Choosing Healing When I Couldn’t Carry It Alone Anymore
About five years ago, I made the intentional decision to begin focusing on my recovery and overall well-being. At the time, I was navigating immense loss and emotional exhaustion, unsure of what healing would look like but knowing I couldn’t continue carrying everything on my own.
Grief, Family, and Understanding the Bigger Picture
Over the last five years, I experienced the death of my mother and a close cousin. Grief has a way of surfacing old wounds while creating new ones, and during that time, I began learning how deeply mental health, addiction, and family dynamics are intertwined. Through my mental health recovery journey, I gained a clearer understanding of substance use disorder — not only for myself, but so I could better support my adult children as they navigated their relationship with their father.
Honoring My Mental Health and Lived Experience
As I continued this journey, I turned my attention more intentionally toward my mental health. I carry lived experience with emotional abuse, co-dependency, depression, anxiety, and Complex PTSD. Rather than seeing these experiences as something to hide, I began to understand them as part of my story — experiences that, when supported properly, could become sources of strength, insight, and compassion.
Healing Through Purpose and Service
An important part of my healing has been learning to serve others while continuing to care for myself. Supporting others behind the scenes through administrative and organizational work helped restore my sense of purpose and belonging. Being useful, contributing quietly, and showing up consistently became a powerful part of my recovery. With mentorship, encouragement, and continued growth, I pursued formal training and certifications that aligned with my passion for helping others. I became a Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, a Certified Family Peer Support Specialist, earned certification in Mental Health First Aid (Adult USA) and became a Certified Master Life Coach through Transformation Academy. Each step represented not just professional development, but personal healing and confidence.
Writing as a Tool for Healing and Connection
Another meaningful way I’ve shared what I’ve learned is through writing. I published The Wellness Journal: Release, Reclaim, Redefine Yourself under the name Linda France, offering others practical tools for reflection, self-awareness, and emotional wellness. Writing became both a personal practice and a way to extend support to others walking similar paths. I have also published two more journals: Transform Your Mind Journal: A Journey to Positive Thinking and a 30 Day Gratitude Journal. All the journals can be found on Amazon.
Walking Forward with Intention
My journey continues, but I no longer walk it alone — and I no longer walk it without purpose. My journey into mental wellness has allowed me not only to heal, but to help others find their footing, their voice, and their way forward. My mission into the future is to inspire joyful, intentional living by empowering individuals to nurture self-love and inner peace as they move through every stage of life with confidence and grace. I envision a world where self-love, joy, and inner peace guide the way people grow, age, and thrive.
Journal Prompt
In what ways can your lived experiences — even the painful ones — become tools for healing, self-compassion, or growth in this next season of your life?