I have honestly reached my wits' end.

This is one of the hardest things I've ever written because asking for help is not something I do. If you know me, you know I'm usually the person trying to solve problems, encourage other people, and figure things out on my own.

The truth is that I've spent much of my life trapped in a pattern of financial abuse by someone very close to me. They don't live with me, thankfully, but they have used money as a tool for control for as long as I can remember. They thrive on image, power, and keeping me dependent just enough that I can never fully get free.

I won't name them. I'm not interested in starting a public spectacle. I just need a way out.

What hurts the most is knowing who I actually am underneath all of this. Without this constant manipulation hanging over my head, I know I'm confident, capable, independent, determined, and creative. I have big dreams. I want to build a career licensing my music for TV and film, continue teaching piano, and create work that genuinely makes the world a little better.

Instead, I've spent years trying to survive.

On top of everything else, I'm currently dealing with chronic radiculopathy—a nerve condition that makes everyday things like sitting, standing, walking, and even sleeping painful. I'm making progress, but it's painfully slow when I'm constantly worried about money and repeatedly pulled back into a cycle of dependence.

Right now, I'm teaching piano both in person and virtually, and I'm actively building my music licensing catalog. I'm working. I'm trying. I'm not waiting for someone else to save me. I just need enough breathing room to build a life that isn't controlled by someone else's money.

I've reached the point where I've texted crisis lines because I felt so isolated. Most people assume I'm doing fine because I've become very good at carrying impossible things quietly.

But I'm not fine.

I'm angry. I'm exhausted. And I'm asking for help.

People who know me know that I do my best to focus on what I can control. I believe in gratitude. I believe in resilience. I celebrate small wins, keep creating music, keep teaching, and keep moving toward the life I'm trying to build.

But having a positive mindset doesn't magically erase the reality of living under coercive control and financial abuse. You can meditate, pray, go to therapy, journal, and work as hard as humanly possible—and it still doesn't change the fact that your nervous system is constantly bracing for the next manipulation. It is exhausting in ways that are difficult to explain unless you've lived it.

I'm not asking for help because I've lost hope. I'm asking for help because hope alone doesn't pay bills or create the financial independence needed to finally break free.

If I've ever helped you, encouraged you, taught you, or made your life a little brighter, I hope you'll consider helping me now. If you've been thinking about taking piano lessons, I teach both online and in person here in Los Angeles.

Every donation—no matter the amount—helps me move one step closer to financial independence, healing, and a life where I no longer have to survive someone else's control.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for believing me. And thank you for helping me build a future that's finally mine.