“Functioning,” but not functional.

There are lots of people out there who are hurting— but who have to keep functioning.

As it turns out, life doesn’t pause, or even slow down, for us when we’re in emotional— or even physical— pain.

Lots of people reading this know exactly what I mean. They’ve been in the spot of really struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, an easting disorder, or something else— but having to keep going out in the world every day to “function.”

Many of us have jobs or roles that simply don’t let us pump the brakes, even for a day.

So we soldier on. Even through the pain, through the dissociation, through the fatigue.

I wish we lived in a world that was better at acknowledging the need to recover even if we’re not quite at the point of complete meltdown or burnout— but we don’t.

The world will often look at…