Our Founder's Story: From Burnout to Resilience

I come from a law enforcement family, so stepping into that world felt like the natural choice for me. In 2009, I began working at the Pitt County Detention Center, juggling demanding swing shifts — switching between days and nights in the same week — while also attending East Carolina University full-time to earn my bachelor’s degree.

The schedule took its toll. Research has shown that this kind of shift work wreaks havoc on your brain and body, and I experienced that firsthand. After a couple of years, I started seeking medical help just to function. I was eventually diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and insomnia. My doctors prescribed me Xanax, Ambien, Flexeril, and Tramadol — meant to help me sleep, manage pain, and feel less stressed.

But those medications didn’t heal me — in fact, they left me worse off. I became dependent on them, and they clouded rather than clarified my mind. Eventually, the pressure boiled over. I had a full-blown nervous breakdown on the job — the kind of moment you think you’ll never recover from, storming out in anger and frustration.

But that breaking point became my turning point.

It led me to my first appointment with a mental health professional — an appointment that changed my life. I learned so much about myself in that room. I discovered that therapy, support, and self-awareness could do what pills never could.

That’s what Pirate Anne is all about: refusing to let your failures define you, and instead getting back up to tell your story and use it to help others.

I weaned off the medications, made lifestyle changes, and built a daily routine around self-care: meditation, exercise, good nutrition, and sleep. I haven’t struggled as deeply with my mental health since, but I never stop caring for it.

Eventually, I transitioned into the mental health field myself, determined to share resources, hope, and resilience with others. I’ve traveled the country speaking to professionals about burnout, compassion fatigue, and how to avoid it — helping others find the light at the end of the tunnel.

If my story resonates with you, I’d love for you to follow along and join this mission of resilience and recovery.

 Follow me on Instagram: @simplydeescalate