Chemically unbalanced


Last evening I watched the you tube video of the BC Girl who had killed herself last week.  I  watched as she poured her heart over my computer and showed the cutting, the heartbreak, and loneliness she felt. I see the unlit eyes in my school, I see the unlit eyes in my mirror.  I feel the brokenheartedness of it all.  How do people get that way? The question I hear asked.  The murmer around.  “Well her family didn’t do enough, her friends abanded her. There were places to go, there were people to see, and things she could have done.”   Her unbalanced chemicals made her unable to rationalize.  Her family reached out. But even then she didn’t want to burden them anymore than she had.  How does one say that?  I would die if my child died at his or her own hands:  But the tunnel, the dark veil that covers the eyes  prevents the truth from coming through. What is the truth? The truth to that girl, was how much she hated herself.  “Others hate her she must have been horrible, how could she love herself, what a mess”   That is a glimpse of the voices that goes on in one’s head. ” I hate myself, I am a mess, there is no white knight to save me, I am not worth saving.”  The pity in the families eyes as they try to deal and cope with their girl who couldn’t deal or cope.  The voice that says “you know why fight? it takes so much strength— just lie down and the fight is over,  just stop the heart and the pain will stop—- is that not where the emotional pain is?  in the heart?   Stop it and it all stops the tears, the pain,the fight,  the shame, everything. Full Stop! ”

This may seem cruel, insensitive. It is anything but that in my mind.  It is a chemically unbalanced mind. It is the truth of what goes through a chemically unbalanced mind it is neither wrong or right inside a mind like this, it just is. 

At the end of the day I sit here empty, cause my mind is unbalanced today.  I neither cry or mourn. I understand the brain of a girl who was too young to know, to alone to move forward, and a soul with out a saviour.   Jesus said in the face of his murderers, “Lord forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” Lord I pray the same prayer for this girl– and sometimes for me

Day After!


I am reading what I wrote over the past day or so — I really do not remember what I wrote.  Some of the words surprise me. I was in a rant of a mood last night.  It is in that state of mind that I do not remember things.  I try never text or email when I am in a mood like that cause I can really embarrase myself.  And I especially stay away from Facebook and my BBM.  I seem to have a bad memory lately.  I do not remember things like last evening when I wrote my last posting on the blog.  Thanksgiving weekend. My great neice broke a glass and I got out the central vac. hose to clean it up.  Instead of putting it away I set it aside in the family room and the next morning I said – Crap I left the hose out what a rotten host I am not to put away my cleaning stuff I can’t believe it.  My Mom clued me in that I left if out after my great neice broke the glass.  I do not for the life of me remember vacumning or the broken glass. 
As a Mom I know Mom’s forget stuff.  But this isn’t forgetting what you went upstairs to get, or forgot an apt. or if my daughter works tonight or tomorrow night.  This is missing time in the middle of an event or day.  Blocks of time I can not recall.  Apparently I forgot that I broke a plastic glass at the last work event.  I would have remembered that one– for sure.
 
It is a side effect.  It doesn’t help that I have a glass of wine or two when I am out or having dinner with family.  It frightens me that I can’t remember. It just adds to the unsettlement
Maybe I should learn to slow down try to relax, I have been feeling uptight lately
 
till next time……………………..

A wondering statement


I am wondering….. what the hell do I do with all this.  In the grand sceam of things, how does mental illness fit in?  The case with mental illness , your grasp of reality is lost.  What is my reality?  Things sometime feel surreal. Is my real world my work, my life, my family. Or is my world my relationship with God. When you are in a state as i am tonight, it is hard to distinguish what is real and what is not.  This is the heart of mental illness.  It is the distinguishment between what is real and what is not real.  Between what you care about and what you don’t.  It is  this hand or the other hand ideas that confuse me.  It is these things that torment me.  I have been storming around the house with a lack of light on my mind.  Its fall of course I am looking for light, so I buy three new lights for the house and buy 100 w bulbs for the other lights in the house.  To read this makes me sound like a lunatic.  But who is to say I am not?  Am I crazy, or neurotic? Am I losing it, or suffering from another ocd issue. Or have I now besides just being depressed and slightly crazy now developed a sensitivity to light?

What is really going on in this discussion with myself……… Its just a night. its just a vent, its just something I am feeling and it is making me angry cause it is another simpton in a long list of things to deal with.  Maybe I just have to except that is just is.

Lord forgive my vent and my unbelief.  lead me and help me…………….

till next time…………….

Crappy


I am having a email discussion with my husband today.  I was telling him that I think its time to pray with our pastor and his wife.  Its been a month or two maybe three since we have done this so we are due.  My husband responds -” I knew there was something wrong – I asked if you were ok and you said yes, but I knew it was something.”

Is there something wrong with me? Well yes I have an illness that takes a lot out of me sometimes and other times I’m fine.  This week I am fighting and I am tired.  I fell into a deep sleep this morning maybe about an hour or two before the alarm went off.  How wonderful it was to sleep that deep how crappy it was to have to wake up.  I am tired now, its only 4pm ( i have been tired all day to be honest)  Its when I am tired that I have the toughest time to feel up.

So the delima.  I feel like crap sometimes.  I don’t want to be around people I don’t want to do anything, I feel angry, alone, sad, the whole gamit, that happens with depression.  So what do I do? “hi honey I feel like crap today” what does that accomplish.  Sometimes I just need to deal and want to be left alone.  That may not be what I am supposed to do.  When you are feeling alone, I guess it is the approach bothers me the most.  I hate to put people out, I hate to admit I need help, I hate to rely on people.  That is my pride, that is my nature.  I have always looked after myself, I look after my children and my husband. Its hard to put that shoe on the other foot.

Maybe this is apart of God‘s plan. Maybe this is his way of teaching me that I need to trust in him and others.  Its a lesson I suck at learning.  I want to be better – there have been some dark places I have been that I have got out of, only by trusting completely in God.

things to think about……………..till next time……………….

Falling in Fall


I have been nagging my husband to death about the lighting in our home.  The bedrooms have no lights in the ceiling, and the family room is the same.  We were at Canadian Tire on Saturday fighting about lights.  He is not destroying the ceiling in the family room for new lights.  He is refusing to put in new lights in his words we don’t need them “why am I being obsessed about it” So we compromised.  I bought 3 standing, up lights and filled the family room with two and one for our bed room.  I also put 100 w light bulbs in them.  It seems to make me feel better that I can see.

At church this morning my pastor was doing the congregation prayers, for those who are ill etc etc…. He said a long prayer about people who suffer from depression, and that they can struggle with seasonal disorders from lack of sun.  I couldn’t believe it.  I have lived in this house for 18 years and I have never been so desperate for light in the house. I have a light in the front room on a timer cause I hate to walk around in a dark house, and in the family room I have white pin lights on a huge fucus tree I have also on a timer.  Up till this year I have never been in a panic about the lighting in the house,  I have never had an issue with this before,  and the more I think about it the more other things make sence.

The first weekend away this summer it was still spring and we went fishing with our best friends.  I was anxious at the beginning of the weekend and I had said several times I was decompressing while we were out and about.  We spent a lot of the days on the boat and I remember breathing deeply and feeling the sun on my face how wonderful it felt.  I have thought about that weekend a lot and wondered why being on the boat and fishing was so wonderful and when I have had  sad times I think about that weekend and how much it ment to me to be there.  I figured that it was because I fished with my Dad and I was remembering being with him. I thought it was because I was away from the kids and it was nice to be away.  I love my best friends so much I figured it was quality time with them.  Or it was all of the above, which I am sure it was too, but maybe it was the sunlight.

This is a double edge sword for me.  I have always loved the sun, and now it seems to be even more important to me.  This is a good realisation and my husband is happy I am not nagging him about the lights anymore, now that I understand why it was bothering me so much.   On the other hand — Great this is something I have to be aware of, another  thing to think about.  Knowledge is power, understanding is enlightening, another thing to think about is stressful.

Some days that is the way it goes

till next time…………………………………..

Week after Thankgiving


Been a week or so since I wrote.  Its been a good time.  Thanksgiving was last weekend and it was wonderful. I got to spend some time with family and my best friends.  I had my son home from college – it was great to spend time with him, joke around, I miss him so much but that is what happens when they get older.  They move out and move on.  Its Friday night and I am sitting around with my husband listening to some blues and having a little drink to celebrate the week is over.  I have been working on some projects at work, and I have almost completed one.  That will happen next week then onto the next thing.  Everything about this job is new and its been great.  I still get a little sad sometimes.  I usually feel that way when I drive to work or home.  I have been trying to keep my head above water. So far so good – lately

I have been trying little tricks to keep myself from falling into the traps of depression.  There are times one can do that.  When I feel that sadness coming to sneak up on me I try to keep busy.  Read a book, exercise, or cook.  I talk myself out of it.  When I an feeling sad and my energy starts to zap.  I just remind myself that I am tired and if I work out and get all the things that need to be done that day I will feel more tired at night and sleep better.  When I am sitting in church I tell myself that I will not let the darkness talk myself out of my Savours love or forgiveness.  I keep a diologue of positiveness and try to avoid the darkness that want to surround me.  The darkness leaves for a while.  It sits in a car across the street watching and waiting trying to decide if it wants to ring the doorbell or sneak in the back door.  In mean time I try to keep the doors locked and my eyes upward and fill my heart with light and love.  Its like a rollercoaster that you are lifted up and you throw your hands up and scream in joy, before the crash.

I am not trying to make a selfulfilling proficy, it is what happens with depression.  Like any illness you have your good days and your bad. Today is a good day, tomorrow well in the words of Jesus tomorrow will have its own trouble, —

till next time…………..

Wednesday


Middle of the week.  Feeling better today.  I was feeling sad yesterday.  I didn’t want to talk to anyone, I didn’t do anything, I just sat on the couch in a ball and watched TV.  If you ask me tonight what I watched —- I am not really sure but I sat there for 3 hours and didn’t move.

I thought a lot about  turtles. I have always thought turtles were cool.  I have never taken them seriously before; well snapping turtles should be taken seriously but I never thought about them much.  They are slow and a non-threat kinda cute. You see on the nature channel, the little ones just hatched making their way to the sea and there are thousands of them and as you watch you root for the underdog.  The life of a turtle has not barring on mine. If all the turtles died would it hurt me.  No not really.  I thought of them in-depth last night – that happens when  stare at the TV for 3 hours.  I was a turtle last night – except I had the noise of family around TV around.  I thought what it would be like to be a turtle. To have a place to hide.  A dark place where no one can see you.  Where you can bury your head in the sand and hide.    I know hiding is not the place you want to be but sometimes it’s not the darkness I seek but the peace.

Tonight I came home did a work out, my body hurts, I work out hard, I made supper, did all those things you are supposed to do as a Mom and then I took a little time to sit in the hot tub.  As I unwound and enjoyed the tub, I looked up and directly above me was a star.  It was like it was looking down on me.  I started to read my bible today- and write again in my journal– my last entry was April 24– little overdue.  I started to read John today, as I looked at the star I prayed a simple prayer.  God it is as if this star were put in this sky tonight to shine on me, thank you for always shining on me even when I want to hide in the dark.  —  I felt a wash in peace.  That star was shining on me God had just put a light above me to lighten my way and open my heart.

After a time of turmoil God has given me some peace — for tonight.  The tears have stopped for now.  Relief from the sadness that has followed me over the past few days.  I stand in this peace the way you would stand on a mountain breath in the clear crisp air and soak up the sun as you look over God’s masterpiece.  I stand still and try to take it all in – my cup over flow

till next time……………….

 

Monday


Its Monday and its cold.  I had to take in all my indoor plants in from outside before the cold killed them.  That means that I will be making plans to put my Kayak away, and have to pack up the outdoor stuff before the snow comes.  I realize its just the beginning of Fall but I am never ready for it and to be honest it makes me sad.   I love summer.

I had a very very busy weekend.  Did a lot of work with my church and we managed to raise almost $10,000. for a local charity in my city.  But I am still tired, happy it all went well, but tired.

I have been fighting the tears today.  I keep telling myself don’t give in just keep your head up and tell yourself your tired and don’t give into finding a place to hide and not come out.  The darkness has moved away from my table, sitting in the shadows of the room.  Confusion has become disinterested in my for now, its negitivity that wants to follow me around. Another day of fighting another day of feeling not positive, another day of dragging my butt.

I can not think about the fight.  I can not think about how far or how long this has gone on.  I can’t think about the walls that I feel stopping me from being able to handle tasks.  I have been trying to focus myself on just today.  Today I will eat lunch and I did. Today I will pick up milk and cream cause we are out and today I will get something for supper.  Today I will clean up the kitchen, today I will clean the bathrooms and I will take sometime to relax cause I need to refocus and put myself in a place to handle tomorrow. I can not think about later this week.  To think ahead or about too much is like a trucker trying to load and drive all its goods in one trip instead of the three or four trips it will take to complete the job safely and correctly.  My mind can not handle too much planning it overwhelms and I become paralized.

So this fall I have quit everything.  I can only handle trying to get some exercise a few days a week and one committee that only meets once everymonth.  I have been at the mercy of my wreckless mind.  I am going to try to trick it back.  If I reduce the amount of things it has to think about maybe I can get what needs to be done and move onto the next.  A list of the important stuff to remind me what is what and slowly check it off.  I am not sure what will happen if I fall into a depressed state.  I am not sure what will happen when I drop in a hole — today I must just think about today– and the tear fight for today.

till next time

Random ramblings


A few days have passed since my last post.  The darkness and confusion seated themselves at my table — I did not serve then anything.  They tried to convince me that I needed to be with them, much like a black jack table in Vegas enticing an addict.  I sat unmoved from my post.  That sounds good, but in reality I did not invite them to my table — they invited themselves, at a time when thought I would be open to them sitting and drinking with me.  I did not speak to them, I kept my concentration on God.  Don’t think me admiral, or strong. I may have not given into the temptation to hide in their darkness. their ploy to confuse me did not work.  But I listened to every lie they told me– I didn’t scream lies lies, I did nothing to keep my ears from hearing I looked into their hole of darkness as it tried to look like a place of paradise to hide in. I knew better I didn’t fall for it this time.  I tried to brace my heart from the darts of doubt and my mind lies that were shooting at it like a thousand arrows in a battle.

The arrows of battle.  I have held the belief that God spoke us into existence.  In the beginning was the word and the word became flesh.  The word was the thoughts and character of God, given to us in the son of God – Jesus.  If God can speak us into existence and breathe life into our hopeless sinful bodies, then what happens when we swear, curse, gossip, cut people down with the tongue, the double edge sword we hold between our teeth.  We shoot arrows into the spirit, the life of those we curse.  We give power to the darkness, to pull their chairs closer to their tables and confuse and conquered their lives in a darkness, that they may not have the power to break free from.

This is the battle, this is the line drawn in the sand.  why do I bring this up.  If you have ever suffered from depression or mental illness you have felt the darkness creep up upon you and you know its power. I talk about the battle because in the midst of depression you are more aware of its present. The darkness makes you feel like its only your battle. it is only you and the darkness trying to convince you – like a used cars salesmen — “lets make a deal” But the reality– the thing we can not see because of our blindness (which is an evil ploy) we are in a valley of many suffering the same issues the same defeats and sometimes the same victories.  We just can’t see each other because of the fog.

The fog.  This fog is thick.  it creates walls in our minds.  We do the everyday things in life.  Make lunches, call Mom’s, clean the houses.  This fog has made me feel like I am alone.  I have been crying a lot lately.  The tears still do not stop.  In some ways this is healthy– therapeutic.  In others its down right embarrassing. In some ways disturbing.  I have before this illness took over, never been a crier.  I thought it a weakness.  It makes me even now mad to cry.  Don’t get me wrong.. crying is a natural response to stress, grief or pride for those around us.  My rock my husband had been going through a rough time.  Lost of factors.  Ill mother, stress at work, anger issues, and a change in some medication he was taking.  I am uneasy with it all because my husband is my rock.  I need him to be strong and sturdy and he isn’t — I know its a lot of pressure I am putting on him — and my own weak mind.  But I need him to fill the gaps where I can not, because of my illness.

Lately the illness has been showing me its blocks, stops, breaks, gaps, halts, its full stops in my life.  I am in a new job – computer secretary, communication officer.  I am really loving this job. Its great.  But in my day to day — job related I can handle it — but I come to a point where I am looking at personal emails, home expectations, Parent expectations and my limits run amuck and I am thinking no I can’t do this.

Now we are back to my previous reality  issues.  Is the stress I feel the overwhelming,  anxiety I am feeling, a life issue, work issue, a sandwich generation issue, a made up issue the darkness is feeding me, Or is it a reality I can not grasp because of my illness and the reality of all this life is outthere some where to be made sence of at some other time.   Reading this makes me think — you know someone somewhere is going to think I am smoking a kings size something or other ….. maybe I think too much, maybe I do listen to the darkness too much, maybe I drink too much wine and don’t have enough sleep.

These are the random thought that go through this brain of mine.  Ill or not, all to be discovered at a later date

till next time…………….

Reality


What is reality?  What is time.  A day goes by and a night passes how does that affect the mind, how does that affect life.  I step a step down tonight. The darkness and confusion have set their chairs at my table.  They want to engage in a friendly game.  Like an addict  I am sitting on the fence— wanting to avoid the temptation and wanting to hide away in a small place.  I want to be in a place of peace.  I am tired of the shadow following me. In a place like this  I want to hide, last time I felt this way I wanted to hide in the dark it called me gave me promises and wanted me to come into its peace.   It was not peaceful.  I know better, I know what is peaceful. Darkness’ promises will not do it.  I feel foolishly stronge in this knowledge.  But the darkness and his friend confusion will not give up.  They will decide what other way can we get her???? How you may ask…… a suggestion of time, what is time how is it reliant to what is happening.  Is this an episode yes, mental illness (that phrase is still hard to look at)  My illness has a way of sometimes taking me off track, taking me into a realm that is beyond the norm.  It draws me in and repels me takes me from normal to crazy – – so where do i sit tonight??? on the fence kicking my feet not knowing what do to next no knowing where to go……………

till next time