I firmly believe that the
more you avoid the
inevitable, the harder it
will hit you. In May 2018,
I finally reached my
breaking point and was
hit hard with the reality
that I, a successful
business owner, was
suffering from clinically
diagnosed depression. I
was unable to get out of
bed, I was masking the
root cause of my mental
health concerns with not
1, or 2, but 7 medications and my doctor said that I was days away from involuntary inpatient treatment. I remember sitting across from my husband, after hours of curing candles with wax-covered hands, saying that I had lost the will to live. That was the day I said farewell to thousands of social media followers and closed down Wicked Calm Candles, possibly for good.
So, how did my customers react? I had built my business around a community of customers that understood where I was coming from because they also lived with it first hand. There were a few disappointed comments, but overall, I was lucky enough to receive
overwhelming support regardless of the
fact that at that point in time, I had not come to the realization that I would be re-opening just a few short months later.
I spent the next few months focusing on my mental health. Under doctor recommendations, I reduced my medications, changed my diet, and exercised daily.
Free of all 7 medications and 30 pounds lighter, I was now equipped with not only a new sense of self, but also healthy coping mechanisms and what I call a “mental health toolbelt” to deal with anything that came my way. Despite all of this progress, I could not shake this overwhelming urge to get my hands covered in wax. I wanted to research, test, and curate those oil blends that made my heart so full.
Some things are truly out of our hands...
FEATURED SELLER — wicked calm candles
By MARY KATE DIXON
from WICKED CALM CANDLES
16