Therapist Reacts - Not Without my Ghost by The Amity Affliction 

From ThriceTheThird: I spent so long pretending I wasn't angry because all of my anger was directed inward. I think being able to let this anger out in healthy outlets is important. Glad you found one to do so! I'm sorry that you have experienced you're worst news in awhile, but also super excited that you got some best news directly after! Letting out how you feel is important. Thanks for sharing it here.

From JennaLouise: Hi Friend, I’m so happy that you’ve found music that speaks to your soul and allows you to express how you feel in a healthy way. Music is something ghat does that for me as well. I can always find a song that says what I’m feeling or can help me realize what I’m feeling. I’m so happy that you’ve noticed that progress in your life. Wishing you only the best, friend.

From NateTriesAgain: Wow - the kindness of the timing of that...to have your lowest low in a long time followed by the best news you've heard in over a year....that's so kind. You're right - it's hard when you lose even the memory of goodness in your life...honestly, there's something to "just staying in motion". You just keep going, and you kind of don't acknowledge how lost or how bad things are. You just...wake up, and do your thing. But when there are moments that cause you to reflect and realize - holy shit, I'm not well - those moments are difficult. Because you recognize the subconscious weight you've been carrying all this time, and the exhaustion, the hopelessness of it all hits you like a ton of bricks. It's hard to "just keep going" after moments like that when your knees buckle. I'm impressed that you have found a way to keep your head above water, and I admire the strength you have - you might not know it, might not feel it, or sense it, or in your day to day feel like you have much to offer...but just looking at your story, knowing that's what you carry - for you to continue on...that's strength. I'm curious - now that you're aware, or perhaps freshly awoken, to this cloud over your life. What do you want to do about it? Do you remember when in your story you lost the sun? Do you feel in your gut like you know where to go or turn to make things better, reinstate some hope?

From tromboness: Thanks for sharing! I'm glad you were able to express the emotions that you haven't shown, and that you have the opportunity to meet such inspiring musicians! I hope that if those dark times come again, you can remember that the sun is still there even when you cannot see it. Take care!

From Micro: Thank you so much for sharing all of this. It's so nice to hear how this news has been lifting you up, especially after navigating tough emotions fora long time. It truly is incredible how the way we feel can be conveyed through other's music and art. I have myself learned to discover how much anger was actually part of things I could feel, and that it wasn't wrong to feel it. It has a reason to be present. Thankful for you and that this has been an outlet in your life as well - to start reflecting on what could have been suppressed, and for the very fact that what you feel is absolutely valid. You are not alone under this dark cloud <3 And who knows, maybe it is through the healing connections we seek and create, just like right here and now, that we actively bring back the sun to us. Somehow it has never left - it's just more difficult to see it sometimes. I believe you will able to see it again.

From Micro: My heart goes out to you. So much. Words are simply not enough sometimes, but I wanted to let you know that someone out there is rooting for you. It must have been such a traumatic event but to lose your husband so suddenly. While you were all celebrating and rejoicing together... I'm so sorry this happened, friend. It sounds like your husband was such a beautiful soul that you bonded with so deeply. It feels so special to find someone who sees us beyond any mask we would try to wear, someone we can be genuine and authentic with. There's enough pressure in this world to constantly perform and be someone we're not -- it gives such a relief when there is this level of trust and safety shared with another person. And for you to see him as he was, to know him truly, what a gift. It makes sense to feel so hurt and to want to be with him as soon as possible. There is something so brutally unfair in losing the person we love the most. It's hard to envision a future without them, to even consider how life could be while feeling their absence within. It must feel like this emptiness is going to eat you alive anytime. It's so heavy. I'm just a stranger to you, but still I'm so proud of you for sharing about your husband here. Because in the midst of such a grief, the first temptation is to isolate and let ourselves drown into our despair. The pain is harp and so very real it overshadows everything. I'm proud of you for connecting and opening up about what you are going through. By posting here, you have been transforming the silence that is left into something profoundly human and honest. You are sharing the voice of your husband and who he was to you, and that is such a precious gift to anyone reading, to this world. I hope you are patient with your heart through all of this, regardless of how messy it can be most of the time. You matter so very much. Hold Fast, friend.

Thank you!!!

Thank you!!

awww thank you so much for this sweet message. I am so glad it resonated with you!!! thank you for sharing

From Micro: It is so heartwarming to see and read about how much this content's video has inspired you. That's what this organization and community is all about! As you said so very well: this is a cause that is too often left behind. We collectively need to open more spaces and enable these conversations that *feel* so difficult, so heavy, but once unfolded actually appear to be deeply *healing*. It has surely been life saving to me -- learning to be vulnerable, seeing my own struggles and demons through a different light -- and oh how much music has been an outlet to help me keep holding on at times. No struggle should ever have to be dealt with in isolation and solitude. It is thanks to THESE connections that the narrative can change, and thanks to people like YOU, who bravely open up, that more inspiration can be brought up all around. Just with your comment here, you may encourage someone to reach out, and that is one of the greatest gifts possible. We're all on the same boat trying to figure out this crazy thing called life -- professionals, non-professionals, all included! This is about being human. This is about us all.

Thank you so much!!!

From Lisalovesfeathers: I am truly sorry for the losses you have had, I cannot imagine what you have been and are still going through, grief is a difficult and very personal thing however it is always helpful to hear others ideas, thoughts and experiences of a difficult situation that you, yourself are going through. If you need to talk to please come to the heartsupport wall (if of course you want to) you will always find people there that will hear you and support you. You are not alone friend. Lisa x

From Micro: I'm so very sorry for the loss of your wife, and truly hope that you have been supported through all of this. It must have been such a heartbreaking journey for you. So very thankful that you are here today, sharing about it, about her, and carrying on her voice into this world. You matter. :heart:

@jaydinspapa, you are so right. That song and video especially are so powerful. I will never forget that imagery in the video. She should hear that song.

From Mystrose: It's really awesome how music can help us thru hard times, especially dealing with bad mental demons. I'm really happy that this helps you and I hope that those demons stay away and that you are at peace. You matter!

From Micro: Hey friend. So glad you have found comfort and encouragement thanks to their music. It is truly incredibly how much some specific bands or music somehow just walk alongside us as we go through specific chapters of our life. Personally, I definitely have a list of bands that, whenever I listen to them, bring me this strong sense of comfort, of being understood in my struggles, without necessarily having to talk to someone about it. Just the possibility of having our emotions and thoughts mirrored can feel so very healing and encouraging. If I may ask, is there one music in particular that you'd recommend? Any that resonates particularly with your heart? Would love to get to know you better through listening to a music you personally feel connected with! -- Thank you for sharing and commenting. I hope that your demons are now behind you, or at least befriended so they don't control your life in any way. You are loved. You matter so very much.

From bmao: @allstarscope Wow- I feel you on this one. Thank you for being so open and honest- it is truly appreciated. It can be so hard to think of those relationships that once mattered so much, and now they are seemingly strangers. You once shared so much in that person, relied on them, knew so much about them, and now it is as if you never knew each other. That can feel so crushing- like that time together was wasted because the relationship didn't last. Or we end up deep in self-reflection trying to figure out what we may have done to cause the relationship fracture. I know your pain because I went through the same feelings when I broke up with my ex. We went from being so close to being strangers with bad tension between tension, and that whiplash really messed with me. That same situation applied to my entire friend group as well, as all of them seemed to fall away from me as well. It left me questioning what I may have done and feeling haunted by the memories of our time together. That feeling can surely be enough to make us feel like lying in a grave, because we are left feeling alone, hollow, and rejected. I'm so sorry that those around you aren't supporting your passion for music. That can feel devastating. You poured your heart into your music, and no one will give 5 minutes of their time to listen to your voice. I know this struggle as I'm a musician as well who has faced this multiple times in the past. I want to let you know that you are not alone. Your worth is not defined by the circle of people around you. People will often let us down, but their shortcomings do not reflect our character. Though those people may not be in your life anymore, you continue to move forward everyday and grow into who you truly are. It is their loss that they don't get to know the amazing person that you are today! The power of your music is not defined by your listener base. Trust me- I know how hard it can be to internalize that, but it rings true. The power of music is what it means to YOU. It is incredible that you have music as a outlet to express yourself, and whether you have millions of listeners or none, you are still able to express yourself in a way that many will never be able to. I pray that you know how much you matter, regardless of what your relationships with others may look like. You are unique, and no one can replace you. You are so loved and your life truly does make a difference. Thank you so much for opening up. If you ever need to talk more we are here for you.

From reem182: @allstarscope Hey friend, thank you so much for your honesty and vulnerability. It is so incredibly hard to move on in life when those you love the most are on their own journey, and you feel left behind with only the memories you had with them. After a certain point, it feels like you're completely alone and that no one cares about you. And those feelings make it feel like you don't even have a reason to live anymore. That is so heavy, so hard to deal with. As someone who posts their own lyrics on social media too, I've been discouraged many times when people don't seem to respond to them or connect with anything I have to say. It feels like my words or passions don't matter. But even just the fact that I can relate to those feelings proves that you are not alone in this struggle. For me, I used to spend so much time caring about what others think and basing my value on other people's lives and opinions. I still struggle with it, but I've learned that my worth is not based on what other people do or what others say about me. Easier said than done, yes, but by refocusing my mindset and finding worth in my passions without the judgment of others has given me so much peace and joy to keep pushing forward. It is awesome that you are passionate about music, and even if others don't share that same passion, nobody can take your excitement away from you! I'm sorry that it is really hard for you right now, and you are not wrong or bad for feeling upset about it. But, while you have breath in your lungs, I truly believe that there is hope for a brighter future, one where memories of what could have been do not control your life. You are passionate about music and lyrics, and that is amazing! You are not alone in that at all. Sometimes it can feel like our lives are filled with scarcity, with very little to live for. But the fact that you are honest and vulnerable and looking for a brighter future proves that there is abundance ahead, waiting for you beyond this hard season. Keep holding on, keep sharing your passions, and know that other people's decisions or thoughts cannot define you. You are so much more than people have given you credit for, and you deserve love, not just memories. I am thinking of you tonight my friend and praying that freedom and peace find you, wherever you are.