So anxious and depressed today. A lot of commotion inside. Everything from "How could he?!" to "I have so much work to do!" The best we could do was distract ourselves, and reading seems to be the only way to do that. Even watching TV or a movie doesn't work anymore. Too easily distracted away from the distraction.
It's true, there is a lot of work to do, but there's a lot of work to do every day. We run a one-woman shop and have a lot of different jobs to do in this business. Having constant work is a good thing. Someday we might even make a living from it. But today was a read-a-book-in-bed day. Tomorrow, we have a work meeting and have to be competent. I hope!
We've done this depression/anxiety thing before, dealing with new memories or new-to-us alters. Everything is unsettled and emotions are just beneath the surface. Today this sort of conversation was taking place:
It's all in the past. It's done. Over. No one is hurting us now. Just get over it.
I'm trying but I can't help how I feel.
Do something physical. Can we at least get up and get dressed? Make lunch? I'm hungry.
If I push through this, I will pay for it later. God, it hurts. Why does it have to hurt? Why can't I just hate them?
Nononononononononoooo... Don't think don't think don't feel... he's coming back he always comes back I can never get away he'll find me and then she'll blame me and it will be all my fault it's always my fault...
I'm going to check email again. Oh no, what if someone's mad at me? What if I'm still screwing up? I can't check email now. Where's my book?
I have a lot of work to do. I'm not getting anything done! What if this goes on forever? I'm going to go broke because I can't work and then that will be all my fault.
We should end it now. If we're not here anymore, no one can hurt us. No one can be mad at us. No one will even remember us. It's safe that way.
No! That would be worse. Then people really would be angry with us. Think of the kids. We have to be here for them!
Have to focus. Have to breathe. This will pass. Where's my book?
Showing posts with label Daily Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daily Life. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Backlash
When I set out last night to write on the blog, I never intended to write about my mystery spirit visitor. I'd planned to write a post about how the messages I heard repeatedly as a child formed my self-worth (or lack thereof). That I was far from special. I was Not Good Enough (no matter what).
Imagine my surprise when a completely different post came about. But one of the rules we (as a DID system) decided on was that this blog was for expression and working through things, and as such, we would not delete posts written by others in the system. If someone else inside wanted to write a rebuttal, or explain another perspective, that was fine. But no destroying anything that another created.
But that didn't stop the internal backlash as a result of last night's post. It went something like this:
A long heartfelt talk with my IRL friend J helped a lot. She reminded me that the purpose of this blog isn't necessarily to educate or inspire (though it'd be great if it did), but to share experiences, which is exactly what I did. She also pointed out that everyone has different strengths. Some people have perfect pitch, can play piano effortlessly, or run a four-minute mile, or fly an airplane, or develop iPhone apps, or do chemistry or calculus. I can't do any of those. I just have mystical experiences.
So I won't break the rules and take it down. And I will keep reminding myself of what my counselor keeps telling us: "Your experience is your experience and it doesn't need to be anything more." And I will keep sharing, despite the critical voice(s) in my head.
And maybe my next post will be the one I started to write last night.
~Shea
Imagine my surprise when a completely different post came about. But one of the rules we (as a DID system) decided on was that this blog was for expression and working through things, and as such, we would not delete posts written by others in the system. If someone else inside wanted to write a rebuttal, or explain another perspective, that was fine. But no destroying anything that another created.
But that didn't stop the internal backlash as a result of last night's post. It went something like this:
Such pretty words, saying anyone can benefit from the resources of the universe. But that's not true, is it? Because if everyone had conversations with spirit guides or angels or whatever they are, you wouldn't be worried about people thinking you're insane. No, you didn't reassure anyone with that post---you just set out to describe how you're oh so special and not everyone has these experiences. In fact, you'll make anyone who reads that post feel worse, not better. No one's going to want to be friends with you. No one's even going to want to like you. Congratulations.I was really starting to question whether I should leave the post up or not. Except taking it down was against the rules. I didn't want anyone to feel worse, or to think that post was self-important. Because that's so not what I was trying to do. I really wanted to offer hope. I really believe that there are vast resources for anyone who wants them, whether it comes in the form of mysterious visitations or dreams or messages from the ancestors or unexplained knowing or visions or inspiration.
A long heartfelt talk with my IRL friend J helped a lot. She reminded me that the purpose of this blog isn't necessarily to educate or inspire (though it'd be great if it did), but to share experiences, which is exactly what I did. She also pointed out that everyone has different strengths. Some people have perfect pitch, can play piano effortlessly, or run a four-minute mile, or fly an airplane, or develop iPhone apps, or do chemistry or calculus. I can't do any of those. I just have mystical experiences.
So I won't break the rules and take it down. And I will keep reminding myself of what my counselor keeps telling us: "Your experience is your experience and it doesn't need to be anything more." And I will keep sharing, despite the critical voice(s) in my head.
And maybe my next post will be the one I started to write last night.
~Shea
Sunday, July 25, 2010
What's up doc? Bad meds, it is.
Friday, before my lunch interview (which went swimmingly!), I saw my med doc. She's not exactly a doc. I need to explain.
God, so much information. How much should I share? How do I summarize?
Three years ago,
No. Okay, so seven years ago, I saw a psychiatrist at the same clinic where I see my counselor (we don't use the word th*r*p*st---that's another story). She didn't like the meds I was taking (prescribed by my medical doc) for depression. She wanted me on an antipsychotic (been there, done that). We'd just had a baby, were still nursing, said no. She flagged our file as a "troublemaker" and we couldn't get in to see another psych doc for four years.
So, three years ago, we get a referral from our counselor to see a med doc. She's fantastic. We really like her. No bedside manner 'tall, but we can intellectualize until the cows come home with her. Then, she leaves the clinic. Now we're rerouted onto a new med doc, but not a real doc, a psychiatric assistant or somesuch and she can write prescriptions. This PA is not as great, but okay. She leaves after 6 months. Another PA. This one we really, really like. She's the first one to say, you've been treated medically for 20+ years for depression with a side of anxiety. How about we try treating anxiety with a side of depression?
What the hell, hey? So she switched up our meds a bit, and it was awesome. It actually kept the PTSD symptoms at bay. Course it did nothing about the DID, but that's okay. We're not looking to off each other, y'know? ;-)
But then she leaves the clinic. Now we have a new PA. This one specializes in PTSD and is the first PA to have a hint about the DID, but I don't think she really knows. And I get the distinct feeling she's on meds too. Sometimes you just know these things. But she's got this agenda about using atypical antipsychotics to treat PTSD. Yeah, there's studies that show it helps some people. We tried one last summer, with disastrous results. We have a long, strong family history of diabetes, and the atypical antipsychotics are notorious for messing with blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and appetite. A goodly number of people gain weight. There's one thing we don't need.
Anyway. So we see this PTSD-specializing, antipsychotic-supporting PA on Friday, before the interview. And TA comes out and tells her that we're still having trouble sleeping, that the meds we're currently taking for sleep (Ambien, Valerian Root, Melatonin) aren't working as well as they had for the past year or so and it's taking 3-4 hours to get to sleep. If we sleep at all.
Her solution: try another pill. This time Seroquel XR, which she assures us, at the smallest dose works only as a sedative and not as an antipsychotic. TA believes her, says ok, and we take it Friday night.
Well, it did help us sleep. For about eighteen frickin' hours. It also caused the munchies, edema in the lower legs/feet, extreme dizziness, tongue numbness, muscles that wouldn't work correctly, and it totally fucked up emotions. Or did something. Crying at the drop of a hat for no known reason, a totally hopeless helpless certainty feeling.
This wasn't memories. This was bad meds. Trust me, I know what memories look and feel like and this ain't it. And if I'm right, which I know I am, all of these symptoms will be gone by the time the med is out of our physical system.
Truth is, I feel like I kinda fucked up, let the system down this time. Cos I shoulda known this would happen and fought TA and said NO FUCKING WAY are we EVER takin an antipsychotic med EVER again. I wanna march into the PA's office with the leftover meds and slam em down on her desk and say, enough! Man, I'd rather deal with the insomnia. But not everyone would.
Crystal thinks we can do a mind over matter thing, get better that way, and Jess says meditation helps even though I think it's a big waste of time, but maybe they're right. I dunno. We've had the insomnia since forever, since at least the body was four. I remember. Cos that's when D started helpin us get to sleep.
I ain't gonna get into a whole long thing in ths post, but D is somethin like a spirit guide. He ain't one of us, though he's talked to everyone inside at some point or another. His voice comes from outside, not like hearing others inside talk. And before anyone gets on my case about it, our counselor knows about him. She even took the whole matter to her supervisor's supervisor, some pastor or somethin, and they did this whole...shit, Chris help me out, what's it called... differential diagnosis...thanks..on it and he came to the conclusion that we ain't crazy, we're what he'd call a "mystic."
Yeah, Crystal totally dug that. Anyway, D used to do some sort of relaxation thing that helped us get to sleep. Worked until Caitlyn and Kari took over as hosts. Ha!
Not true. It worked for me as well, but Kari won't take help 'tall. Except perhaps from the Stoic, but they're soul-mates. Sorry I buggered in!
So we lost all of today but not cos of any time loss, just the meds, and Chris is all up in arms because we spent $40 on a copay for this "help" from the PA and another $40 on the prescription and it's all for nothing.
AND, I dunno if it makes any difference or not, but no one in the system is takin the Buspar and the Prozac that we wanted to keep cos it was workin. How do you say it's workin when you're not takin it? And hell if I'm gonna tell the PA about it. She can take her antipsychotics and shove em in her happy place.
If that aint enough there's no other PA to see in the clinic, so we gotta play nice. I gotta play nice. She's the one who prescribes the prozac and the buspar and the ambien. And I kinda got trust issues so findin another med doc ain't high on my list right now. Better the devil you know and all that...
God, how come we gotta play the PA in order to keep from gettin screwed? We're supposed to be able to tell her the truth and trust she'll try to help us. Yeah. Great fuckin help. Thanks. That helps us trust.
A'ight, me and Caitlyn are gonna go hang out inside. I'm just gettin madder and that ain't helpin the body get to sleep. Man, all we want is sleep. Restful sleep, y'know? Why is that too much to ask?
Tracy (and Caitlyn!)
God, so much information. How much should I share? How do I summarize?
Three years ago,
No. Okay, so seven years ago, I saw a psychiatrist at the same clinic where I see my counselor (we don't use the word th*r*p*st---that's another story). She didn't like the meds I was taking (prescribed by my medical doc) for depression. She wanted me on an antipsychotic (been there, done that). We'd just had a baby, were still nursing, said no. She flagged our file as a "troublemaker" and we couldn't get in to see another psych doc for four years.
So, three years ago, we get a referral from our counselor to see a med doc. She's fantastic. We really like her. No bedside manner 'tall, but we can intellectualize until the cows come home with her. Then, she leaves the clinic. Now we're rerouted onto a new med doc, but not a real doc, a psychiatric assistant or somesuch and she can write prescriptions. This PA is not as great, but okay. She leaves after 6 months. Another PA. This one we really, really like. She's the first one to say, you've been treated medically for 20+ years for depression with a side of anxiety. How about we try treating anxiety with a side of depression?
What the hell, hey? So she switched up our meds a bit, and it was awesome. It actually kept the PTSD symptoms at bay. Course it did nothing about the DID, but that's okay. We're not looking to off each other, y'know? ;-)
But then she leaves the clinic. Now we have a new PA. This one specializes in PTSD and is the first PA to have a hint about the DID, but I don't think she really knows. And I get the distinct feeling she's on meds too. Sometimes you just know these things. But she's got this agenda about using atypical antipsychotics to treat PTSD. Yeah, there's studies that show it helps some people. We tried one last summer, with disastrous results. We have a long, strong family history of diabetes, and the atypical antipsychotics are notorious for messing with blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and appetite. A goodly number of people gain weight. There's one thing we don't need.
Anyway. So we see this PTSD-specializing, antipsychotic-supporting PA on Friday, before the interview. And TA comes out and tells her that we're still having trouble sleeping, that the meds we're currently taking for sleep (Ambien, Valerian Root, Melatonin) aren't working as well as they had for the past year or so and it's taking 3-4 hours to get to sleep. If we sleep at all.
Her solution: try another pill. This time Seroquel XR, which she assures us, at the smallest dose works only as a sedative and not as an antipsychotic. TA believes her, says ok, and we take it Friday night.
Well, it did help us sleep. For about eighteen frickin' hours. It also caused the munchies, edema in the lower legs/feet, extreme dizziness, tongue numbness, muscles that wouldn't work correctly, and it totally fucked up emotions. Or did something. Crying at the drop of a hat for no known reason, a totally hopeless helpless certainty feeling.
This wasn't memories. This was bad meds. Trust me, I know what memories look and feel like and this ain't it. And if I'm right, which I know I am, all of these symptoms will be gone by the time the med is out of our physical system.
Truth is, I feel like I kinda fucked up, let the system down this time. Cos I shoulda known this would happen and fought TA and said NO FUCKING WAY are we EVER takin an antipsychotic med EVER again. I wanna march into the PA's office with the leftover meds and slam em down on her desk and say, enough! Man, I'd rather deal with the insomnia. But not everyone would.
Crystal thinks we can do a mind over matter thing, get better that way, and Jess says meditation helps even though I think it's a big waste of time, but maybe they're right. I dunno. We've had the insomnia since forever, since at least the body was four. I remember. Cos that's when D started helpin us get to sleep.
I ain't gonna get into a whole long thing in ths post, but D is somethin like a spirit guide. He ain't one of us, though he's talked to everyone inside at some point or another. His voice comes from outside, not like hearing others inside talk. And before anyone gets on my case about it, our counselor knows about him. She even took the whole matter to her supervisor's supervisor, some pastor or somethin, and they did this whole...shit, Chris help me out, what's it called... differential diagnosis...thanks..on it and he came to the conclusion that we ain't crazy, we're what he'd call a "mystic."
Yeah, Crystal totally dug that. Anyway, D used to do some sort of relaxation thing that helped us get to sleep. Worked until Caitlyn and Kari took over as hosts. Ha!
Not true. It worked for me as well, but Kari won't take help 'tall. Except perhaps from the Stoic, but they're soul-mates. Sorry I buggered in!
So we lost all of today but not cos of any time loss, just the meds, and Chris is all up in arms because we spent $40 on a copay for this "help" from the PA and another $40 on the prescription and it's all for nothing.
AND, I dunno if it makes any difference or not, but no one in the system is takin the Buspar and the Prozac that we wanted to keep cos it was workin. How do you say it's workin when you're not takin it? And hell if I'm gonna tell the PA about it. She can take her antipsychotics and shove em in her happy place.
If that aint enough there's no other PA to see in the clinic, so we gotta play nice. I gotta play nice. She's the one who prescribes the prozac and the buspar and the ambien. And I kinda got trust issues so findin another med doc ain't high on my list right now. Better the devil you know and all that...
God, how come we gotta play the PA in order to keep from gettin screwed? We're supposed to be able to tell her the truth and trust she'll try to help us. Yeah. Great fuckin help. Thanks. That helps us trust.
A'ight, me and Caitlyn are gonna go hang out inside. I'm just gettin madder and that ain't helpin the body get to sleep. Man, all we want is sleep. Restful sleep, y'know? Why is that too much to ask?
Tracy (and Caitlyn!)
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Fear of success
Years ago, we started our own business because we wanted to work, to be productive and creative, but we needed the flexibility to work around bouts of debilitating depression, anxiety, PTSD and of course dissociating. We worked part-time, taking time where we needed to. It was good, but not really a means of creating income.
In the past 18 months, everything has changed. Business has grown a mind-boggling 300%. I am planning work projects into 2013. My business is officially now known internationally. This is great. But it's also frightening. It means we have to work harder than ever before on balance, a topic we wrote about earlier.
Tomorrow I'm being interviewed. I fear coming across as a neophyte, a scatter-brained know-nothing, an incompetent fraud. Trying to find that capable, successful perspective inside is really, really hard. It's so easy to put myself down. After all, I learned from the best. (Note heavy sarcasm here.)
I can't work just whenever I want to, like I did even a year or two ago. I have to set, and keep, structured business house. I have to keep it together. We have to work together like we never have before. We have the opportunity to be successful beyond our wildest dreams (note that success does not necessarily mean "rich" except perhaps in experience and wisdom). And perhaps it is that opportunity that has us scared.
We also must remember that we are not alone. We have colleagues who are wonderfully supportive and happy to help others succeed. We have IRL friends. We have our husband and children, our faith community, and vast resources through the Internet.
And on a spiritual level, we have support as well. But that will have to wait for another post.
In the past 18 months, everything has changed. Business has grown a mind-boggling 300%. I am planning work projects into 2013. My business is officially now known internationally. This is great. But it's also frightening. It means we have to work harder than ever before on balance, a topic we wrote about earlier.
Tomorrow I'm being interviewed. I fear coming across as a neophyte, a scatter-brained know-nothing, an incompetent fraud. Trying to find that capable, successful perspective inside is really, really hard. It's so easy to put myself down. After all, I learned from the best. (Note heavy sarcasm here.)
I can't work just whenever I want to, like I did even a year or two ago. I have to set, and keep, structured business house. I have to keep it together. We have to work together like we never have before. We have the opportunity to be successful beyond our wildest dreams (note that success does not necessarily mean "rich" except perhaps in experience and wisdom). And perhaps it is that opportunity that has us scared.
We also must remember that we are not alone. We have colleagues who are wonderfully supportive and happy to help others succeed. We have IRL friends. We have our husband and children, our faith community, and vast resources through the Internet.
And on a spiritual level, we have support as well. But that will have to wait for another post.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Did you feel that?
I was reading an email and was immediately overwhelmed with strong emotion and a topic. I thought, "you can write about that on the blog, just as soon as I take my nighttime meds." I logged into the blog, and before it even processed my login, the feeling was gone, and along with it, any knowledge of what it was about.
I hate that.
It's not even like I can try to remember. I don't even know what the emotion was, much less what it was about. I only know it was strong.
Who does that? Who feels something strongly and then, seconds later, has no idea what the feeling was? It's because of stuff like this that I feel I can't trust myself: my feelings, my memories, my thoughts. It's easier just letting other people (IRL) decide for me, because at least they'll remember what I'm supposed to feel.
I hate that.
It's not even like I can try to remember. I don't even know what the emotion was, much less what it was about. I only know it was strong.
Who does that? Who feels something strongly and then, seconds later, has no idea what the feeling was? It's because of stuff like this that I feel I can't trust myself: my feelings, my memories, my thoughts. It's easier just letting other people (IRL) decide for me, because at least they'll remember what I'm supposed to feel.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Bucking the system (literally)
I have to write this tonight for the very reason that I'm not supposed to.
Did that make sense? Okay, here's the thing: we're Jewish, but different alters' observance of Jewish law ranges from "That's not where I am now" to "I practically graduated from rabbinical school." And this is Friday night, the beginning of the Jewish sabbath (shabbat) and writing is one of the things prohibited on shabbat.
We were going to do candle-lighting and make Kiddush and the whole shabbat dinner thing except we don't have anything to cook and Chris has been working really hard and the body is exhausted. Then comes the guilt: what are we teaching our children? When they're adults will they have any memories of family shabbat dinners? I'm a bad mom to not honor this part of our lives now. Maybe God will punish me. Maybe He already has. Maybe there's just something wrong with me.
We've talked with our friend J about how Judaism allows for flexibility, and flexible we are being lately. We used to do so well, keeping kosher and observing shabbat and going to synagogue every Saturday. Lately many of us are too exhausted to do shabbat dinner and don't want to get up early for synagogue (it's already 2am as I write this).
But the more observant within argue, we aren't supposed to feel it and then do it. We're supposed to do it and then feel it. Kind of a "fake it until you make it" idea. Or, as I am being prodded to write, follow in the example of the Israelites in Exodus 24:7 when they say, “Naaseh v'nishma.” --- We will do first, and afterwards, understand.
And so there is conflict. Shabbat dinner and evening is supposed to be about resting from the creation of the week, about taking a day to enjoy the fruits of one's labors, about spending time with family and friends in song and prayer and study and introspection. It's supposed to be pleasant. But this fighting inside, this we-have-to attitude is sucking all the fun out of it. Just thinking about going to synagogue cranks the anxiety level way up, and there's a sense that if we can't do it all, why bother doing any of it? If we're going to violate shabbat in one way, there's no point in trying to observe it in others.
An elder at synagogue said many years ago that he didn't understand, when he asked a woman (not me) to take an aliyah -- to say a blessing over the Torah -- during services, she said she couldn't because she didn't light candles the night before. And this elder spent most of his life Orthodox! I try to take his words to heart, but there is this wall. The longer we go without making shabbat or going to synagogue, the harder it is, and at the same time if we force ourselves to do/go, then we resent it later.
And so I just rebel. Not quite in the eating a ham and cheese sandwich on Yom Kippur sort of way, but rebelling, against Jewish observance and my internal system simultaneously.
I don't know where to take this. I don't know where to go from here. I keep thinking that next week, I'll feel differently and we can do shabbat again. And then next week comes and it's just as bad. I want the joy, the peace, the restfulness that shabbat always brought before, but not if it's going to tear me apart in the meantime.
There's a whole other spiritual piece here, too, that I just can't get into right now because it's late and I'm tired and it's just too much to add to this post. It needs its own post --- or ten. But suffice it to say, we have it on good authority that the Universe would like to see us back in that peaceful, restful, joyous place, and will ultimately succeed in getting us to admit, however grudgingly, that our particular path to peace and joy is a Jewish one.
I'm still going to write this. And I still want to sleep in tomorrow.
~Shea
Did that make sense? Okay, here's the thing: we're Jewish, but different alters' observance of Jewish law ranges from "That's not where I am now" to "I practically graduated from rabbinical school." And this is Friday night, the beginning of the Jewish sabbath (shabbat) and writing is one of the things prohibited on shabbat.
We were going to do candle-lighting and make Kiddush and the whole shabbat dinner thing except we don't have anything to cook and Chris has been working really hard and the body is exhausted. Then comes the guilt: what are we teaching our children? When they're adults will they have any memories of family shabbat dinners? I'm a bad mom to not honor this part of our lives now. Maybe God will punish me. Maybe He already has. Maybe there's just something wrong with me.
We've talked with our friend J about how Judaism allows for flexibility, and flexible we are being lately. We used to do so well, keeping kosher and observing shabbat and going to synagogue every Saturday. Lately many of us are too exhausted to do shabbat dinner and don't want to get up early for synagogue (it's already 2am as I write this).
But the more observant within argue, we aren't supposed to feel it and then do it. We're supposed to do it and then feel it. Kind of a "fake it until you make it" idea. Or, as I am being prodded to write, follow in the example of the Israelites in Exodus 24:7 when they say, “Naaseh v'nishma.” --- We will do first, and afterwards, understand.
And so there is conflict. Shabbat dinner and evening is supposed to be about resting from the creation of the week, about taking a day to enjoy the fruits of one's labors, about spending time with family and friends in song and prayer and study and introspection. It's supposed to be pleasant. But this fighting inside, this we-have-to attitude is sucking all the fun out of it. Just thinking about going to synagogue cranks the anxiety level way up, and there's a sense that if we can't do it all, why bother doing any of it? If we're going to violate shabbat in one way, there's no point in trying to observe it in others.
An elder at synagogue said many years ago that he didn't understand, when he asked a woman (not me) to take an aliyah -- to say a blessing over the Torah -- during services, she said she couldn't because she didn't light candles the night before. And this elder spent most of his life Orthodox! I try to take his words to heart, but there is this wall. The longer we go without making shabbat or going to synagogue, the harder it is, and at the same time if we force ourselves to do/go, then we resent it later.
And so I just rebel. Not quite in the eating a ham and cheese sandwich on Yom Kippur sort of way, but rebelling, against Jewish observance and my internal system simultaneously.
I don't know where to take this. I don't know where to go from here. I keep thinking that next week, I'll feel differently and we can do shabbat again. And then next week comes and it's just as bad. I want the joy, the peace, the restfulness that shabbat always brought before, but not if it's going to tear me apart in the meantime.
There's a whole other spiritual piece here, too, that I just can't get into right now because it's late and I'm tired and it's just too much to add to this post. It needs its own post --- or ten. But suffice it to say, we have it on good authority that the Universe would like to see us back in that peaceful, restful, joyous place, and will ultimately succeed in getting us to admit, however grudgingly, that our particular path to peace and joy is a Jewish one.
I'm still going to write this. And I still want to sleep in tomorrow.
~Shea
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Weary
I am so tired. I know I'm burned out, too, but specifically today, I'm just tired. I haven't slept well in days, awakened from the grips of several nightmares that I can't remember by the time I've thought to write them down in our journal. My anxiety level is through the roof. Phone calls leave me shaking. I'm so certain someone is unhappy with me for something. Anything.
Shea was sounding so hopeful yesterday, and she got a lot done in my absence. I thank her for that. And now I'm here and I'm just bone tired and I have financial reports to run for work and the kids are downstairs and I'm dog-sitting a friend's dog today and tomorrow all I want to do is sleep.
I'd love to just let Shea or Jessica back out, though I don't think Jess knows how to run the reports, but 1) I'm not exactly sure how to do that anymore, and 2) it seems like avoiding responsibility if I let someone else take over.
My (outside) friend J knows about "us" and has met a lot of us. Her take on it is that each of us inside has different talents and strengths, and so it's actually healthy to allow switching to use and draw upon those talents and strengths. I guess I've been in too many DID therapy settings where switching was considered unhealthy, no matter the reason, and the goal was to have one consistent host. For a long time that has been me, maybe because I'm the oldest female inside.
But I'm tired and I hurt (fibromyalgia) and I'm anxious and I'm burned out and it's really, really hard to even care anymore. I own a business (because it's really bad news if I'm working in a typical corporate setting--I've tried) and I can't bring myself to get excited about it. And that's really sad, because we got an incredible review of our work yesterday and there's a marketing opportunity there (and a limited-time window) and I can't even collect enough energy to be happy about it.
As they say, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I just want it to go away.
-Chris
Shea was sounding so hopeful yesterday, and she got a lot done in my absence. I thank her for that. And now I'm here and I'm just bone tired and I have financial reports to run for work and the kids are downstairs and I'm dog-sitting a friend's dog today and tomorrow all I want to do is sleep.
I'd love to just let Shea or Jessica back out, though I don't think Jess knows how to run the reports, but 1) I'm not exactly sure how to do that anymore, and 2) it seems like avoiding responsibility if I let someone else take over.
My (outside) friend J knows about "us" and has met a lot of us. Her take on it is that each of us inside has different talents and strengths, and so it's actually healthy to allow switching to use and draw upon those talents and strengths. I guess I've been in too many DID therapy settings where switching was considered unhealthy, no matter the reason, and the goal was to have one consistent host. For a long time that has been me, maybe because I'm the oldest female inside.
But I'm tired and I hurt (fibromyalgia) and I'm anxious and I'm burned out and it's really, really hard to even care anymore. I own a business (because it's really bad news if I'm working in a typical corporate setting--I've tried) and I can't bring myself to get excited about it. And that's really sad, because we got an incredible review of our work yesterday and there's a marketing opportunity there (and a limited-time window) and I can't even collect enough energy to be happy about it.
As they say, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I just want it to go away.
-Chris
The most mundane thing becomes a battle when you have DID
***Language warning: this post may (naw, will) contain language that may be considered inappropriate for children (inside or outside) under the age of 14. Or 17. Or whatever the frig.***
Took the kiddos and the dog for a walk today. Nice, normal thing, right? Like every other parent with kids who don't hate being around them and a dog that can lay a guilt trip by looking longingly at his leash. No. Big. Deal.
'Cept when you have DID it is a big deal. Or a Big Deal, as Shea likes to write, cuz she likes to use capitals in Weird Places. Ha.
So we're walkin maybe six blocks to a gas station, gettin a snack, and walkin back. Like a totally freakin normal person. In 90° weather, but hey, that's a whole 'nother issue.
Ok, so there's this one real busy street we have to cross. We got the crosswalk. We got cute kiddos tryin in their cute kid way to wave down traffic so we can cross the street. We got the dog, the master of guilt trips, tongue hangin out Odie-style. Y'know, it's state law that drivers have to stop for people waitin in a crosswalk. But no one cares. Unless you're the one tryin to cross.
Somethin like ten cars go by before there's a break, and we make a run for it. The car comin up, which was waaaay down the street but sped up as soon as we got in the crosswalk, whooshed by about a foot away from me in the freakin crosswalk.
I'm thinkin, hey fuckers, where the hell do you have to be so fast that you're gonna run down a mom and her kids and her dog? Can't you see the innocence (at least in the dog's eyes), the epitome of family values that has long been mourned? Can't you FUCKING SLOW DOWN???
Right, cos it's my job to protect the Family and I do it in my own charming way, but trust me on this: I get it done. No doubt. I get it done.
Well, this gets others inside all riled up, cos now I've apparently started either a party or a war and either way, they want in. The car's long gone, of course, sped off to almost-hit some other living icon of integrity and modesty.
We get our snacks and the dog waits mostly patiently, hooked up to a dog leash cable on the side of the building. I don't deal with the gettin the food part cos I'm pissed about the driver and I know my smile will look scary to the clerk. So Shea takes over. Ok, cool, no problem.
On the way home, this tiny is-it-really-a dog comes boundin out of its backyard to come play with our dog. 'S cool, cos we take our dog to dog parks and stuff so he gets socialized, and he ain't gonna bite another dog unless he gets attacked first. This little dog could maybe take on a dung beetle.Then the dog owners come out, a man maybe in his 40's and another guy looks like his father.
Father growls at the Bittydog, "You come her right now or I'm gonna beat your ass! Get over here! I swear I'll beat your goddamn fuckin ass." He finally grabs the dog and we're afraid he's gonna beat the dog in front of us. Or worse, start beating someone else.
"Yeah, that's right," the son says. "Threaten the dog in front of little kids. Important educational moment of the day." He turns to me and apologizes. Shea says something sweet, how it's no problem, how that's why we take the dog to the dog park so he can socialize with other dogs and stuff. We walk on, hearing the abusive language from the dad continue into the house.
The kids are kinda scared and say they don't like the way that man treated his dog. Yeah, we didn't like it either, but what can we do? That will not put us in danger? Remember, little kiddos, guilt-trip meister dog, dissociating mother... giving this man a lesson in animal respect seems like a Bad Idea, to use Shea's capitals.
We walk on. And now Angry Woman has made herself the life of the party. She thinks it'd be a really cool idea to follow the car driver and the dog owner beyond our encounter and see what they really thought of us. Kind of like a hidden camera, cept there's no camera and she could be makin it all up. But once she's started this movie, I can't really make it stop. All I can do is get the Little Ones into their rooms or with a responsible adult (hahaha) cos they're the ones who will hurt the most with these games. They always are.
Gift #1 she gives us the driver. Doesn't see us, doesn't see the cute kids, the goofy dog, the waving to slow him down until it's too late. "Wait for a fucking break in traffic!" he yells at us through his windshield. "Idiots! Don't you know you cross when the road is clear. Why the fuck in front of me? Well, I'll teach her a lesson." ===swooshes=== past me, takes a last look at the four of us running up onto the curb. "Fuckin bitch," he growls as he speeds off.
Gift #2 she gives us the dog-hating dad. Scared our ferocious guilt-inducing, tongue-lolling goofy dog will do harm to his babykins, he wants the dog back inside NOW. And he gets what he wants with threats of violence. Been that way all his life and it always works. He comes out, threatens the dog, gets him back inside, but no thanks to the fat bitch mother who's standing clueless on the sidewalk, or her two evil offspring who don't have an ounce of sense between the two of em. She tells one kid to keep walkin with the dog, like that's gonna help. Then she gets a clue and keeps walkin, best as her fat ugly body will keep up with her. Fat cow. She's probably poor, too. People like her shouldn't have kids or own dogs. Or houses. Or be allowed to walk on the sidewalk. Pfft. Good riddance.
I did a pretty good job of protection. We got through that mostly unscathed. Then a little later, we got an email with a glowing recommendation of our work that's just been published to the Internet. Just really really nice. Shea cried. And then Angry Woman stepped in again, with this gem of support:
"Those are some very nice things said about you, but don't let it go to your head. It's just one person's opinion. There's no guarantee this will help your business any. You can't rest on your laurels here. And remember you have a husband and children who depend on you , and you can't be there for them if you're off chasing your dreams. Better to have a more secure backup plan. Besides, probably no one will read that review, and if they do, they'll think the reviewer knows you. They're nice words, but that's all they are. You need to stop admiring yourself and take care of those around you."
The scary thing is that we all, internally, agreed that these very words had, in some permutation, indeed come from our mother's mouth.
We're fightin Angry Woman's words, but there's still a shred of truth buried in there, whether it's havin heard criticisms and knockdowns all our life, or natural self-doubt that, without her to amplify it, would be totally normal.
By the time we got home, the kiddos were hot, the dog was hot and sheddin hair all over Pig-Pen style, and we felt like if we didn't get it together and focus and do something productive, we were gonna internalize the fuckin fat cow bitch comments or the you have no right to feel good comments, and someone was gonna start wantin to cut or self-harm in some way.
So we updated a very old bank account, makin entries, reconciling many months, and before long, the walk was just a bad dream. Until the next thing comes up. And then I'll still be ready. Cos it's what I do.
Tracy
Took the kiddos and the dog for a walk today. Nice, normal thing, right? Like every other parent with kids who don't hate being around them and a dog that can lay a guilt trip by looking longingly at his leash. No. Big. Deal.
'Cept when you have DID it is a big deal. Or a Big Deal, as Shea likes to write, cuz she likes to use capitals in Weird Places. Ha.
So we're walkin maybe six blocks to a gas station, gettin a snack, and walkin back. Like a totally freakin normal person. In 90° weather, but hey, that's a whole 'nother issue.
Ok, so there's this one real busy street we have to cross. We got the crosswalk. We got cute kiddos tryin in their cute kid way to wave down traffic so we can cross the street. We got the dog, the master of guilt trips, tongue hangin out Odie-style. Y'know, it's state law that drivers have to stop for people waitin in a crosswalk. But no one cares. Unless you're the one tryin to cross.
Somethin like ten cars go by before there's a break, and we make a run for it. The car comin up, which was waaaay down the street but sped up as soon as we got in the crosswalk, whooshed by about a foot away from me in the freakin crosswalk.
I'm thinkin, hey fuckers, where the hell do you have to be so fast that you're gonna run down a mom and her kids and her dog? Can't you see the innocence (at least in the dog's eyes), the epitome of family values that has long been mourned? Can't you FUCKING SLOW DOWN???
Right, cos it's my job to protect the Family and I do it in my own charming way, but trust me on this: I get it done. No doubt. I get it done.
Well, this gets others inside all riled up, cos now I've apparently started either a party or a war and either way, they want in. The car's long gone, of course, sped off to almost-hit some other living icon of integrity and modesty.
We get our snacks and the dog waits mostly patiently, hooked up to a dog leash cable on the side of the building. I don't deal with the gettin the food part cos I'm pissed about the driver and I know my smile will look scary to the clerk. So Shea takes over. Ok, cool, no problem.
On the way home, this tiny is-it-really-a dog comes boundin out of its backyard to come play with our dog. 'S cool, cos we take our dog to dog parks and stuff so he gets socialized, and he ain't gonna bite another dog unless he gets attacked first. This little dog could maybe take on a dung beetle.Then the dog owners come out, a man maybe in his 40's and another guy looks like his father.
Father growls at the Bittydog, "You come her right now or I'm gonna beat your ass! Get over here! I swear I'll beat your goddamn fuckin ass." He finally grabs the dog and we're afraid he's gonna beat the dog in front of us. Or worse, start beating someone else.
"Yeah, that's right," the son says. "Threaten the dog in front of little kids. Important educational moment of the day." He turns to me and apologizes. Shea says something sweet, how it's no problem, how that's why we take the dog to the dog park so he can socialize with other dogs and stuff. We walk on, hearing the abusive language from the dad continue into the house.
The kids are kinda scared and say they don't like the way that man treated his dog. Yeah, we didn't like it either, but what can we do? That will not put us in danger? Remember, little kiddos, guilt-trip meister dog, dissociating mother... giving this man a lesson in animal respect seems like a Bad Idea, to use Shea's capitals.
We walk on. And now Angry Woman has made herself the life of the party. She thinks it'd be a really cool idea to follow the car driver and the dog owner beyond our encounter and see what they really thought of us. Kind of like a hidden camera, cept there's no camera and she could be makin it all up. But once she's started this movie, I can't really make it stop. All I can do is get the Little Ones into their rooms or with a responsible adult (hahaha) cos they're the ones who will hurt the most with these games. They always are.
Gift #1 she gives us the driver. Doesn't see us, doesn't see the cute kids, the goofy dog, the waving to slow him down until it's too late. "Wait for a fucking break in traffic!" he yells at us through his windshield. "Idiots! Don't you know you cross when the road is clear. Why the fuck in front of me? Well, I'll teach her a lesson." ===swooshes=== past me, takes a last look at the four of us running up onto the curb. "Fuckin bitch," he growls as he speeds off.
Gift #2 she gives us the dog-hating dad. Scared our ferocious guilt-inducing, tongue-lolling goofy dog will do harm to his babykins, he wants the dog back inside NOW. And he gets what he wants with threats of violence. Been that way all his life and it always works. He comes out, threatens the dog, gets him back inside, but no thanks to the fat bitch mother who's standing clueless on the sidewalk, or her two evil offspring who don't have an ounce of sense between the two of em. She tells one kid to keep walkin with the dog, like that's gonna help. Then she gets a clue and keeps walkin, best as her fat ugly body will keep up with her. Fat cow. She's probably poor, too. People like her shouldn't have kids or own dogs. Or houses. Or be allowed to walk on the sidewalk. Pfft. Good riddance.
I did a pretty good job of protection. We got through that mostly unscathed. Then a little later, we got an email with a glowing recommendation of our work that's just been published to the Internet. Just really really nice. Shea cried. And then Angry Woman stepped in again, with this gem of support:
"Those are some very nice things said about you, but don't let it go to your head. It's just one person's opinion. There's no guarantee this will help your business any. You can't rest on your laurels here. And remember you have a husband and children who depend on you , and you can't be there for them if you're off chasing your dreams. Better to have a more secure backup plan. Besides, probably no one will read that review, and if they do, they'll think the reviewer knows you. They're nice words, but that's all they are. You need to stop admiring yourself and take care of those around you."
The scary thing is that we all, internally, agreed that these very words had, in some permutation, indeed come from our mother's mouth.
We're fightin Angry Woman's words, but there's still a shred of truth buried in there, whether it's havin heard criticisms and knockdowns all our life, or natural self-doubt that, without her to amplify it, would be totally normal.
By the time we got home, the kiddos were hot, the dog was hot and sheddin hair all over Pig-Pen style, and we felt like if we didn't get it together and focus and do something productive, we were gonna internalize the fuckin fat cow bitch comments or the you have no right to feel good comments, and someone was gonna start wantin to cut or self-harm in some way.
So we updated a very old bank account, makin entries, reconciling many months, and before long, the walk was just a bad dream. Until the next thing comes up. And then I'll still be ready. Cos it's what I do.
Tracy
Balance
When I look at my life--what I remember of it anyway--it seems hopelessly out of balance. Like a 3D pendulum with many many points, it is like my energy and efforts are directed at one area to the detriment of all others. I'm a mom, but my work and friendships and marriage and personal interests appear to go neglected. I'm a business owner, but then I feel like I'm being a "bad mom." (Even though my parenting is 180° from what I grew up with.) I keep the house spotless but nothing else gets done.
Can you see where I'm going with this?
Everyone in my life (outside) says differently. They ask me occasionally how I do it all: kids, husband, work, house, yard, pets, friends, volunteering, etc. I joke that I don't sleep. But deep down, I wonder how it is that they don't see what I see so clearly: I'm failing at everything.
And then yesterday I got an email from an acquaintance who makes a decent living as a business coach for business owners, particularly those who work from home, and especially particularly those who are also dealing with other life challenges like ADHD, OCD, and other anxieties. It kind of seemed like a match made in heaven.
So, the email. The email was talking about self-fulfilling prophecies. Like, if you think that you're terrible at marketing your business, you tend to shy away from it, thus your business doesn't grow, thus you come to the conclusion it's because you're terrible at marketing. I actually know I'm not terrible at marketing, but it's not my favorite topic. And because of recurring, sometimes debilitating PTSD, depression, anxiety, and of course the fact that I can't guarantee someone will be out who knows how to run the business, I shy away from phone and face-to-face contact.
But back to the email. I started thinking of this same kind of thinking in terms of balance. I've said for years that I'm terrible at balancing all these things in my life. But what if the very thought that I'm "unbalanced" leads me to feel like I'm out of balance?
What if (gasp!) all these other people are right? What if I (well, we) am actually a really good balancer? What if in spite of--or perhaps because of my DID, I'm doing a great job?
It's something to think about.
~Shea
Can you see where I'm going with this?
Everyone in my life (outside) says differently. They ask me occasionally how I do it all: kids, husband, work, house, yard, pets, friends, volunteering, etc. I joke that I don't sleep. But deep down, I wonder how it is that they don't see what I see so clearly: I'm failing at everything.
And then yesterday I got an email from an acquaintance who makes a decent living as a business coach for business owners, particularly those who work from home, and especially particularly those who are also dealing with other life challenges like ADHD, OCD, and other anxieties. It kind of seemed like a match made in heaven.
So, the email. The email was talking about self-fulfilling prophecies. Like, if you think that you're terrible at marketing your business, you tend to shy away from it, thus your business doesn't grow, thus you come to the conclusion it's because you're terrible at marketing. I actually know I'm not terrible at marketing, but it's not my favorite topic. And because of recurring, sometimes debilitating PTSD, depression, anxiety, and of course the fact that I can't guarantee someone will be out who knows how to run the business, I shy away from phone and face-to-face contact.
But back to the email. I started thinking of this same kind of thinking in terms of balance. I've said for years that I'm terrible at balancing all these things in my life. But what if the very thought that I'm "unbalanced" leads me to feel like I'm out of balance?
What if (gasp!) all these other people are right? What if I (well, we) am actually a really good balancer? What if in spite of--or perhaps because of my DID, I'm doing a great job?
It's something to think about.
~Shea
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