coping
Life presents variables; learning how to cope in order to master, minimize, or tolerate what has come to pass.
The Tragic Side of Me
I wasn't diagnosed as bipolar until 1999 when I was 35, but I'm sure I have been all of my life. One Mother's Day after I was diagnosed, I was with my mother and she had just finished reading her cards from me. I always gave her a sentimental one to make her cry and then followed that with a humorous one to stop the crying quicker. But on this day, her crying didn't stop. As I tried to console her, she started to apologize to me saying, "I didn't know what was wrong. Even as a baby you cried all the time and as you grew up I felt something was wrong, but I should have done something! I treated you so wrong sometimes and all this time you couldn't help it! I am so so sorry!" I hugged her tight and assured her that there was nothing she could have done. No one had ever thought that a baby could be "bipolar" or medicated for it. She did the best she could with the knowledge that she had, just like every other mother has done. "None of it is your fault!" I told her. We had a long discussion about everything that happened in my life that she felt should have told her to have me checked out. And many of them could have been attributed to being bipolar, looking back on them, but at the time, many other things could have been the cause too.
By T. K. Wilson3 years ago in Psyche
Letting go the Daoism way
A few years ago a client of mine introduced me to the work of Alan Watts*. (*Alan Watts (1915–1973) was an English Philosopher, writer and speaker who interpreted and educated his western audience on Zen Buddhism, Taoism and Hinduism. His work still lives on today and I recommend watching some of his videos on youtube)
By Annika Lindberg3 years ago in Psyche
Five Simple Ways To Manage Anxiety
Before we dive in, let me explain briefly about anxiety. When we face anxiety, we develop excessive worrying and uncertainty about a situation. It is caused by our body’s natural response to stress. Let’s say we are preparing for an important event, we might develop a thought like, “what if things didn’t turn out well as expected?” At times, these thoughts multiply and increase anxiety.
By Dharan Murali3 years ago in Psyche
I Am Somewhere Else
I’ve always had a fairly healthy imagination, I think, but at the height of the pandemic and the stay-at-home orders, I began going somewhere else in my mind. And the habit has not let up with the viral stats. It seems to have settled in, taken root. I don’t even have to close my eyes to leave, barely have to flick a switch in my brain. I feel it pulling when I so badly want to stay present, to listen to every detail about Harry’s pet dragon-tyrannosaurus-unicorn on the way to preschool dropoff in the morning. But I can feel myself slipping. I have created a dangerous and seductive exit. I know that it is selfish, that the people I love deserve my full engagement, especially in the little, in-between moments when slipping away feels so natural, so good. But then I defend it: is it simply survival? I have convinced myself that escaping has saved me from losing my mind, maybe for good, more than once. When the ugliness of the world opens up and we are able to peer into it, the deep rotting chasm, are we expected to take it all in and walk away unshaken, untouched by that sinister side of our collective truth? I think, with eyes wide open, we have to cope in order to survive. The answer may be as simple as that. But I still feel guilty.
By Brooke Hamilton Benjestorf3 years ago in Psyche
Old Danny
Pretty much anyone that knows me well knows that I was raised by a horrible, violent psychopath. He died at 41 of heart disease, or karma, whichever you want to call it. As old as I get, my subconscious still revisits him from time and has throughout the years. I’ve been taking a new nootropic, 5-htp recently and it’s giving me incredibly vivid dreams. I'm a bio-hacker and every now and then I get a surprise benefit from my personal experimentation. Last night I dreamt that some guy was getting high with me on my couch when he mentioned that Danny (father) had faked his death at 41 and actually lived across town with a new family. Of course, I questioned him as this was extremely stunning news to me but he stuck to his story so I went to investigate.
By J.D. Bradley3 years ago in Psyche
ADHD and How I.. SQUIRREL!
I sit here beginning to write this article when in all honesty I should be doing housework. I look around at the mess. Dirty clothes are strewn about the floor. Piles of random junk. Things are completely out of place. There's no organization whatsoever. Yet, I seem to know where things are. My organized chaos. I feel as though it's an outward projection of my mind. Chaotic but still functional. The joys of ADHD.
By kasey gresham3 years ago in Psyche
ADHD Ask: Why Should I Rearrange My ADHD Nest When Everything Is Where I Want It?
You have your spot in the house, everything you need is spread out and easily viewable - so why would you want to rearrange your ADHD nest? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of having everything at hand?
By Kristy Westaway3 years ago in Psyche
Having No Libido On Antidepressant Medication Has Its Benefits
I began taking antidepressant medication for chronic anxiety-depression about two years ago. Although I escaped experiencing most side effects that were listed on the internet and told by the doctor, I did have one major issue. My libido or sex drive nose-dived gradually to the point of not existing.
By The Soulful Scribbler 3 years ago in Psyche
Dear Universe
Dear Universe, What in the hell is going on? I am so confused right now. I seriously need some help right now. I think I'm going insane. Everything seems like it's caving in. I feel like I'm spiraling out of control. I feel like I'm drowning. Just when I think things are going to get better, they take a turn for the worst. I'm not okay with any of this. I don't know who I need to talk to about this but we need to speak immediately. This is not how I imagined my life turning out. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't this. Everything feels so wrong right now. I know that I'm meant for better things. I don't know where I'm supposed to turn. What am I supposed to do? I want some peace. I'm so sick of the voices in my head. I wish I could turn back time. I wish I could have a do-over. There are so many things that I want to change. What am I doing wrong? Did I anger someone? What can I do to make it right? I want answers. I'll do whatever it takes to fix things. Please just give me a break. I am exhausted and just want to sleep. Send me a sign. Give me a message. Please just give me a little help. Shed some light on things. Give me some sort of hint. What do I do? I am trying my hardest to figure things out. I am failing miserably though. I can't keep winging everything. I am having a breakdown. I am so lost right now. Any guidance would be appreciated. This is not the person I want to be. I'm trying hard to grow. I thought that I was doing great. I thought I was maturing. I thought I was doing better than a lot of people I know. Yet I'm still so far behind. I guess I thought wrong. Why does it seem like all these people who do horrible things are doing so much better? Why can't I find answers? I'm ready to give up. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on. I'm losing hope. I'm losing my sanity. I feel like I have nowhere left to turn. I feel so alone. I need help and I know it. I just don't know where to start. I don't know who to turn to. What is the point of it all? Everything seems so insignificant. I have no idea what I'm doing and I think it's starting to show. I want to just run away so badly. I want to leave everything behind and start over. I hate feeling this way. I so badly want it to stop. There is just too much happening. I feel like I'm losing it. It's like everything is just slipping away. I'm in a downward spiral. I don't know how to regain control of this situation. I want it all to stop. I need it all to stop. Things are either moving too quickly or too slowly. I'm not sure which is worse. I just know that I want it all to go back to normal. I want to close my eyes and finally be ok. I want to wake up knowing that I'm going to be ok. I don't know how to get to that point. I've been trying so hard to just be normal for once. But being normal and being myself are complete opposites. There are so many things going wrong all at once. I don't want to face the next day. I'm trying to take it one day at a time. One part of me wants to just rush things and get this life over with. The other part wants to enjoy all the little things. I just don't know where to go from here.
By Jasmine Harris3 years ago in Psyche