I Just Wanted Love eBook
Every human being comes into the world wanting to be loved. Without love, we are left with heartache, pain, grief, regret, shame, and guilt. This is not how I wanted to live my life.
Download Complimentary eBook Chapter
At 26, I set out on a journey to help others as a licensed psychotherapist. I set up shop in Seattle and attempted to do the best work I could possibly do. I wanted to help heal others of heartache, pain, grief, regret, shame, and guilt. It was a challenge that I wanted to overcome. “How will I do this?” I often pondered. I hadn’t yet healed my own wounds.
Trying to be present for other people’s issues was the most challenging effort of my life. I was not only a therapist but a teacher. My clients looked to me for education, guidance, and reassurance that life wouldn’t always be so cruel. I couldn’t offer much reassurance, but I could offer one thing: I would be present as long as they showed up and did the work. And they did…
As my clients were showing up and my practice was starting to take off, I felt this nagging sensation buried deep inside. Something was missing. I still didn’t feel like I was loved. This was a deeply rooted feeling that I couldn’t shake. As I tried to fight it so I could stay present for my clients, I sunk into an abyss of shame.
The shame told me “I am not good enough”, “I don’t deserve to be loved”, “and I will be a failure in this business”. How was I supposed to manage now?!
I hit bottom and realized that I didn’t love myself. That was what I was missing. I had no earthly idea how to genuinely love myself. With the guidance of a therapist, I ventured into a space of self-discovery.
I came to understand that several of my negative thoughts and behaviors were caught up in an addictive cycle. I am a codependent person and a sex and love addict. First, I placed my value dependent on what other people thought about me. I was raised in a less-than-nurturing and sometimes abusive household. I grew up believing that I was “worthless”, “only good for taking care of others”, and “never going to be loved”.
Secondly, I spent most of my life caught up in other people, places, and things that were distracting me from my goals of finding love and happiness. The shame that was deep-seated kept me believing that I would never, ever be loved, by anyone.
Lastly, sex became my most important need, because I learned that if I had sex I would be appreciated and accepted. These false beliefs almost cost me my life.
It was all bullshit. I had to learn that I am worthy of love. I found out I was lovable, loving, and loved by trusting in the power of 12-step meetings. I found a community that accepted me for all my traits, including my flaws. I found a sponsor who guides me on a journey of self-discovery that is natural, loving, and healing.
Through my work, I have been able to truly be present at my practice. I now help others find out who they are and determine who they want to be. No fairy tales here; just real-life work by real people wanting to be loved.
I chronicled my life and journey to healing in my latest book, I Just Wanted Love: Recovery of a Codependent, Sex and Love Addict, available on Amazon.
Reach out now
If you are struggling with addiction, codependency, or trauma and want to start on your road to recovery, reach out to D.J. Burr at ABLE Life Recovery today. D.J. provides individual and group therapy for people in Washington, Georgia, Vermont, Virginia, South Carolina, and Oregon.
