There’s Nothing Wrong With You (And There Never Was)
Original voice behind “There’s Nothing Wrong With You (And There Never Was),” a phrase I coined to name the truth of our untouchable wholeness. I write for misfits, badasses, and anyone kicking ass at recovery—from anything. Cult survivor. Accept no substitutes.
In 2016, I founded the Voices on Addiction column at The Rumpus—a first-of-its-kind literary space devoted to publishing stories from across the full spectrum of addiction. From the beginning, I made it a priority to feature not just those in recovery from substance use, but anyone impacted by addiction: family members, friends, clinicians, artists, writers, and people navigating the gray areas in between. It was never about one kind of addiction or one kind of recovery. It was about human experience—messy, honest, and unfiltered.
The column became a home for those impacted by addiction and seeking affirmation. It broke stigma by breaking silence. We published personal essays, interviews, and hybrid work that reveal the complexity of healing, the multiplicity of truths, and the radical act of telling the real story—without shame, apology, or polish.
When I launched my own Substack, There’s Nothing Wrong With You (And There Never Was), I carried that ethos forward. I widened the definition of recovery itself—not just recovery from addiction, but from religious trauma, family scapegoating, perfectionism, high-control systems, and anything else that severs us from our original wholeness. I named what I’ve always known to be true: recovery is recovery from anything that disconnects us from ourselves.
My goal was to expand the frame. To make room for grief, trauma, relapse, rage, love, and survival. To insist that recovery is as diverse, layered, and unruly as the lives we’ve lived.
We are all in exile from our original wholeness — our true essence.
I first wrote the words There’s Nothing Wrong With You (And There Never Was) in 2015. They’ve lived on my professional page for the past seven years, and they’ve shaped my recovery work (from anything) with misfits, survivors, and outsiders for more than a decade.
In July 2024, I gave them a new home as a Substack newsletter.
I created There’s Nothing Wrong With You (And There Never Was) for everyone—because while it especially hits home for those who’ve been silenced, pathologized, or cast out, it speaks to something deeper: the root error of our culture. The belief that we must earn our worth isn’t just a lie—it’s the very engine of social injustice. It’s what drives othering, fear, control, and disconnection.
Real isn’t an aesthetic. It’s a becoming. A return to our original wholeness.
You can’t perform it. You can’t fake it.
But you can recognize it. And when you do, you’ll know.
Est. 2015. Still true.
How to recover (from anything), find your badass, kick-ass, and align with your true self.
I’ve spent years working this land—not land you can see on a map, but the geography of my life. I cleared it. I tended it. I named it. I invented a language to describe it. Through that labor, a poetics emerged—my poetics. Not borrowed. Not inherited. Invented. This is authorship. This is my land.
I write from the territory of truth-telling and pattern-breaking—working at the intersections of psychological depth, spiritual integrity, and generational trauma. This kind of writing doesn’t always land easily. It touches collective nerves, disturbs inherited scripts, and sometimes invites misunderstanding, resistance, or projection. But it’s what I’m here to do. Because some of you recognize it. Because it’s how I return to my truest self and my intact wholeness. Welcome to the territory. If you’re here, it’s meant to be.
What you get:
My experience, strength, and hope, as well as the HOW of recovery in specific, concrete actions, because recovering is lifelong, and this journey is a wild adventure that keeps on giving. Minimum two posts a month.
When I say I’ll share the how of recovery, I don’t mean recovery from one specific thing because I want to focus instead on the childhood and societal conditioning that leads to dis-ease and illness of all kinds and creates the need for recovery to begin with — See below.
Instead of giving you a box or a model to adapt to, you’re the template. You will be empowered here to find what’s true for you, recognize what’s not, and stand in the light of your soul - yours and nobody else’s.
Passion and purpose. A major perk of recovery is finding your passion and purpose, which happens when we align with our true selves. Mine is writing.
Your support matters
Give it away to keep it
…is my guiding light. Therefore, becoming a paid subscriber is a way to join me in freely giving what you’ve received. Pass it forward. Enough paid subscriptions will help me pay readers who contribute to my quarterly if not monthly special features on “how to recover (from anything).
Be part of.
I don’t know how this story’s supposed to go
I don’t know a lot of things that other people know
But it ain’t about the money, ain’t about who’s right or wrong
We’re all just walking each other home. ~ Mary Gauthier
What readers say
“Recover like a motherfucker with Kelly T!”
-Chris Moore, situation/story
“Interested in Addiction Recovery and FSA? Check out Kelly Thompson and There’s Nothing Wrong With You (And There Never Was).”
-Rebecca C. Mandeville LMFT CCPT Family Scapegoating Abuse (FSA)
"Kelly is the necessary angel that writes beautifully, honestly, tenderly, exquisitely — each word carries a message, a healing balm. I just read "Angels Among Us. Trust Yourself and You Will Know How to Live." It touches me deeply in ways I am sure you already know—given the powerful love injected with each word. I'm in awe of her wisdom and realness.”
- Prajna O’Hara The Salty Crone
Break Free. Reclaim Yourself. There’s Nothing Wrong With You—And There Never Was.
A Home for Misfits, Outsiders, Those in Recovery (from anything), and Those Ready to Drop the False Self
You’ve Been Told the Problem Is You. It Never Was.
For years, you’ve been fed a lie—that you were too sensitive, too rebellious, too broken. Maybe you were the black sheep, the scapegoat, or the golden child trapped in an impossible role. You played by the rules, or you shattered them, but either way, you were told you were wrong.
Here’s the truth: You were never the problem. The system was. The expectations were. The narratives handed to you were designed to keep you small, compliant, and silent. This space is for those who refuse to accept that anymore.
Who This Is For
If you’ve ever felt like you don’t belong—because you think differently, because you see through the illusion, because you’ve struggled to fit inside a box that was never meant for you—you belong here.
This is for:
Scapegoats, truth-tellers, and misfits who were blamed for seeing reality too clearly.
Those in recovery—from addiction, from fundamentalist religion, from toxic family dynamics, from people-pleasing, from a lifetime of trying to be “good enough.”
Golden children and rule-followers who did everything “right” only to discover it was never enough.
The exhausted performers—the good girls, the nice guys, the straight-A students, the corporate ladder climbers—who played the role they were given but are finally ready to drop the mask.
Anyone ready to align with their true self and live on their own terms, without apology.
We Are Not Here to Be Fixed—We Are Here to Be Free
Too often, the world offers us solutions that only reinforce the idea that we are inherently flawed. We’re told to heal, to improve, to be better, as if our very existence needs correcting. But what if there’s nothing wrong with you? What if the systems, the expectations, the narratives that were handed to you were the real problem all along?
This Substack isn’t about self-improvement. It’s about self-recognition. It’s about remembering what the world tried to make you forget: your wholeness, your right to take up space, your ability to name your own experience.
What You’ll Find Here
Stories that validate your lived experience. You are not alone, and you never were. Read about the woman who left her abusive family to live in another country and found herself, or the person who stopped chasing approval and finally breathed freely.
Language that liberates instead of confines. Words shape reality. Let’s reshape ours. Instead of “failure,” let’s talk about “freedom from expectations.” Instead of “broken,” let’s recognize “unlearning.”
Perspectives that challenge the narratives you were given. You were never the problem. The child labeled “rebellious” was often the one brave enough to ask, “Why?” To only one willing to point out the elephant in the room.
Conversations about recovery in all its forms. Healing is not about becoming more acceptable to the world—it’s about reclaiming yourself. Whether it’s from addiction, a toxic workplace, or a belief system that stifled your spirit, your path is valid.
A community of fellow misfits, outsiders, scapegoats, truth-tellers, and all who are ready to align with their true selves. Because the ones who don’t fit are often the ones who see the most clearly.
Clear, tangible results. Expect to reclaim your voice, set stronger boundaries, break free from self-doubt, and recognize your worth outside of external validation. Expect to shift from seeking approval to owning your truth, from feeling trapped to stepping into freedom.
Step-by-Step Implementation Guide
Acknowledge the False Narratives – Identify the labels, beliefs, and expectations that have shaped your perception of yourself. Write them down and challenge their validity.
Recognize Your Authentic Self – Spend time reflecting on what feels true to you. Journal about moments when you felt most aligned with yourself.
Set Boundaries – Begin small by saying no to what drains you and yes to what fuels you. Protect your energy from people and environments that reinforce false narratives.
Find Your Community – Engage with others who see and validate your experience. Comment, share, and connect with fellow misfits and truth-seekers.
Reframe Your Language – Replace self-critical thoughts with empowering alternatives. Instead of “I’m not enough,” try “I am whole as I am.”
Practice Self-Expression – Speak your truth without apology. Whether through writing, art, or conversation, share your voice in ways that feel right to you.
Celebrate Your Progress – Healing isn’t linear. Acknowledge small victories and give yourself grace when you struggle.
Ready to Join Us? Here’s How
Subscribe to the newsletter to get exclusive content, insights, and support directly in your inbox.
Share this with someone who needs it—a friend, a loved one, or anyone searching for the permission to be fully themselves.
Engage with the community—comment, respond, and contribute your voice. Your story matters.
Your Voice Matters Here
This is a space for those who have been silenced, for those who are reclaiming their stories on their own terms. Whether you’ve been cast out or walked away, whether you are just beginning to question or have been on this path for years, you belong here.
Come as you are. Stay as you are. Because there’s nothing wrong with you, and there never was
About Me
Kelly Thompson’s essays, interviews, and poetry have appeared in Memoir Land, BOMB, LARB, Guernica, Proximity, Fatal Flaw, Yoga Journal, and other literary magazines. She is the founding editor and curator of The Rumpus Original Column Voices On Addiction. Kelly is an LCSW who lives at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.
I’m glad you’re here.
This space isn’t therapy, and it’s not advice—it’s something deeper. A place to remember what’s real, recover your voice, and walk yourself home.
That said, I’m a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), and I take ethical boundaries seriously. This is not a substitute for medical or psychological care. You can read the full disclaimer and publisher terms here. Please read these terms before engaging with the content.
I am an LCSW, but nothing on this website should be taken as medical advice.
