Family pressure: \"think of what people will say\"

What helped me was writing everything down — dates, who said what. It kept me sane and it mattered later. I felt this in my chest. You are not failing. You are surviving something most people never have to.

Sending you so much strength. The first few weeks are the hardest and they do pass.

A counsellor on here offered a free first session and it genuinely changed the trajectory of my year.

One year out and I promise there is a version of you on the other side of this who is okay.

It is okay to feel relieved. Relief is not the same as not caring.

Practical tip: open your own bank account today, even with $20 in it. You will thank yourself.

A counsellor on here offered a free first session and it genuinely changed the trajectory of my year.

I felt this in my chest. You are not failing. You are surviving something most people never have to.