Monday, December 21, 2009

I am hanging on to the words you say ~ that I am not crazy, and I will be okay

"You are not crazy and you will be okay". I am holding tightly onto your words, dear therapist. I have hidden them under my tear stained pillow where they can be easily reached when I wake up in terror and confusion.

Last Friday night was the worst I’ve experienced in a long time. I know in part it was due to the shameful disclosures I made in the therapist’s office, but there is more to it than that. And I have been trying to put the puzzle together, yet there are still missing pieces lost in the darkness, and it seems as though I have caught another case of trauma brain, in addition to a head cold. As you know *borderline freak outs* are a common side effect of trauma brain and I appreciate her endless patience when dealing with PAG. I understand there is no reasoning with her, which is why I choose to leave when she comes around.

I am sorry that I told the therapist that she doesn’t “get it” ~ that wasn’t fair, and I am sorry for hanging up on her and telling her that I do not need anything from her, including her ‘support’. Last Friday when I was talking to her the giddy sound in her voice and the fact that I perceived she called me back in front of the BF made me feel even more ashamed and embarrassed. And she sounded so happy and from my perspective not in a place where she could possibly understand that Grace’s internal security threat level had gone from a barely supportable ‘orange’ to unendurable “RED” and yet I had no way to communicate that to her because…well, I don’t really know why, exactly…I can only hypothesize and surmise and draw my own conclusions drawn from assumptions and guesswork:
1. I was angry that the therapist called me back from her BF’s house (although, I have to say I do like him better than the fossil – obviously he has email and a dog – and anyone who loves dogs is a-ok in my book) but I didn’t want to be a high-maintenance pain in the ass ~ or rain on her *happy parade* especially since she sounded so giggly and happy and I was in hell.
2. The kids were not home on Friday night and I knew that would make it worse for me ~ they are at least a distraction for part of the night.
3. The hus had already made some inferences that had kicked the 5 year old fear into full defcon 5 trauma brain.
4. I could not regain control of any situation on Friday night. I was not able to control what came out of my mouth, or what my body would do. Nothing! And the later it got ~ the worse it got. I could not stay in my body, or mind, for even 10 minutes.
5. I was not able to soothe any part of me or find any safety at all.
6. I felt like an inconvenience ~ she did not say that...in fact, she was trying to help me, but I felt like an inconvenience because…well, because that’s how I’ve always felt when I need help.
7.  ....and other stuff
I know at one point on Friday night I was talking to my friend Lynn on one phone and the therapist on another…but I remember only a snippet of each conversation. It was all surreal – like I was not attached to my body at all – and I couldn’t feel anything, but could see what was happening- and it was complete chaos. I felt like the body I was seeing was dead and there were these people around her trying to help her live but she couldn’t understand them. And it was so loud and chaotic and confusing that I could not handle any of it so I stopped watching because it was weird and scary and tiring and no one could make that girl understand anything – and she just wanted it all to stop. The next thing I remember was the hus waking me up outside at 3am – wondering what the hell I was doing outside, as was I.

And just as I told the therapist she doesn’t “get” what it’s like for me at night, I surely cannot “get” what it must be like for her to try to figure out where I am and what’s going on when I cannot communicate with her and we are on the phone so it’s not like she can ‘see me’ – and I certainly do not “get” what it’s like for her to get a frantic phone call from me when I am in that state…and it’s discouraging because I thought I was doing better. I really did.

And I couldn’t deal with any of it the rest of the weekend so I just stayed in bed. But I’m still holding on…the therapist told me that I will be okay and I am not crazy. I am holding onto her words right now. Because I do not feel okay ~ and I do feel crazy. I feel like I am falling apart…

4 comments:

  1. It must be nice to have someone tell you that you are not crazy and you will be okay. I've never gotten to the point where anyone would know I need to hear them say that. I wish I could because I think I would like to hear that too.

    I don't think you need to be sorry that you told her that she doesn't get it. No one could get it, except the person who lives it. Someone else can be empathetic or, god forbid, sympathetic, but never can they get it. Because if they got it they'd be as fucked up as us and then they couldn't help us could they?

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  2. yeah, she told me that last May (I never forget anything...that's good sometimes - but sometimes not so good)
    Harriet, believe me, when I tell you you are NOT crazy and you will be okay. (Of course I'm using myself as the baseline - so that may not provide much comfort for you).
    LOL! Maybe they are as fucked up as we are (in their own fucked up ways) - I, too, find it easier to "help" someone else - and I'm a fucking mess!
    And I hope she doesn't "get" what it's like for me - I would hate it if she did! She's way too nice for something like that to happen to her...

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  3. Oh, honey. I know what it's like to not remember the meltdown. I'm so sorry, honey. I will remember FOR you. I just want to hold you close.

    {{{{{{{{Grace}}}}}}}}

    And she's right. You are NOT crazy. You. Are. Beautiful. I love you and nothing can change that. NOT EVER.

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  4. Thank you, Lynn...I hope that you will always remember 'me'....I love you too. And I always will...how could I not ~ we both an only eat 'veggie burgers'....
    Always ~ Grace

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