My Story of Illness and Recovery

Hi everyone!

My name is Nick and I've been on the forums since early 2020. I've always been a lurker till now -- I think at the time that I found this site, I was suffering too much to even ask questions, let alone offer advice or support to anyone else.

Four years later, I feel not just back to my old self -- I'm better off than I've ever been. There were numerous times I thought I'd never dig myself out of my condition (which I'd been calling "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" before find the TMS Wiki). I still don't have it all figured out, but the difference now is that I know that that's okay -- we're all learning a little bit more every day about our minds, our bodies, and the relationship between the two. I couldn't be happier to be writing these words!

For those interested, I've also started a Substack chronicling my experiences. I've always had admiration for the written word, and even at my worst, I envisioned a future where I was healthy and excited to write about what I'd learned. The blog is called Inner Machinations, and you can find it at the link below:

https://innermachinations.substack.com/ (Inner Machinations | Nick Bacarella | Substack)

My hope is that I'll both do justice to the difficulties of TMS and bring some levity to the recovery process for others. This path is tumultuous, yes, but it's also full of reminders that there's an easier life awaiting all of us down the road.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts -- I'll see all of you around the forums!

Nick Bacarella

 

Welcome! I am looking forward to checking out your substack, Nick!

 

Thank you so much, Kittyruns! Very excited to have you aboard.

If there's anything in particular you'd like to read about, please let me know! I want to respond to the interests of readers -- this thing will only go so far as readers want to take it!

 

Hi Nick. I read your blog.
Thanks for recommending the books and for sharing your story.

Take care.

 

Thanks both for your kind words and your suggestion about my book list, @JanAtheCPA! I certainly don't treat it as a fixed set of recommendations -- by no means do I think I have a thorough catalog of everything that people in recovery can use! As and when I come across resources that I think could be helpful, I'll add them. I'd just want to vet them first, since I'd be personally recommending them on the blog.

I think @Ellen's point in your linked thread is spot on -- if you have a strong, viscerally negative reaction to an idea... there's a good chance that's the one you most need to hear!

 

It's been brought to my attention (by the very helpful @JanAtheCPA) that Substack can be confusing for new users! For those having any difficulty, the easiest thing to do is hit the "Subscribe" button and enter your email. That way, you never need to use the Substack website -- the posts will come directly to your email inbox.

Hopefully that's helpful!