"Who was this woman — and what has she done with my mom?" ...

"On paper, she was 'getting by.' But the cost of getting by had become brutal." ...

"The room blurred, and when I raised my head... gravity took the tears from my eyes and pulled them down my cheeks." ...

"It was disturbingly easy for me to fall into this world. It started with small, seemingly harmless choices." ...

"True healing will only come if I accept every scar and allow each version of myself to be seen." ...

Unfortunately, my experience is all too common. If you find yourself in a situation like I did, here's what you should do.

“My husband went to his parents’ house without me. When he arrived home, I could see something had changed.” ...

"In the Midwest, men aren’t supposed to talk about this stuff. We’re taught that being 'weak' is unacceptable." ...

"I’m reminding myself that I’m an adult woman who gets to choose how I do holidays — for now, anyway. I’m going to enjoy it ...

"There are ways to uplift and support other parents and educate people ... without turning children into spectacles." ...