Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Becoming A Statistic

So the only thing that was productive during today's counseling session were my tear ducts. I cry every visit.....but what's new? ha. During my last visit we got through a couple of old haunts that I don't talk about from childhood. I felt relieved to get some stuff off my chest. But today was a mishmash of "I don't knows." "I haven't really felt anything emotional in years." "Define love and I'll tell you if I feel it." "God? He's there but I'm numb to it all." I don't know if I was able to answer any questions with a confident answer. I've felt this way for years. Since I was a pre-teen up through my twenty's I was very emotional and depressed. Then I got to my thirty's and it's like all feeling is gone. I'm just going through the motions of how a thirty-two year old female should go about life with no opinion towards anything. Just blah blah blah. That's how I've felt for the past 3 years.

So today my counselor and I finally talked medication. It's a subject I've tried to ignore for years. Back in 2001 I finally decided to try and do something about my emotions. First on the list was getting on birth control to help with my extreme irregularness and mood swings. I thought it was a hormonal thing. Although it has helped me physically it has not helped me emotionally. Then in 2006 I decided to try exercise. Exercise is supposed to help with depression, right? In 2008 I decided to try and eat healthier. This year my ob-gyn decided to try me on a birth control that helps with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). I saw him in May and lied that it was helping. Well, it is helping in the fact that I can tell the day when my pms begins but in the long run it hasn't fixed the problem. So I finally committed to going to a counselor with Jason for some pre-marital counseling. After two visits, the counselor focused on me (bum, bum, bum, enter scary dramatic music here). This is what I feared. My last counseling experience back in 2003 wasn't really helpful. I was so wrapped up in an unhealthy dating relationship I couldn't focus on my real issues.

So I've seen the counselor 5 times now and we finally discussed my taboo........anti-depressants. I've gone through a checklist of possible cures over the past 8 years and it's finally time to try medicine. I hate that. I don't want to feel like I'm weak. I worry it will work and I'll be on it for a while (like I don't control myself). I worry that it won't work and I'll be left wondering what my problem is. I've prayed about the meds things for a while. The only way I feel okay about it is to view the issue like any other medical condition. I know people that take meds to control diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. So I'll be taking meds for my own personal medical condition. But I hate becoming a statistic. So many people take anti-depressants that don't necessarily need them. I wonder if I even need them. But I'm at the end of my checklist and the box beside "meds" is still open. Guess I'll slap a check-mark in it and call it a day. Wish me luck.

Sunday, July 05, 2009

You've Lost that Loving Feeling

Here's one little photo from mine and Jason's trip to Washington D.C. This was in Georgetown at a park beside the Potomac River. And that is a yummy half eaten pistachio tart! It was a much needed trip. Ofcourse, I could have been a happier person but I did get some de-stressing done. It's been a tough couple of months. I've rolled into this wave of "down in the dumps" again. Jason has been very sweet and understanding. We've attempted some counseling which has quickly after two meetings turned solely into "cindy counseling". Yep, I'm the messed up one. How would you guess?! ha I've pretty much gotten to this point where I really have no clue who I am anymore. I had such a strong sense of self in my early twenties, then I had 8 years of a relationship that drained a lot out of me, then I was left in mourning for years (and dreams that still haunt me to this day...had one just last night), and now I'm looking at myself asking "who in the world are you? why are you so caught up on who you used to be? be a new creation, it's ok to become someone new." But it's so hard. I'm at this point where I just feel lost and broken. I just need relief......I've been dealing with these feelings since I was around 12 years old.

I read some of my old posts from back in 2004. Rough stuff. That was such a dark time. I had to be so strong and stick to my guns. I rarely left my apartment except to go to the Ronish's house or out of town. How sad.

If you get a chance give God a little shout out for me. Church was awesome tonight and I really felt like God was talking through the sermon. I felt His love. Every day is a struggle. I will overcome these feelings. Just gottah keep keepin' on.

Love you guys.
-c

Friday, July 03, 2009

Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day Everyone!!!! It's been a while since I've posted. Lots of self-evaluation going on and been out of town for a wedding/trip to Washington D.C. Hope you are all doing well. As you can see in this pic (Jason, brother Jamie, and sister-in-law Pam), the family that plays together stays together. ROCK!!!