Health and Wellness Failures Stories - page 2

In my early twenties, I started working with a life coach named Lydia, who built her philosophy around achieving everything one desires despite feeling unfulfilled with her privileged background. Lydia, who was affluent with an upscale job, lived alone in a plush city apartment. She preached about manifesting one's dreams into reality, which resonated with me deeply.

I was drawn to her because she claimed that by manifesting our desires, we could attain perfection in all areas of life. Now, five years later, I realize I haven't achieved everything I envisioned, leaving me frustrated and skeptical. This experience has highlighted a recurring pattern in many promising messages from life coaches and inspirational books that claim one can 'have it all.'

Is it really feasible to achieve everything you desire, or is the concept far-fetched, especially coming from those who may not have experienced significant hardships or the trials of genuine struggle?

Imagine if I shared my frustrations on a reality show. The audience might resonate with my struggles or criticize me for following such idealistic advice. Would they empathize with the disillusionment, or judge the impracticality of chasing such a perfect life?

Do you actually believe you can 'have it all'?

I've been assisting my employer for nearly a year now, and after only two months into my tenure, I decided to resign from my weekend job at a local store. I wanted to reclaim my weekends, but when I informed my boss, he assumed it meant I was open to working occasional Saturdays—a commitment I never made. He has a quadriplegic condition, requiring around-the-clock assistance, which makes him very selective about his caregivers. Although I understand his need for choosiness, his excessively small team doesn't afford him that luxury. We’re just five in the schedule, which becomes challenging. As the youngest, the responsibility frequently falls on me to cover Saturdays when others are unavailable. This month alone, I've worked nearly every Saturday, leading to severe burnout. I've also started to believe I might be on the autism spectrum, which could explain the intensity of this exhaustion. I need a few days to recuperate after a week's work, but at 20, expectations on me are immense.

Besides work, my social support is dwindling. My best friend since second grade recently moved to Montreal, and my other close friend lives far enough that I’m too spent to visit. My boyfriend’s place is where I spend most of my free time, as socializing has become too taxing due to my job. My boyfriend often compares his factory job, saying his 10-hour shifts are tougher, which feels dismissive. After prepping my boss each morning and getting him into his wheelchair, my job isn't tough—handling his home and yard. However, it feels overwhelming when sleep-deprived, especially when he, possibly unwittingly, says things that upset me. It's been tough getting any validation for my feelings about my work; instead, they often get downplayed or ignored. I just wish for my Saturdays back; the rare weekends off aren’t enough for me to feel truly recuperated. It’s as if my feelings are invalid, though I know they’re not. He subtly makes us feel guilty for not taking shifts, knowing well he needs us, but I can’t sacrifice my well-being anymore. Does this make me selfish?

If my situation were showcased on a reality show, I wonder how the audience would react. Would they see my side and the exhaustion I feel, or would they deem me ungrateful for not dedicating more to someone in need? Reality TV often amps up emotions and maybe my genuine stress would resonate with viewers, or perhaps they'd judge me harshly, influenced by dramatic portrayals and edits.

I'm currently residing in a different state from my friend, Jennifer (33F), who is in her own state. We were neighbors before life and circumstances led us to different places, and though we maintained a close-knit bond over the phone, it wasn't the same as meeting in person. Despite our enduring friendship, Jennifer has always had a tendency to stretch the truth, which complicate things sometimes.

During one of our usual text conversations, she mentioned feeling unwell and listed a few alarming symptoms including high fever and unusual bleeding. Naturally, I urged her to seek medical help, but she stubbornly refused. With growing concern, I contacted her cousin, Mike, who also happens to be a good friend of mine, to check on her since they live close to each other. Surprisingly, it turned out she had stopped communicating with him recently for reasons unknown. After multiple attempts to convince her to visit a doctor proved futile, I warned Jennifer that I might have to request a wellness check.

She finally agreed to let Mike visit to confirm her well-being. Shortly thereafter, she messaged that Mike had been over and confirmed she was okay. However, due to her history of lying, I felt compelled to verify this with Mike, who revealed he hadn't seen her in weeks. Confronted with her silence when I requested a video chat, I proceeded with the wellness check. Later, I received an irate text from Jennifer scolding me for my actions. Subsequent updates revealed she was actually fine, which left me bewildered and hurt by her deception. The day concluded with an aggressive message from her supposed "mother," threatening legal action, which I chose to ignore by blocking the number. It's been about a year, and communication has ceased, leaving me with lingering thoughts about the entire ordeal.

Imagining this scenario playing out in a reality show, the drama and intensity would likely heighten. Cameras following the frantic phone calls, the suspense of the wellness check, and the eventual confrontation could captivate an audience. Viewers might speculate on motives, discuss Jennifer's deceit, and perhaps even side with her for feeling violated. The reveal of her actual health status would be a pivotal moment, possibly leading to public debates about privacy versus concern in friendships.