A new mantra for me - my parts all love me, even when they’re hurting.

I’m going to remind myself daily that even though my parts are hurting - they still love me. Maybe that’s a metaphor for my entire trauma - hurting yet still loving.

My normal part - held everything together so I could become the successful creative adult I am today. It knew there was more in life for me than to be destined to my trauma.

My dissociative part - shielded me from the most ugly parts of my trauma, so I didn’t have to feel the deep pain.

My obsessed part - wanted to control everything, including my own thoughts, because I was so unsafe all the time, and my body felt it. The thoughts kept me out of my body and in control.

My creative part - this one is huge for me and has been the source of my fire since I was a kid. It led me through the darkest times by being able to see beauty in so much chaos and suffering. It’s now my career and despite all the pain my system is in, it has kept me alive inside.

My anxious/panic part - this part overthinks and rings the alarm at everything because it had to my entire life. It’s only doing what it knows how.

My insecure/inner critic - if it hurts me, it will hurt less than if others hurt me. If it calls me ugly, unworthy, etc, that hurts less than people rejecting me. It just wants to protect me from rejection.

All of this is out of love. Not hate. This was a system that had no other choice and my beeping will be recognizing that even in their (my deepest) pain, they maintained a delicate balance to keep me alive. I love you, parts. You’re all a warrior. ❤️