Turning the Page: Changes Ahead
With the New Year comes a New Direction for Courageous Chaos
Greetings, my devoted readers,
I would like to thank you for your continued support and hope that you have found wisdom and resonance in my personal essays. I aim to touch your souls with words of truth and encouragement, helping you find meaning and happiness throughout your own human experience.
As 2025 comes to an end, I am reflecting on the personal growth I have achieved this year and my ability to find continued strength to keep moving forward with my healing process through therapy, mindfulness, and a lot of introspection. The brainwork to overcome emotional trauma and manage life with personality disorders has been demanding and tiring, but I make progress towards a life worth living every day.
I am now able to view myself as not a victim of psychological abuse, but a survivor full of resilience and courage. My mind will never be free of chaos, but I am beginning to find acceptance of the adversities in life, my mental health disorders, and learning to live beyond addiction. I am doing this all within the added chaos of menopause… It’s the perfect storm, and downpours on me sometimes. Yet, I am gaining the wisdom to step back from the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that overwhelm me.
If you have not yet read about my life and my strength in motion, or want to know more about me, I invite you in:
I am making some changes in how I operate here on Substack in the New Year.
As I complete a year of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and begin Radically Open DBT, my eyes have been opened to a truth: we are never taught emotional regulation, interpersonal skills, or distress tolerance. We master reading, writing, algebra, and science, yet no one shows us how to navigate the challenges of life itself.
The skills I am learning are not just therapeutic techniques… they are lessons we should all be taught. They go beyond textbooks and formulas we may never use, reaching into the heart of what truly matters. Emotional regulation, resilience, and self-understanding are far more essential than memorizing facts, because they shape how we face challenges, connect with others, and grow as human beings. In the end, learning about ourselves, our strengths, our vulnerabilities, and our capacity to adapt is the most important education we can ever receive.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is unknown to many, reserved for those with personality or mood disorders, and is slowly making its way into addiction recovery. If you’d like to learn more about its background and essence, take a look here.
The History and Healing Power of DBT; Progress Towards a Life Worth Living
“People with BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) are like people with third-degree burns over 90% of their bodies. Lacking emotional skin, they feel the agony at the slightest touch or movement”.
Moving forward, rather than sending my stories straight to your inbox as I write them, I’ll be sending a monthly newsletter packed with the insights I’m gaining so you can grow alongside me, build a stronger relationship with yourself, and with those around you. I am passionate about helping others find true happiness and contentment in living the human experience and enduring the harsh conditions that we sometimes have to live through.
I’ll continue including links to my personal essays so you can follow how introspection and mindfulness are helping me rebuild. These essays aren’t just reflections of my journey - they’re an invitation for you to explore your own growth and connection. If my words resonate with you, I’d be grateful if you not only keep reading but also share my Substack with others. Together, we can create a community where learning to navigate life, embrace self-awareness, and strengthen relationships becomes just as valued as anything we find in textbooks.
I will also be sharing insights into the writing of my first book, Beyond the Shakes, a raw and unflinching account of my husband’s sinister detox and the way it reverberated through all of us who love him. It is not just his story; it is ours, because alcoholism never affects only one person. It is a story that demands attention from anyone touched by addiction, revealing the terrifying and life-threatening mental interruptions of Delirium Tremens that can make alcohol feel like a poison you’ll never want to drink again.
As I write, I am recognizing that my own timeline has gaps… moments blurred by fear, exhaustion, and the chaos of watching the man I love slip from reality and into psychosis. To honor the truth, I will also weave in the voices of those who stood beside him, offering their perspectives of love, pain, and resilience. Together, these accounts will uncover the reality of alcoholism: the quiet things no one talks about, the hidden struggles that shape families, and the quiet things that no one knows because no one wants to talk about it.
By following this journey, you’ll not only witness the making of a book but also be part of a conversation that matters. When Beyond the Shakes is complete, I hope you’ll read it, share it, and help shine a light on the truths that too often remain in the shadows.
The holiday season can be a difficult time for me, so I may be quieter than usual as the year comes to a close. I know we each move through this season in our own way, and I appreciate your patience and understanding as I take the space I need.
Rebuilding from the weight of mental health disorders and PTSD has been an all‑consuming journey, one that demands my full energy and focus. Writing my book alongside this process is both a labor of healing and a commitment to sharing truths that often remain hidden. Because of the depth of this work, every bit of support matters.
If my words speak to you, I invite you to consider upgrading to a paid subscription—not only to follow the progress of my book and gain wisdom on living an emotionally stable life through my personal essays, but to stand with me in bringing these stories to light.
Much Love,
Kali
I love everything about this 🥹 sending you love and hugs x