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Anna Jolliff

Nov 7
7 min

Jackie's Story

Far from being “crazy” or “disordered,” Jackie’s symptoms were a sign that she was fully human.

1 comment

Anna Jolliff

Sep 5
4 min

Ex-therapist sees a therapist

This dispassionate and depressed ex-therapist has seen a therapist three times, and a couples therapist another six.

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Anna Jolliff

Jun 12
3 min

Am I a failure for quitting my job?

I have also bounced between jobs and places and even entire belief systems, waiting for something to feel right.

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I'm right on time, and right where I need to be

Anna Jolliff

May 29
3 min

I'm right on time, and right where I need to be

The fear of being unfaithful to my calling is something I have thought about every day, usually multiple times per day, since I was 12.

5 comments

Anna Jolliff

Mar 6
4 min

On wanting what you don't have

Happiness isn’t having what you want; it’s wanting what you have. The first time I heard this saying, I agreed. It seems to make sense bo...

6 comments

Anna Jolliff

Feb 14
2 min

Sober on Valentine's Day

Maybe Valentine's Day stress you out. Maybe you can’t imagine a sober one. Or maybe it's no big deal for you; maybe you'd even forgotten ...

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6 things it's hard to say aloud (part 2)

Anna Jolliff

Sep 20, 2019
3 min

6 things it's hard to say aloud (part 2)

On Tuesday, we discussed three things I once struggled to say aloud. As I created this list, I realized that I was quickly listing almost...

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6 things it's hard to say aloud
(part 1)

Anna Jolliff

Sep 17, 2019
3 min

6 things it's hard to say aloud (part 1)

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to share my story in a women’s recovery meeting. These days I rarely get nervous, largely because of th...

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Anna Jolliff

Sep 10, 2019
5 min

This time, with a girl

This story starts on July 20th, 2018. I was interviewing for my current position, and she was asking the questions. At that time in my li...

6 comments

Anna Jolliff

Aug 20, 2019
3 min

The beginning of the bottom

Fifteen days before I quit drinking, I saw a dinner invite on my then-boyfriend’s calendar. At the time, we worked at one of those creepy...

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Anna Jolliff

Aug 9, 2019
4 min

How to kick ass at being sad

Last week, I said goodbye to a dear friend. She isn’t dead (and neither am I), but she is leaving. She moved 2,000 miles away to begin me...

1 comment

Anna Jolliff

Jul 19, 2019
4 min

All about my worst fear

It’s been a long time since I’ve discussed the Enneagram. In the meantime, I’ve just been four-ing around. You know, feeling feelings, be...

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Anna Jolliff

Jul 12, 2019
4 min

Meditation with an eating disorder

There are a lot of good reasons to avoid working the twelve steps. Certainly, listing out every resentment ever is scary. Undeniably, the...

2 comments

Anna Jolliff

Jul 9, 2019
3 min

Confession: I've been forcing it.

Imagine you were asked to complete a 500-piece puzzle. For me, that’s easy enough; as long as I have unlimited time, snacks, and somethin...

3 comments

Anna Jolliff

Jul 2, 2019
3 min

When you're 14 and feeling bad

While other kids rebelled through sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, I set myself apart from my siblings by throwing up average performances ...

2 comments

Anna Jolliff

Jun 28, 2019
4 min

I accidentally drank alcohol. Now what?

What happens when an alcoholic accidentally drinks? Today, we're featuring this question from a reader. I'm [name] and I’m an alcoholic. ...

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Anna Jolliff

Jun 21, 2019
2 min

How to spot a geographic cure

In recovery meetings, the topic of “geographic cures” (also called "geographics") comes up quite a lot. Simply put, geographics are atte...

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Read this when you're feeling inadequate.

Anna Jolliff

Jun 11, 2019
4 min

Read this when you're feeling inadequate.

In the last few months of blogging, people have sometimes complimented my willingness to be vulnerable. Good for you, they say. That take...

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Anna Jolliff

Jun 7, 2019
3 min

On trusting others with their own pain

One of my first blog posts focused on being an “empath.” At the time, there was a fundamental question that I was trying - and, in practi...

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Anna Jolliff

May 25, 2019
3 min

Working the scary steps (feat. step 4)

Women my age are constantly accused of being insecure. This trait is thought to drive our actions, from what we post on Instagram or dati...

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