For nearly a year, maybe more, a lack of energy and listlessness has disrupted my entire life. I couldn’t work, sleep peacefully, enjoy the moment, or do much of anything. A few weeks ago, I finally realized that I had severely failed in the process of self-discovery and self-treatment, and decided to seek help.

My search for a good psychologist led me to a doctor whose subtle positive effects I can feel so far. After three sessions, they concluded that we also needed to intervene with medication in my current situation, and they introduced me to their mentor, a psychiatrist. Together, my psychologist, my psychiatrist, and I determined that my main problem was insomnia. And the cause of this insomnia is none other than a breathing problem. Yes, for years I’ve been unable to breathe properly, often waking up choking during sleep, which has disrupted my life and drained my energy. Now a third doctor has joined my treatment process to address this issue, and I’ll likely need surgery soon to resolve a thirty-year-old problem that was recently discovered and worsened.

I’m not hopeful that I’ll return to my best days quickly, but I hope that by the time I do, my life hasn’t been too badly damaged.