Sometimes when we scroll through social media, it can feel like everyone else is living a fabulous life. Perfect photos. Smiling faces. Exciting moments. Milestones. Achievements.
Meanwhile, we may be sitting there wondering if we’re the only ones whose life doesn’t look quite so polished.
A friend recently posted a question that made me stop and think: Do you ever feel like you’re the only one on Facebook who isn’t living a fabulous life?
It’s a powerful question.
Social media often shows the highlights of our lives, not the full story. We see celebrations, vacations, accomplishments, and carefully curated photos. But what we usually don’t see are the struggles behind the scenes, the quiet battles, the difficult days, and the parts of life that people understandably keep private.
The truth is, no one’s life is perfect, even if it sometimes appears that way online.
That post made me reflect on my own life, and I felt inspired to share a more authentic glimpse of who I really am.
The Version of Me You Usually Don’t See
↙️↙️↙️Most days, you’ll find me at home in comfortable lounge wear or sweatpants and a long-john shirt, with no makeup, and my hair is a mess. It’s not glamorous, but it’s real life. It’s the quiet, ordinary side of life that doesn’t usually show up in polished photos or highlight reels. It’s just me, at home, doing what I can each day and trying to take things one step at a time.
Like many people, I have both good things and difficult things happening in my life at the same time. Some days bring small victories, gratitude, and moments that remind me why I keep moving forward. Other days are heavier and require more patience, strength, and grace than I feel like I have. But that’s part of life too, learning how to hold both the good and the hard at the same time.
The Good
I work from home for a life insurance company through a great organization called NTI. I also volunteer with a Dog Rescue as a Medical Admin Pack Leader and Medical Records Specialist.
In addition, I serve as a Mental Health Advocate with organizations like Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
And of course, I run this blog, The Tangled Mind Haven, where I share honest conversations about mental health, healing, and navigating life with a tangled mind.
Right now, I’m also studying through MedCerts to earn dual certifications as a Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS) and a Certified Billing & Coding Specialist (CBCS).
On paper, it might sound like I’m lucky. I work from home. I volunteer from home. I study from home. I spend a lot of time at home.
And in many ways, I am grateful for that flexibility.
But there’s another side to that story.
The Parts People Don’t See
Spending so much time at home has also had some unintended consequences.
Over time, I’ve noticed myself becoming increasingly isolated. What once felt comfortable has sometimes turned into something closer to being a recluse. Between my health issues and working from home, I don’t get out nearly as much as I probably should.
And with that, isolation has come with increased anxiety.
I’ve developed more social anxiety, general anxiety, and even anxiety about going out or being around people. Sometimes I even feel nervous about traveling far from home by myself.
It’s something I’m aware of and actively trying to work on, but it’s a very real part of my life.
I also live with **Major Depressive Disorder and **Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. For more than 15 years, I was diagnosed with **Bipolar II Disorder before my diagnosis was reevaluated in 2022. Even now, I’m still processing what that change means and whether I fully agree with it.
Mental health diagnoses can be complicated, and sometimes the journey to understanding ourselves isn’t a straight path.
Alongside mental health challenges, I also live with several physical health conditions, including high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis in both knees, and ongoing issues with pain, swelling, and stiffness in my hands and fingers.
Chronic pain and chronic illness add another layer to daily life. Managing symptoms often means medications, treatments, and sometimes dealing with difficult side effects such as severe drowsiness, nausea, hand tremors, dizziness, fatigue, memory fog, lack of focus, and concentration, which I have to push through hard every single day.
I also live with a rare autoimmune skin condition called Morphea, which is a localized (my back and behind my neck) form of Scleroderma. It causes the immune system to mistakenly attack healthy tissue, leading to thickened light colored and dark patches of skin.
For me, it can also bring symptoms like severe fatigue, itching, pain, soreness, and areas where my skin feels tight, stiff, or uncomfortable. Sometimes, I have flare-ups where symptoms worsen.
Autoimmune diseases affect people differently. Like many autoimmune conditions, some days are manageable while others are more difficult, depending on how my body is feeling.
Over time, I’ve learned that chronic illness doesn’t just affect the body; it can quietly affect your mental and emotional well-being, too. When your body is constantly dealing with something, your mind often ends up carrying that weight as well.
Right now, I’m also taking a weight-loss medication because I need to lose around 40–50 pounds. So far, I’ve lost about 10 pounds and a noticeable amount of inflammation, which gives me hope. But like many medications, it comes with its own challenges as well.
And of course, there are other struggles in life that I keep private, as we all do.
The Real Me
I used to get dressed up more often when I was making videos for my beauty YouTube channel, Glitter and Sparkle by Kim. But I haven’t posted any new videos since before my father-in-law passed away last February.
The months that followed were difficult and emotionally draining, and I’m still working through some of the mental and physical aftermath of that time.
These days, I rarely get fully dressed up or put on makeup.
The “dolled up” photos you occasionally see, the polished versions of me, usually happen only for special occasions, or sometimes with a little help from AI technology.
But the real me is sometimes like this? ⤵️⤵️⤵️
I try to take a little time for myself between days in my comfy lounge wear, with light or no makeup, and maybe a little colored lip gloss, with softly styled hair. I may not be going anywhere, but investing even a small moment in myself lifts my mood and sets off a positive domino effect that carries through the rest of my day.
And honestly, I’ve learned that there is something beautiful about that kind of authenticity.
Why I’m Sharing This
I’m sharing this because I want to remind anyone reading this that real life doesn’t always look like a highlight reel.
Behind every polished photo is a human being with their own struggles, worries, fears, and imperfections.
None of us is alone in that.
If your life feels messy sometimes, if your mental health is complicated, if you’re trying your best but still feel tangled inside, you’re not the only one.
And that’s exactly why I created The Tangled Mind Haven.
Because sometimes the most powerful thing we can do for each other is simply tell the truth about what life really looks like.
❤️ Your life doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.
And your story, tangled parts and all, still matters.
The Tangled Mind Haven 