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Being Seen: My Journey To Self-Love

By: Katie Myers
Publisher: Love Who You Are Media
Publication Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 979-8990257917
Reviewed by: Lily Andrews
Review Date: October 1, 2024

Katie Myers candidly and openly recounts her life story in Being Seen: My Journey to Self-Love, helping families talk about their pains and fears while navigating her long-held secret, mental health concerns, addiction, and difficult-to-obtain acceptance.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, a depressed Myers left her home state of Indiana and headed to Canada, unsure of what to anticipate. All she wanted was a quick escape without understanding exactly what she was looking for. Her inability to fit in with other kids during her childhood had caused her to become increasingly reclusive. Her parents split when she was nine years old, leaving her father to raise her, despite his proclivity for dating other women. She became reliant on food during this difficult survival period, which led to a discernible gain in weight. Her only alternatives were to starve herself and over-exercise, followed by taking pills that would enhance her metabolism and make her feel less hungry, allowing her to lose weight even faster. At that moment, as she states in the book, she had no idea who she was or what her worth was. Nobody had ever told her.

Myers eventually got married and completed her master's degree while assiduously trying to hide her big, horrible secret from the outside world. The ultimate blow to her hope was the realization that she might never get pregnant. Just thinking about what other people might think of her was a continual source of worry for her.

In this book, she candidly discusses her struggles with depression, alcoholism, and suicide ideas. Given that she had lived a life driven by fear since a young age, it is unclear how long she would continue to help others stay afloat while herself was sinking. Deeper reading reveals how overthinking problems and overcomplicating situations lead to repeated cycles of depression and anxiety. Her story also reveals how solutions can just be within a person and not out there or with someone else.

Being Seen: My Journey to Self-Love seeks to encourage readers who may have similar hardships to shed their masks, be true to themselves, and stop trying to be someone they are not. It also significantly promotes healthy family-raising practices, including giving children ample time. While providing guidelines on how to steer clear of the many falsehoods that naturally follow people, the author's path is both compelling and inspirational. Other issues her story touches on are guilt, self-criticism, feeling like a failure, and how being out of step with your purpose manifests physically.

Quill says: It is important to discover who you are in the middle of the confusion that your mind and desire may generate. Anyone who wants to realize their goals, stop living up to the expectations of others, or begin believing in themselves should read this memoir. It is enlightening, realistic, and strikes all the right notes as a helpful manual for mental well-being, stability, and self-realization.

For more information on Being Seen: My Journey To Self-Love, please visit the author’s website at: www.releasewithkatie.com/author

Author Interview