Silent Battles

“Nothing is wrong with her. She just wants attention,” the nurses whispered when they thought no one was listening. But as Ashley Michelle lay motionless in her hospital bed, unable to reply, she knew deep down that something was profoundly wrong. The doctors found no physical explanation for her condition, but Ashley knew the truth. A lifetime of unresolved trauma, abandonment, rejection, and substance abuse had left her overwhelmed by suicidal thoughts and feelings at age twenty-five. She no longer wanted to live—yet something she couldn’t pinpoint kept her tethered to life. Was it her four-year-old daughter? The prayers of friends and loved ones who refused to give up on her? Or a quiet, persistent feeling that perhaps God had a purpose for her pain? In this raw and deeply personal memoir, Ashley Michelle reflects on her darkest moments and the strength she found to confront her inner demons. Her story is one of heartbreak, resilience, and the unyielding hope that healing is always possible.