A published first-person essay about sobriety, self-worth, and the stories people carry after addiction, grief, trauma, and mental-health struggles.

The piece follows the shift from seeing past pain as a verdict on identity to recognizing recovery as an ongoing practice of freedom, accountability, and self-compassion. Written in an intimate, direct voice, it invites readers to separate what happened to them from what they are worth.

Published in Pen With Paper.

Read the full article on Medium: I Called Myself Damaged for Twenty Years