New Trend? Why hurt yourself?

Mental Anguish with a Side of Anxiety?

It breaks my heart how often teens and young adults talk about suicide and hurting themselves. Deep pain, loneliness, and spiritual isolation are drowning hundreds of souls. I hear so many stories filled with darkness, despair, emptiness, and hopelessness. Thoughts of suicide and urges to self-harm flood the minds of those who feel rejected and unloved—wounded by social media, school interactions, and the absence of real, meaningful relationships.

What do we do when we’ve been hurt beyond what we think we can bear?
What do we do when it feels like we have no strength left?
What do we do when we’re convinced that nobody cares?

What can we do in this age of isolation to feel better?

Let me tell you what we don’t do: we don’t hurt ourselves. That is never the answer.
The answer is in finding God.
The answer is in calling on the name of Jesus Christ.

The Bible says:

“Draw close to God, and He will draw close to you.” – James 4:8
“God is faithful, and He will not let you be tried beyond your strength.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13
“Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7–9

So... what do we do?

We make a decision.
We take the first step.
We open our hearts to the love and goodness of Jesus Christ.

Alone, we can do nothing. But with Him, all things are possible!

So, do not despair.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5–6

Believe.

God can change your life in a moment. He is the healer, the giver of life. He will never fail you, never leave you, never abandon you.

But maybe you feel like He did leave you.
Maybe you’re wondering where He is.

Well—sometimes we are the ones who leave Him.
Sometimes we turn our backs on Him.
Sometimes we need to take responsibility, repent of our sins, and turn away from the things that harm us.

You may be feeling the weight of past choices, like:

– Listening to harmful music: Some music can pull you into depression and surround you with darkness. Be careful what you allow into your ears and heart.
– Watching dark or depressing movies: Media has power. Avoid anything that fills your spirit with sorrow, worthlessness, or fear.
– Choosing the wrong friends: In some cultures, there’s a saying: "Better to be alone than in bad company." A toxic friend can drag you down, betray your trust, or influence you to make destructive decisions. You don’t need a crowd. You need Jesus—and maybe just one good person: a true friend, a family member, a teacher, priest, or pastor.

Make up your mind today:
Suicide and self-harm are NOT options.
Remove those words from your vocabulary. They don’t belong in your life. Ever.

If you’ve ever had those thoughts or acted on them, repent.
Turn away from that pain and toward God’s healing.

Have a change of heart.
A change of mind.
A change in direction.

And always remember:

God can make all things brand new.

Pray for a good person to come into your life—someone you can trust. God will provide.
Avoid toxic people as much as possible, and protect your heart. Don’t share your secrets with those who won’t value them.

Most of all, know that I’m praying for you.
And if you ever need someone to talk to, email me at: light_in_u@yahoo.com
Or message me on Instagram: @sacredheartrosaries

I’m here for you.
With love,
Princess in Overalls

Blinding Lights...and if the Narcissist is you ?

What to Do When All Seems Lost

I was sitting in church today, thinking and praying, and it dawned on me how sensitive we humans can be when it comes to constructive criticism.

If someone came to us while we were feeling stuffed up and said we might have a cold, we wouldn’t take offense. If someone noticed we had a fever and were coughing up a storm, we wouldn’t be upset if they suggested we might have the flu. Goodness, even if someone suggested we might have COVID, we wouldn’t take offense.

But if we’re struggling with mental or emotional suffering, many people do take offense when a loved one gently suggests we might share some of the blame. Perhaps it’s something in our lifestyle—or maybe it’s our attitude. Perhaps the person talking to us sees something we can’t. Maybe it’s a friend or a parent who listens intently, then says:

“I think you can be selfish sometimes,”

or “I think you manipulate people,”

or “Sometimes you’re cruel,”

or “You never apologize,”

or even “You gaslight others at times.”

Maybe someone who truly loves us has the courage to say:

“Sometimes you behave like a narcissist.”

How would we react? I think 95% of the time, people would get defensive and take offense. When it comes to our personality, most of us have a hard time hearing criticism—even from someone we love, even when it’s constructive.

When it comes to narcissism, it’s true that some people struggle with it more than others—but in my opinion, we’re all battling narcissistic traits to some extent. I think the blame-shifting began with Adam and Eve: Adam said the woman made him do it; Eve said the serpent made her do it. But in reality, no one made anyone do anything. Each of them freely chose not to trust God. Each of them freely broke their perfect bond of love. Each chose to do their own will. And ever since then, we’ve all been doing the same.

So in my opinion, narcissism isn’t something we should try to spot in others—it’s something we must try to spot in ourselves. When we’re selfish, when we devalue others, when we gaslight, lie, are harsh, overly critical, or manipulative—when we choose to act this way, we need to recognize it.

Because honestly, that’s why God came to this earth—to die for us.

So we can see that no matter how ugly our state, He loves us. No matter how ugly we’ve behaved, salvation is a gift for us too. And no matter how dark the situation may seem, there is always hope. Hope that we can change. Hope that we can heal. Hope that situations can improve.

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.  And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a new heart" Ezekiel 36:26

I’ll be writing a series of posts about narcissism because I believe there’s a lot of pain out there—both in the hearts of those hurt by narcissists, and in the hearts of narcissists themselves. Because while some people want to paint narcissists as hopeless or evil, if you think you might be one—or if you love someone who struggles with it—know this:

Jesus Christ died for the sins of all.

He died for you. For me. For even the worst among us.

So if you’re a narcissist and have been feeling hopeless, know that God can heal it all. He can give you grace and change even the darkest heart. With Jesus Christ, there is always hope.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinth. 5:17

This Easter, start anew. Give your heart to the One who loved you so much that He died for you.

Give your heart to Jesus Christ.

He makes all things new.

"We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father's love for us."  St. John Paul II

"I have given everything to my Master: He will take care of me." St. Josephine Bakhita

Note:

If something in this post touched your heart, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share your thoughts or your own story in the comments —your voice matters !

also...

I offer Talks and Workshops:

I can come to your school or to your church etc,  the topics would be from any of my posts.

For Ideas Contact Me: carolinaakoglu@gmail.com Subject: Princess in Overalls