Hi everyone,
I'm in my mid-50s and have had a long, high-functioning career in the creative world. I grew up in a home with severe emotional abuse from as early as I can remember. For most of my life I've operated with strong perfectionism and a deep drive to achieve, in hindsight, probably searching for validation that never quite sticks. No achievement has ever really felt like enough.
I have a big family, including a disabled child, and a very supportive wife. Over the past few years my career has faltered — partly due to industry changes and a physical injury that slowed me down, but mostly from burnout after holding myself to exhausting standards for decades.
Financial pressure and the weight of responsibility have led to what feels like a collapse. I'm still functioning, but nowhere near my best. I also had a difficult, months-long reaction to medication recently and am now transitioning to new ones, which has been destabilising.
I'm working with a therapist and have strong support at home, but there's a lot of time between appointments, and many days feel bleak and heavy. I'm hoping this forum might be a place to connect with others who understand long-term patterns like this and the process of rebuilding.
Thanks for reading.
Welcome. I'm glad you have a therapist and support at home.
All of us here are familiar with bleak, heavy days. I hope we can brighten some of yours for you, at least a bit.