I am an addict. To the core of my being I am an addict and I have spent 28 years reinforcing it. Only in the past two years have I actually realized that instant gratification will always hold me back from what and who I want to be. I first came across Psychology in 2016 when I was a business major. I fell in love instantly and I thought I would find all the answers I needed. Around two years into studying Psychology I realized that knowing the information and living it is very different. I started my own healing journey and I have been working on myself ever since. I have continued to study psychology but I also started to work on my physical health. I eventually became so in love with this, because remember I am an addict, that I got certified as a personal trainer. I thought this must be the answer. Physical and mental health. If I make these my focus how could I not be healthy? I worked on my physical health and I thought the more I put into this the easier it will be to quit smoking. To quit being an addict. I got as fit as I have ever been and still I couldn’t quit smoking. I couldn’t stop my addictive behavior. I just transferred it. So I took a course in motivation and I tried to dig deeper into why I was doing what I do? How can I KNOW all these things about physical and mental health but my behavior isn’t changing. I continued to study fitness and Psychology. I am a persistent person. I am compassionate and I tried my best to help my clients change their behavior with not a lot of success. I worked in a mental health clinic as an intake coordinator so I have gotten to hear so many stories of people seeking help. So many different stories, yet there is something similar underlying in all of them. I have finally realized that I will never stop being an addict, or not in the way I have tried before. I will never just stop a behavior. It is like a table and addiction was one of the legs holding up my table. Everything I tried to pull it my whole table fell. I realize now that I am striving for balance. Social, physical, mental, financial and spiritual health. I also realize now that this will look different for every single person which is why I believe that interdisciplinary studies is right for me. I am currently a Qualified Mental Health Associate in the state of Oregon. I will finish my Bachelor’s degree this year and I will continue my education on to my Master’s degree. I will continue to educate myself on physical and mental health but I am also going to include aspects of social, spiritual, and financial health as well. I will continue to live and learn through my own experience. I want to work with individuals who are focused on their overall wellness and professionals interested in integrated health. My goal is to have my own practice in the future where I partner with other professionals that share my passion and openness.