Crisis Point

Living with anxiety and depressions inevitably means that there are times of crisis. Sometimes this is simply part of the illness, but other times it can be when things happen in life that just crush you. It can be major things, like a car crash or learning that a close family member has a condition that is never going to get better and will hence have a major impact on your future, smaller things like worrying about job security and finances, or seemingly trivial things like how people are treating each other in the office, or opinions about whether the sermon was too long at the royal wedding. Add into The mix worries about health, aging and being in constant pain and it's not too long before you experience ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back.

I’m currently in just such a crisis, and have done something that is almost impossible to do for someone like me, and that is to make myself vulnerable and reach out for support. It is really scary, as there is always the fear of being mis-understood, not taken seriously or even rejected. However, it’s at these very times that you need the 3rd type of friend from the 3 my Mum once described – the first is those who are just acquaintances who you see at work, school or church but don’t do much else with except perhaps the odd social event or night out; the second the ones you speak to often, and who may visit your house when invited.

The 3rd is the one you need in a crisis. She will just turn up at your home and hold you when you cry, notice you need a hand washing up dishes, and even sometimes a little help washing and dressing yourself. When you are not able to she will go into the kitchen and make a drink and/or something to eat, go into your bedroom and collect up some of the piled up laundry and put them in the washing machine or push you to go outside and get some fresh air or sunshine. When it’s the middle of the night and you’re feeling so desperate that you are driving around, cruising the fast food drive-thru in order to comfort eat, and in need of a bed for the night, just to escape for a while, she’s the one whose door you know you can just turn up at.

Some people probably think that if you have a partner that you don’t need this kind if support, however never ever make assumptions.

#anxiety #depression #relationships #stress #prejudice #race #friendship #crisis #selfesteem #Aspergers