Yay, @justme! Thank you for sharing your story, and I’m glad it’s full of mini-and-major successes, from good mental and physical improvement!

*hugs*

@justme Wow your piece was incredible. I'm glad your tumour was benign and that your taking adequate rest (4 hours seems super rough!) and standing up for yourself. It's understandable that the pressure on you to be prefect was intense but you fought through and that's what counts!

Thank you for sharing @justme! So glad your tumor was benign and you are happy! Hugs!

What a wonderful post to kick off our new theme of the month! Thank goodness your tumor was benign and that it spurred you to make the changes you needed to make.

If someone who'd never watched a k-drama tried to understand what all the fuss is about by reading recap comments, I think they'd get a very incomplete picture. There's a lot of fangirling (or fanboying, as the case may be), ranting or raving about acting, writing, directing, squeeing, etc. What's less obvious from the comments is the huge effect k-dramas have on our psyche including our emotional intelligence, our outlook on life, our perceptions of ourselves and others, and our cultural awareness. A lot of this happens on a subconscious level, and I think the soundtracks play a big role in anchoring all of this in our psyche. I read somewhere that K-dramas often don't make much sense logically, but make a lot of sense emotionally. That emotional resonance is catnip for many (if not most) of us.

I knew from the title of your post that My Ajusshi would be woven in somehow, but I wasn't prepared for those screencaps to melt me into a puddle of MA feels again (complete with the OST automatically playing in my head). I think for a lot of us, My Ajusshi is one of the dramas that impacted us the most in terms of causing us to reflect on ourselves and how we want to live our lives. But nearly all dramas have something to teach us (even if it's how not to be).

May we all learn to be perfectly imperfect and more gentle with ourselves. Haengbok haja!

yay to benign tumours!!!
and what a sweet read !

Bravo!!!!! I love this..... just make sure to always take care of yourself.

I am so happy that you found a haven in K-dramas.
I am overjoyed that you have learned how to take better care of yourself.
I am impressed by your story, @justme.

In hopes that you will smile and relax more and more into the person you truly want to be, and with gratitude for the story that you have shared...

i am having goosebumps reading your post cause its like i am reading myself written in your words. Thats so me being the perfectionist, making things work the way i want... only deviation is i keep backup plans too (multiple to be exact) and even if nothing of them works i keep my failover plan ready too.... so i am an over thinker and one line of ur post As I am someone who has difficulty moderating my time, I needed something that occupied me and helped me escape the world. Yet, I could return to my world when needed after an adequate period of time. is exactly what keeps me sane during my overthinking spells

thanks for this lovely write up and glad the tumor was not serious. and happy that you found yourself through kdramas.

Wow. Wonderful post!! I loved it!!!

Lovely write-up, thank you for sharing your real life experience @justme and congratulations for your mental and physical health improvement!

Lovely post @justme. Thanks for sharing your story.

Thank you for sharing your story! Life does throw us curveballs to make us stop and see what's really going on. I'm glad and thankful that the tumor was benign. Wishing you all the best and giving you lots of hugs!

Loved the title of your story @justme. I too have to remind myself that It's Okay, It's No Big Deal! I'm glad you are doing better now and wish you the best health in the future!

What a beautiful post, @justme. It's sad to say that I can relate, although not to quite the same extent as you. Both dramas you mentioned are also a source of strength for me, and I'm so glad that through them you were able to learn to speak up for yourself, to cry, and to accept help from others. I think I'm still learning to do all three.

K-dramas are the perfect escape, and it sounds like you have begun to achieve a healthy balance! I'm so glad that your tumor was benign, and I'm so happy to have you here with us at Dramabeans.

Thank you for sharing your story! I hope for excellent health for you in your future, and I hope you can continue down this path of learning self-care. I wish you all the best!

A happy ending to a stressful beginning. Wish you a happy healthy life :)

@justme
I love this. I love this so much! <3 I love that your tumor was benign even more; that makes me beyond happy, really!
I must say your previous patterns completely reflect mine...perfectionism and wanting to have absolutely everything under control are traits that I have yet to let go, but I'm working on it ^^
May you continue balancing your life in this wonderful way.
Wish you all the best!

I’m so happy for you too! I’ve seen too many people work themselves into illness, and I’m so glad Kdrams pulled you out of your cycle of misery! May your life stay balanced and healthy with dramas always within that balance! Thank you for sharing your cautionary tale!

In the end, that's what matter most; your happiness and health. Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story!

Thank you @justme for sharing your story! Praise God it’s benign! I can identify with you. I am a perfectionist too with a tendency to be obsessive-compulsive. Kdramas helped me chill without guilt. Reading recaps and comments on this site is part of the drama experience thanks to Dramabeans and the fangirling beanies!

This made me tear up a little because of how relatable it is. It's partially why Ahjussi resonated so deeply with me.

I can also relato to the chronic backpain... Maybe I should go see a doctor and use one of my very few but very precious days off.

Fingers crossed it's "just" bad posture!

Thanks for sharing your story, @justme! I like your writing voice, it's simple but earnest.

Reading your piece reminded me of a quote I read some time back, that people often see fiction as an escape from reality, when it really is a plunge into reality. Sometimes, you need a fictional reality—a book, a song, and in your case, a drama—to see that your perception of life has become skewed, and it helps to return you to a more balanced view of your reality.

I'm glad you've found your way somehow, and I hope you'll continue steadily down the path to healing 😊

Thank you for this lovely piece @justme! And I'm so glad your tumour was benign. So congratulations on finding and maintaining that seemingly elusive Balance! ^^

wow, what a beautifully written piece @justme. it shocked me how much i related to you, especially the first 3/5 paragraphs. except that that isn’t past me, it’s now me. i believe i’m an absolute perfectionist in terms of work, and as i’m still in school, any score short of the highest grade is a shit grade. it’s kind of a bad attitude / undesirable outlook on life, which results in me being overly stressed in periods, which then causes extreme drama watching and being extremely “screw it, life sucks, i’m just gonna die” attitude. so hmm thanks for sharing on how dramas got you out of your perfectionist lifestyle (if even slightly) i’ll try to learn from you!!!

@justme thank you for sharing and I'm glad you are healthy.see you around DB!

Thank you @Justme for sharing your story. Glad you are well!
I too had major health scare and K dramas were a great distraction/ reminder of the life I wanted to live.
I was watching Uncontrollably Fond while being in major pain, seeing doctors, and waiting to tell my family of my diagnosis. I can't say for sure all the crying I did for the drama was for myself or Kim Woo Bin, but it was healing. While I was making major decisions on procedures, Weight Lifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo was funny and sweet. Just what I needed to not think so seriously about my condition all the time. Reminding myself healthy was better than perfect. After surgery and months of recovery Strong Woman Do Bong Soo was the best drama. I looked forward to every episode.

I love good stories and Kdramas are some of the best. Dramas like My Ajusshi that heal you, feel flutters, and provide a different perspective, are the best way to spend your time.
Again thanks for sharing and I hope you stay healthy!

Touching, inspiring, arresting story. THIS IS WHAT I COME ON THIS SITE FOR!!!!!! ;) Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing your story @justme! Responsibilities and expectations can get overwhelming and it's easy to get caught up with them instead of allowing yourself to focus on you. I'm glad you were able to not only find an escape in k-dramas, but also relate to the characters in ways that help you in day to day life. And what a relief to know the tumor was benign! Wishing you all the best!

Glad you're okay! So wonderful to see the positive influence k-dramas have had in your life!