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Stories Of Healing

A medium publication focused on exploring the impact of trauma so that we can heal together.

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This One Thing Will Destroy Your Happiness

4 min readJun 17, 2023

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Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash

When I was growing up I wished I had my best friend’s life.

Her family was materially better off than mine, but it went much deeper than that. I was born into a cult, and she was not. I had abusive parents, and she did not.

I used to spend hours daydreaming that I just magically woke up in her body one day and had everything she had. And while her house, clothes and toys were all very cool, the thing she had that I wanted most was a close-knit family and parents who would love me.

I didn’t realize it then, but I was comparing myself and my life to hers. And this activity caused me a lot of pain.

Comparison is the root of so much suffering

It’s been tough for me to admit this to myself, but I still compare myself to others. It’s a toxic behavior.

I saw this post on Instagram written by an ex-Jehovah’s Witness that sums up the way I feel. I’ll share it here because I think many cult and abuse survivors can relate:

I’ve always had a bit of jealousy in me ever since i can remember. When i was a kid, i was jealous of all the other kids at school — jealous of their…

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Stories Of Healing
Stories Of Healing

Published in Stories Of Healing

A medium publication focused on exploring the impact of trauma so that we can heal together.