Boundaries Are Self-Care: A Therapist on Chronic Illness, Sandwich Generation Grief, and Letting People Down

Lacy is a mental health professional supporting clinicians on the streets of Los Angeles, a mom of an 18-month-old, pregnant with her second, and navigating the particular grief of watching a parent decline from dementia while her dad recovers from cancer treatment. She came into this conversation saying she focuses her clinical work on boundaries -- and then spent the next 30 minutes showing us exactly why that work is so personal.

Lacy talks about living with Type 1 diabetes and how her chronic illness has become an unlikely compass for knowing when she's not taking care of herself. She gets honest about the grief that comes in waves when your mom is still here but not really here, the invisible labor of having to educate people about your own experience, and what it actually looks like to tell someone -- even someone you love -- this is all I have to give you right now. A deeply honest episode for anyone navigating caregiving, chronic illness, and the messy work of showing up for yourself in the middle of all of it.

If this conversation resonated, The Weekly Exhale is Sarah's newsletter on nervous system regulation, burnout, and showing up for yourself in the small ways that actually matter. Sign up here.

If these conversations around caregiving resonate with you, consider using LifePlans (a company Lissy supports in an advisory role) to help you access the support and tools to help you thrive. Learn more here.

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