First of all, I've always been a "people person," but lately, I get really anxious in a group of more than...oh...four people, even if I know everyone really well. Sometimes, I walk through a door into a crowded room and scope out a quiet corner (or even the bathroom) where I can escape if needed.
Second, I'm always expecting the phone to ring with bad news...it's like I'm just waiting for the next tragic thing to happen. Now, I've never been the most optimistic person (my parents could attest to that...okay, and Shaun, too), but I've always been excited about the future. Now I'm a chronic worrier...ugh.
And, third, I become irate over the most ridiculous things...the car in front of me that drives too slow, a piece of dirty laundry on the bathroom floor...really, anything these days! I've never been so agitated in my life.
So, what's a grieving mama to do? Well, they (counselors, doctors, etc) tell me that it's good, ol' PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Super. Probably right, but that makes me feel like...a nut case.
But, I had my "issues" explained to me in a much softer light this past week...a light that made me feel a bit less like a crazy person (or, at least it wasn't an abbreviated medical term).
Life is now about strengthening those areas in which I have been changed for the better through loss and working through those areas that are dysfunctional because of it. How simple sounding is that?! I feel like that's do-able.
So, as we go into the season of one Christmas party after another, with plenty of crowds and stressors, that's what I'm determining to do - to set myself up for success by recognizing when I need to be alone and quiet and setting boundaries. Strengthen the good, work through the not-so-good.
If you're feeling a bit dysfunctional in the stage of life you're in, look at your situation honestly and make that your goal. And, be encouraged...you're certainly not the only crazy person in town! :-)
Thanks for your honesty!! Hang in there through all those parties. Praying for you guys.
ReplyDeleteKelli
You are not alone in this, many just don't talk about it, like me. I know what it's like to always find the row with an empty seat for me on the end. To know where the exit is, or the bathroom. You are a little like a burn patient, your nerves have been hurt, exposed, so now you are extra sensitive to all outside stimilus, hence, your need for tuned down life, quiet, softness, for your time of healing. You will heal, your nerves will get better, but you will never be like you were before. Whether that is a good thing, or not, will be determined by you.
ReplyDelete