Arch + Skin

I joke about it because it’s easier than pretending it didn’t happen LMAO so yes let’s talk about the elephant in the room about 2022, bc yes I had to shut my business down twice in one year to go to rehab. Only 30 days apart because it got that serious.

For a long time, I thought my story was just about addiction. Looking back, I don’t think that’s the whole story.

I think the beauty industry can attract people who already tie their worth to being productive, needed, available, and exceptional. That’s especially true for a lot of neurodivergent people. You learn to outwork everyone, ignore your body, ignore your limits, and call it passion. The more you sacrifice, the more you’re praised for it. Until one day the same behaviors that made you successful become the reason people think you’ve fallen apart.

I’m not saying the beauty industry causes addiction. I’m saying it can reward the exact traits that make it really hard to recognize when you’re headed toward burnout, self abandonment, or something much darker.

The hopeful part is that none of that has to be permanent.

Recovery didn’t just give me my life back. It gave me the chance to build a career that doesn’t require me to abandon myself to succeed. If sharing this helps even one person ask more questions, demand more respect, or realize they’re worth more than what they’re sacrificing, it’ll be worth it. 🤍