The Relationship I Endured Eventually Hurt My Body First
A close friend suddenly lost her husband. I couldn’t leave her alone in her fear and loneliness, so without stopping to think things through, I went straight to her side. I didn’t really know what I was supposed to do. But at the time, I believed that simply being there was what mattered most. So I stayed with her for a month, keeping her company. Not long after, my body began to feel unwell—for no clear reason. Living under the same roof with someone whose values and way of life are different from yours requires far more energy than we expect. At first, I thought I was just tired. Maybe it was the change of environment. Maybe the fatigue was catching up with me. But as time went on, something felt off. Inflammation spread through my body. Unexplained pain lingered. My energy dropped sharply. Worried that something serious might be wrong, I went to the hospital. The test results were unexpected. My inflammation levels were abnormally high. ...