each decision to respond differently.

These are not small victories.

They are evidence of change.

A Call to Those Still in the Fight

For those currently navigating addiction and mental health challenges, power may feel out of reach.

But research and clinical practice consistently demonstrate that change begins with small, intentional steps.

This can include:

*Making one supportive choice each day

*Reaching out for connection or professional support

*Practicing grounding during distress

*Challenging negative internal narratives

Accessible supports such as Wellness Together Canada provide free, confidential mental health services across the country (Government of Canada, 2023).

Power is not found in having everything figured out.
It is found in choosing—moment by moment—not to give up.

Closing

Taking power back is not a destination.

It is a daily, deliberate process.
Some days will feel manageable.
Others will feel overwhelming.
But every time a different choice is made—over old patterns, over internalized shame, over automatic reactions—something shifts.

Power is not lost permanently.

It can be rebuilt.

One decision at a time.

BigmommaJ
#resilience #MentalHealth #reclaimingyourpower
#BeYourself

I’m tired of being strong.
There, I said it.

Those words carry more truth than most people realize. Because being “strong” isn’t just about surviving the hard moments — it’s about carrying the weight of those moments long after they’ve passed. It’s about pretending you’re okay when your soul is aching. It’s smiling when you want to cry, showing up when you want to disappear, and holding everyone else together while you quietly fall apart.

Being tired of being strong means you’ve reached that place where your heart feels worn out. It’s when your mind is constantly running, your body feels heavy, and your spirit is begging for a break. It’s when the strength that once helped you survive starts to feel like a cage — something you can’t escape because you’ve built your identity around it.

We’re taught from a young age to “be strong,” to keep our emotions in check, to handle everything on our own. But that kind of strength — the kind that never allows rest, tears, or vulnerability — eventually breaks us down. Strength without softness turns into survival, and survival isn’t the same as living.

There’s a quiet kind of grief that comes with always being the strong one. It’s the loneliness of realizing that people come to you for support but rarely ask how you’re doing. It’s the exhaustion of feeling like you can’t show weakness because others might see you differently. It’s the pain of knowing you’ve built walls so high that even you can’t climb out.

And yet… beneath that exhaustion is truth:

You’re not meant to carry it all alone.

Being strong doesn’t mean never asking for help. It doesn’t mean smiling through pain or ignoring your needs. Real strength is having the courage to be honest — to admit you’re struggling, to set boundaries, and to give yourself permission to rest. It’s allowing others to see your humanity without shame.

If you’re tired of being strong, you’re not broken — you’re human. You’ve done more than enough. You’ve fought hard battles that no one even knows about. But you deserve a life that isn’t defined by constant endurance. You deserve peace, softness, and a safe place to fall.

Maybe today, being strong means simply saying,

“I need help.”

And that alone is enough.

You deserve support, care, and understanding. Reach out. Let someone hold the weight for a while. You are allowed to rest, to breathe, and to reclaim the space that is yours. Even in the hardest moments, hope is still within reach — and so are you.

BigmommaJ
#resilience #Beingstrong #tired #strength

I started the night with good intentions. Just a simple ginger chicken. No chaos. No experiments. Just a functioning adult making dinner.

But five minutes in, my AuDHD brain whispered, “How hard can it be, right?".

I had chicken thighs and fresh ginger. No garlic, no scallions, but whatever. I had confidence and a recipe. It was detailed, encouraging, and perfect.

And then I… immediately ignored half of it.

At some point, I accidentally poured the oil into the sauce instead of the pan, stared at it for five solid seconds, and said, “Well… that’s a choice.”

I was two seconds away from crying into my cutting board. But okay, sure, let's wing it.

Somehow, chaos transformed into a masterpiece. I found an old box of chicken rice pilaf from the back of the pantry (vintage, probably worth something by now). I didn’t have scallions, so I threw on parsley. Not because it made sense, but because it was green and my brain needed closure.

And miracle of miracles, it was good. Like, “Did I just accidentally cook something impressive?” good. The sauce was glossy, the rice soaked it up perfectly, and I was standing there like a Food Network contestant who blacked out mid-episode but still won.

That’s what AuDHD is like. You stare at a recipe, decide to follow it, then lose patience, improvise, make a few detours, and somehow find your way back to your delicious ginger chicken.

My kitchen may have looked like a science experiment halfway through, but the result? A culinary redemption arc.

10 out of 10, would cook on vibes again.

#audhd #ADHD #Autism #Cooking #Dinner #Determination #resilience #culinarycomedy #vibes #funny #Success #successisnotlinear #gingerchicken #recipe

If anxiety were a person, it would be that one friend who shows up uninvited, always whispering worst-case scenarios in my ear. It would pace the room, restless and demanding, never letting me sit still. Its eyes would dart, suspicious of every sound, every gesture, every word. It would not speak loudly, but its presence would weigh heavily, leaving me tense and exhausted.

Yet, as much as I would like to push it away, I also notice what it teaches me, patience, self-awareness, and the small victories of standing firm when it tries to take over. It forces me to slow down, to check in with myself, and to recognize what truly matters. It reminds me that even in discomfort, I am capable of resilience. Each interaction leaves me tired, yes, but also a little stronger, a little wiser, and more determined to keep moving forward.

#Anxiety #MentalHealth #resilience #whenwritinghelps

#resilience #affirmations

#resilience #goals #Destiny