Where I’ve Been, What’s New, and How I’m Really Doing

Hi again lovely readers! It’s been a while. Over a year, actually. I didn’t plan to step away from the blog space for so long, but sometimes life and work (and mental health) have other ideas. If you’ve been wondering where I disappeared to, here’s a little life update and an honest look at where I’m at now.

The Pause I Didn’t Expect

When I last posted here, I was still climbing out of my messy era of healing — working through the trauma, learning to hold space for my emotions, navigating DBT skills, and trying to show up for myself day by day as I integrated all the work I had done in therapy. Then… life just kept happening. I moved house, focused on living well instead of putting my energy into writing about living well, and my energy shifted inward.

In the midst of it all, something beautiful happened: I got married! After all the chaos, abuse and heartbreak of my earlier years, there was a time that I thought I’d never be someone that got to build a calm, loving life with someone who truly loves them. But here I am — married to my best friend. It felt like a full-circle moment. A celebration of the healthy, truly safe, love that can be found on the other side of trauma, and also of my own survival, of arriving in a new chapter of life and healing that finally feels deserved.

It’s safe to say that I’ve been somewhat preoccupied for the last 12 months. But I needed to get back here and spill all my thoughts while I have the will to (and Saturn moving into Aries this week on my side!)

Social Media vs Writers Block

I did happen to finally setup an Instagram account (@bloomindbt) for the Bloom in DBT shop, the DBT-focused aspect of my work, and burnt myself out within a few months of getting a good flow going there. I do plan to continue this page to support my DBT resources and connect with more folks in the therapy space, but I need to work out a healthy posting schedule that sits somewhere in the middle of 5 times a day and not at all.

The thing of it is, sometimes, now, writing about mental health feels… intense. I want to share every ounce of the life-changing insights I gained from my time in therapy, my alcohol recovery journey, how I’ve learned to live with complex trauma, but because I’m not deep in that head space anymore, I have to mentally put myself in it in order to write about my experiences, which can be hard.

This blog started as my safe space. My journal, albeit mainly an outlet for my survival-driven self to find some sort of regulation within the pain. Now, I have the tools and skills (and private journals) to work through things when I need to, and I’m also simply not experiencing that level of distress in my life anymore.

The truth is, healing is still happening, and I think it always will be — just quietly, more in the background. I want to share these experiences more with you guys, what life is really like for me now, because some have been here for nearly a decade, and I like to think that we can grow together.

How My Mental Health Is (Really)

In short: it’s good. Not perfect. Not a straight line. But there’s more steadiness now.

I am happy. I am healthy. I am safe. I still have my off days, my anxious spirals, the emotional sensitivity that sometimes makes everyday stuff feel extra sharp. But I’ve learned how to care for myself better. DBT skills still sit in my back pocket, not always used perfectly, but always there. It’s more that they rewired my brain to automatically think about things differently, to see the world in a new light, but the specific skills can still be useful if I haven’t checked in with them in a while.

Planning the wedding definitely tested certain aspects of my emotional regulation skills, but I have to say I am incredibly proud of myself for handling all the appointments, new people and stressful admin the way I did. It was like an intensive 18-month social anxiety exposure therapy — and I guess it worked in a way.

I also celebrated four years alcohol-free in April, which is really huge. So I did all of this without a drop of booze. I think it’s okay for me to be proud.

What’s Next for This Space

I’ve missed writing here. So I’m slowly returning. I don’t have a big content plan or a perfect schedule, but I do have things I want to say again.

Thoughts on recovery, DBT, softness, spirituality, creativity, and everything in between. Maybe even a new journal series or something that gets me back to my philosophy roots. Of course, I’ll still be continuing with my DBT resource-focused work with the practical tools and journal prompts, as I am determined to share whatever I can to help people that have had similar experiences to me with mental health. I’ll just be making sure I keep it balanced with who I really am now, too.

If you’re still here, thank you. If you’re new here, welcome. Either way, I’m glad we’re walking this path, however up-and-down it may be, together.

Big big love,
Lizzie 🤍