For many years, I tried to hide my pain, anger, disappointment, and sadness behind substance abuse, an unhealthy lifestyle, poor eating habits, and careless decisions. I thought those things would take away what I was feeling inside, but they never did. They only masked the pain for a moment, and every day I woke up carrying the same emptiness in my mind, my heart, and my soul. After a while, I became exhausted. Not just physically, but spiritually. I was tired of waking up e
