Why Recovery Isn’t Linear — And Why That’s Normal

Every mama who has walked a healing journey eventually hits that moment.

• Maybe your child suddenly has a flare.

• Maybe old symptoms come back.

• Maybe progress slows down or feels like it disappears overnight.

• Maybe you take one step forward and what feels like five steps back.

And your heart sinks.

You question everything.
You doubt yourself.
You wonder if you missed something.
You think, “What am I doing wrong?”

Let me say this clearly, mama, from someone who has lived this for 17 years: **You’re not doing anything wrong. Recovery is not linear — and that’s exactly how the body heals.**

We’re taught to believe healing looks like:

⬆️ steady improvement
⬆️ predictable success
⬆️ smooth progress

But in real life, healing looks more like:

↗️ up
↘️ down
→ pause
↗️ up again
↘️ flare
→ plateau
↗️ breakthrough

Your child’s body is constantly:

• detoxing

• rebuilding

• re-calibrating

• unlearning patterns

• repairing damage

• strengthening systems

• trying new pathways

• letting go of old ones

This is messy — beautifully messy.

Progress often doesn’t appear as a straight line because the body heals in layers, not leaps.

• You don’t move out.

• You don’t start from scratch.

• You’re fixing the plumbing while cooking dinner.

• Replacing the roof while doing laundry.

• Upgrading the foundation while kids are running through the hallways.

It’s chaotic.

It’s imperfect.

It’s not linear — but it IS progress.

Your child’s body works the same way.

Here’s the truth most people never hear:

A flare or regression is often a sign of healing happening — not failing.

• The nervous system is releasing old stress

• Detox pathways have opened

• The immune system is shifting

• The body has hit a new layer that needs attention

• A root cause is finally being addressed

• Something moved that had been stuck for a long time

  Nothing about that is failure.

  It’s simply your child’s body communicating.

“Other people’s kids are healing faster.
What’s wrong with mine?
What’s wrong with me?”

Comparison is a thief — not just of joy, but of clarity.

Your child has:

• a different history

• a different body

• different stressors

• different triggers

• different biology

• different resilience

• different rhythms

And God has a different timeline for them.

Healing is not a race — it’s restoration.

Here are four truths I wish I knew sooner:

⭐ 1. Zoom out — don’t judge the journey by a single moment.

• A bad day does not predict a bad outcome.

• Zoom out to weeks.

• Zoom out to months.

• Zoom out to years.

When you do, you’ll see the trajectory is upward — even if the week felt down.

⭐ 2. Track patterns, not perfection.

Perfection is impossible, but patterns are powerful.

• Maybe sleep is better.

• Maybe meltdowns are shorter.

• Maybe appetite is improving.

• Maybe energy is steadier.

• Maybe emotional regulation is easier.

• Maybe symptoms are less intense.

These are wins.
These matter.

⭐ 3. Nervous system regulation changes everything.

The nervous system is essentially the body’s master switchboard. If it’s overloaded, nothing else works well. You’ll see future posts on this, but for now:

• breathwork

• safe touch

• grounding

• light movement

• calm routines

• co-regulation

…are game changers.

⭐ 4. You are not meant to do this alone.

Healing a child requires emotional, spiritual, and practical support. It’s too much for one mama to carry on her own.

This space exists because I never want you to feel alone again.

Mama, if today feels heavy or confusing or defeating, lean in close:

**A setback does NOT mean the healing has stopped. It simply means you’ve reached a new layer.**

• Keep going.

• Keep trusting.

• Keep supporting the body.

• Keep listening.

• Keep believing.

Breakthroughs often come right after the messy middle.

⭐ Where to Go From Here

If today feels like a downward moment, the next post will help:

👉 Setbacks Do Not Erase Progress

And if you need grounding, clarity, and a simple first step, this will help you breathe again:

👉 The Mama’s SOS Kit

You’re doing more right than you realize. And you’re doing better than you know.

I’m proud of you.

— Robin