Life Coach Issues Stories

I have major mental health and anger issues! I’ve tried to seek help online and people always try to patronise me and fix me until things get difficult and negative or “toxic”. It honestly just pisses me off! Suck people should be in no position to help me

Hi, just call me X. This is my first time venting. I found this online space in my desperation to find somewhere I could just shout everything out. At least, even if it’s virtual, it feels like a release. I’ll also be honest—I’m using ChatGPT to refine my sentences so they’re clearer for anyone who might read this and find it relatable. I might be posting more, who knows?

Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try to change, no one around you notices or cares? It’s exhausting to keep adjusting yourself, hoping to meet their expectations, only to have them keep seeing you as the same person you were before. Even the people you trust the most—the ones who should understand—seem stuck on who they think you are. It’s like they’ve decided they know you too well, so every action you take gets misinterpreted through that lens. You’re out here making all this effort to grow and meet their needs, but it feels like no one even acknowledges how much you're trying. It’s draining, and honestly, it makes you wonder if it’s even worth it.

i want to hit my head against a wall until my brain spills out. i'd bend over, crumpling down to the floor with a newfound lightness. my hands would reach out, towards the lump of misshapen meat on the carpet, grasping at the stem. i'd pull. and pull. and pull and pull. it would unwind in my hands, onto the floor like a spool of red thread. decorated along the pink tissue would be miniscule lines. microscopic letters; descriptions of events and people and places decipherable only by the innermost part of the self -- the heart.

and so, i would dig my fingernails in deep. deep. and deeper. deeper and deeper still. and then, my fingers would grasp the weakly pulsating bloody mass. i'd pull. and pull. and pull and pull. it'd tear out of my ribcage in a satisfying manner, with a sickly sweet squelch. blood would spill out of my concave chest and stain the white carpet. my thumbnails would find purchase in the surface of the organ, peeling it open like one would an orange, splitting open at the aorta and downwards past the purkyne tissue. inside, what is inside? i peer in. i wish i hadn't. there is no answer. none. none at all. none of this matters. i tear and tear and tear into myself for nothing. i drive a blade with practiced precision into the supple flesh of my skin in an attempt to peel it away and gain even a glimpse at the person i am within, naked and bare for none to see. there is no substance. i fall. no one hears. there is nothing to hear. for i am nothing, and everything at once. i have no substance to myself, but i mimic fragments of what others do. fragments. shards. a million glass shards when glued together don't form a mirror. engraved into my subconscious. an effort to please. to be neutral. to be perceived.

and then i receive it. an answer. an answer! at last, at last. i see it. i see it all. so clear. so clear indeed. i am a grotesque, misshapen amalgamation of everything and everyone i hold dear. a summation of everything equalling to nothing of substance. nothing of value. i know what i am.

i smile as i bleed out onto the red carpet.

I might be stepping on some toes here, but there’s an unavoidable issue we need to address regarding life coaching. While it may seem controversial, I believe that the concept of coaching another person's life raises several ethical concerns.

Firstly, let's acknowledge that individuals with a diverse and challenging past might feel motivated to offer advice based on their experiences. This intention, typically stemming from a desire to help, is largely well-meaning. I'm not accusing life coaches of having malicious intents. However, it’s imperative that they approach coaching with a sense of humility, openly discussing their own faults and failures when guiding others. Omitting these personal struggles can come across as arrogance or even condescension.

Many life coaches are exceptionally intelligent, possess great public speaking skills, and are adept at marketing themselves through books and seminars. These talents, while commendable, can sometimes lead to a superiority complex where they seem to imply, "Look how I succeeded, you should emulate me". This attitude, characterized by a lack of humility and an unwillingness to acknowledge personal flaws, doesn't inspire respect but may border on narcissism.

It’s more impactful when someone admits to ongoing struggles, such as saying, "I have a tough time with this even today". This kind of honesty fosters connection and trust more than the often-hollow appearance of having a perfect life.

From an outsider's standpoint, the best approach for a life coach is to embrace imperfection and stop projecting an image of flawlessness. I've observed that not all life coaches exhibit an egoistic attitude, but it's prevalent enough to raise concerns.

Just to be clear, I'm no saint myself. I tend to overthink, I can be quick-tempered, and my organization skills often leave much to be desired. I look forward to possibly contentious replies that may just prove my point, or perhaps some reflective responses that consider the value of genuine self-disclosure in life coaching.

Imagine if I voiced these opinions on a reality show. The reaction would likely be polarizing – some might praise the candor, while others could criticize it as being overly harsh or unsupportive of individuals working in the life coaching industry. How would the viewers respond to such blunt critique in a setting known for drama and heightened emotions?

We've been divorced for a while now, and we only interact because of the kids. The less I have to deal with her, the better. She's always been full of drama and negativity. Recently, she's been acting differently. She says it's because she's been seeing a "life coach" or something like that. I guess that's just another term for an unlicensed therapist lol. I couldn't care less.

Last week, she called me and asked if I would join her for sessions with this life coach. Oh, and she had the life coach on the call too. I tried not to laugh. It felt like a bad joke. Obviously, I don't believe in that nonsense. She claimed she had "unresolved trauma" that she needed to work through with me so she could become the person she was meant to be.

I started laughing.

I told her if she wanted to waste her time with quacks, that was her choice. But she should leave me and our kids out of it.

Her life coach said I was being "aggressive," so I told her she was just one step above a phone psychic and should be ashamed of herself for preying on lonely, bored women.

Then I hung up.

I sometimes wonder how people would react if this was all on a reality show. Would they see the absurdity of it, or think I'm the bad guy here? The drama would be off the charts, that's for sure.