Should I get help?
The real problems come when the episodes go beyond Acute or
Chronic to being Severe or Non-stop. At that point, the human mind will often have
that Fight or Flight response kick in.
In Flight, the person may try to run from the experience.
Maybe they stay away from all people for unreasonable lengths of time. Perhaps
their moods just drop into the darkest regions and refuse to budge. They may try alcohol,
drugs, anything to distract themselves from the sudden feelings of isolation,
fear, unrealness, disconnection, hopelessness, emptiness.
In Fight, the person may take it upon themselves to force a
connection. Violent outbursts to provoke reactions from others might prove the
connection is still there because "I did something that had a demonstrable
effect on the people or world around me." Violence against myself might be an
effort to seek connection through pain.
Or in the ultimate Fight AND Flight reaction, a person might
decide to choose the Great Beyond as their new environment. If my reaction to
the episode is so titanic, I might become the Titanic and slip permanently under the waves
of hopelessness.
If you start having episodes like these, where you find yourself losing that connection to yourself or the rest of creation, a professional evaluation might be the ticket you need to come to grips with them. I shy away from simple on-line questionnaires because they are often skewed towards one interpretation of symptoms or another. A trained person can include more data than what you click Yes or No for.
If your episodes are getting debilitating, or your reactions are getting more extreme, I beg you to seek help. In many parts of the USA (especially my region of the Midwest), there is huge cultural resistance to getting psychological help. It is met with derision and negativity, as is the person seeking the help. Shoot, folks have been known to suffer alone simply because the pain and fear of being stigmatized as “crazy” is too much for them.
If you start having episodes like these, where you find yourself losing that connection to yourself or the rest of creation, a professional evaluation might be the ticket you need to come to grips with them. I shy away from simple on-line questionnaires because they are often skewed towards one interpretation of symptoms or another. A trained person can include more data than what you click Yes or No for.
If your episodes are getting debilitating, or your reactions are getting more extreme, I beg you to seek help. In many parts of the USA (especially my region of the Midwest), there is huge cultural resistance to getting psychological help. It is met with derision and negativity, as is the person seeking the help. Shoot, folks have been known to suffer alone simply because the pain and fear of being stigmatized as “crazy” is too much for them.
What you decide is your business, of course. But let me say
in conclusion how I feel about it:
I’ve been called many things in my life designed to hurt me.
People have formed opinions about me that were not based on how I really am. I
have been threatened and bullied, emotionally abused and mentally manipulated. Screw
‘em.
My brain, my life. I don’t care whether others like it or
not, I’ve got some issues and I’m going to get better. I’m not going to hide
them under a rug or in a back room behind a locked door. I’m going to be
better. I’m going to be okay. They won’t, because they enjoy judging and
ridiculing others. I’m going to be the master of my issues; those folks who
choose to ostracize me will remain the slaves of theirs.
Conclusion
I hope this helps folks understand my battle with the 4 Ds.
No doubt other folks have different experiences with these mental and emotional
nuisances.
If you know someone who struggles with these things, don’t worry. They
aren’t contagious, and there’s no need to avoid them during their struggles.
Maybe by reaching out to them you can help them retain a sense of connection.
No need to remind them simply that they are merely having a Perception issue;
that probably wouldn’t help. Dismissing what another person is experiencing may
help you feel less uncomfortable but it doesn’t do a thing for them.
If you’re struggling with these things, please be honest about it.
Just as with other folks dismissing your struggle, your dismissal won’t really
help you find resolution. If it gets bad enough, consider a course of therapy
(whether guided or on your own). If reaching out to a professional is the best
course, whatever embarrassment you feel about it will soon be overshadowed by
the pride you have in advocating for your own peace, your own wellness.
And try to remember that episodes come and go. Just when you
think it’s all gone and will never come back, something might happen and it
comes knocking on your door. But that’s okay. It’s just another life cycle,
even as it’s frustrating and scary. As it starts, it will stop. As it stops, it
will start. But in time, you too might get to that glorious point where you
feel a sudden disconnection, shrug your shoulders, and go watch TV or go hang
out with friends anyway. You’re going to be okay.
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