I feel like guilt has crawled into my bones and set up camp. I replay every mistake until it’s the only soundtrack in my head. I lost people I loved—some because I froze, some because I messed up—and now my brain keeps whispering, “See? This is what you deserve.” I don’t have any self-confidence left. I don’t even feel happy being myself. I feel like a bad copy of a person, and everyone can tell.
I wanted connection so badly that I pushed myself past empty, and the stress literally broke me. I ended up in the hospital—bright lights, beeping monitors, IV in my arm—because my body finally said “enough” when I wouldn’t. I lay there feeling small and ridiculous, apologizing to the nurses for ta
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