Emma S
Emma Joseph
If you’re reading this, I want you to know that this moment does not define the rest of your story
When I started my freshman year, I carried more than the usual excitement and nerves with me—I carried memories, fear, and a nervous system that never seemed to fully rest. To others, I likely came across as friendly and light-hearted. I smiled easily and did my best to appear as though I always had things together. Internally, though, my body stayed on high alert, constantly scanning and preparing for the worst. I didn’t yet have the words to share this with others, but I was living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and I often wondered if it would always shape the way I moved through the world.
I spent a long time frustrated with myself. I spent many nights questioning why certain situations still felt overwhelming and why my body reacted before my mind could catch up. I feared that healing meant becoming someone else. I worried that I would always be behind, always trying to catch up to a version of myself that felt just out of reach.
Over time, I learned that healing is not about erasing what happened or pretending it never existed. It’s about learning how to live fully despite it. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder may shape the way you move through the world, but it does not limit your capacity for joy, connection, or purpose. Progress often looks like small moments of courage—choosing to stay present, sharing your story, and learning to be patient with your own body. Those moments matter, even when you can’t see the impact right away.
Let me assure you, things do get better. Not because the past magically disappears, but because you grow stronger and kinder toward yourself. You learn what safety feels like again. You learn that you are allowed to take up space exactly as you are. Slowly, the hard days lose their power, and the good days become more frequent.
If you’re reading this and are feeling tired or discouraged, please remember this: you are not weak for struggling, and you are not alone. Healing is happening, even on the days it feels invisible. Keep going. Be gentle with yourself. The life waiting for you is still full, still meaningful, and still yours.
Love,
Emma S., Wake Forest University
Connect With Us
To follow IfYoureReadingThis at Wake Forest on Instagram, get in touch with our chapter, and learn about more resources available to Wake Forest students, visit our chapter’s homepage.
