Much of what you'll read here dives into dark waters. Waters that many of us are afraid to swim in or ignore as if they don't exist. These heavy themes of suicide, self-harm, abuse, and childhood wounds that never fully close are very personal to me. Personal because I myself struggle with navigating them. So, I write about these things not to glorify them, not to tell anyone that they are answers, but to show how damaging these issues can be to the human heart and mind. Yet not only are they damaging to these things, if left untreated people like me and possibly you (I don't want to assume) can see it affects their work, love life, families and many other aspects of daily life.
The words sprawled upon these pages are my way of saying that I see you. That you are not broken beyond repair, and you are definitely not alone. Even when we may feel like the world is coming down on us and we ask ourselves "What is the point?", believe me I understand, but you are not alone. Don't fear reaching out to a therapist, family, friends, crisis services or taking medication. For people like us, the deeply hurt, the damaged and sometimes forgotten it's easy to fall victim to fighting the battle alone.
The pages that follow are my attempt to crack open the silence around these topics. To pull them out of the shadows and into the light where they can be seen for what they are. Heavy, complicated, and deeply human emotions that are valid and misunderstood by the vast majority of the population. They ask why do you write so dark? Why put these ideas out there? Why can't you be normal? To them I say "Don't you think I already thought about that? I am no different than you I just process my feelings differently. I do this for release because without it I would go mad."
Ultimately, If you find yourself in that place where the weight feels too much, that place where the darkness seems to be swallowing you, please reach out for help. You matter. You will always matter, and yes you matter to me because we are all human and deserve to be loved. Remember, there is no weakness in asking for help. There is only courage in it. If you are in the United States, you can call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org for help. If you're outside the U.S., please find the local crisis line in your country. Again, you matter so if you need help please take that step to get it.
With love,
Warren