April 24, 2025 By Emma Thompson

I never expected to feel this way again—strong, in control, and… well, like myself. It’s been a year since everything fell apart. A messy breakup that left me in pieces. I remember how it felt, the weight of everything crashing down. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. I lost nearly two pounds, which felt like nothing compared to how much of myself I lost in that relationship. There were days I spent crying, days where I couldn’t stop the panic in my chest, the anxiety tightening around me. PTSD from the chaos of that relationship seemed to take hold of me in ways I never anticipated.

But today, I did something I never thought I’d do. I slipped into that old tank top, the one I wore just a few days after everything ended. It didn’t fit the same, not at all. The straps, which once hung loosely over my collarbone, now fit snugly around my shoulders. I could actually feel the fabric hug my body in a way that felt… normal. I felt normal.

I still have days when the memories creep in, the fear, the triggers—but today, I took a breath and realized: we do recover. It might take time, it might not happen in a straight line, but the progress is real. I’m stronger than I was last year, even if I don’t always see it.