Still Feel

I think there's a misconception out there about numbing ourselves to our feelings when we take anti-depressants. One of the things I wanted to talk about was how it's actually quite the opposite. When we are completely run by our emotions because we are chemically out of balance, it's quite hard to feel the normal ups and downs. The key, I believe, is reaching out to a professional who can watch closely and monitor you to restore that balance. I've read online forums where people said that they felt they needed to cry on anti-depressants, but couldn't. I understand that feeling. I had it in the beginning, and I am glad that I have that ability returned to me. Crying is cathartic, expressive, and connects you to others. You realize what a privilege it is when you temporarily have it removed from your life. However, in a lot of situations, your body goes through a transition with medication and eventually finds its balance.

I very much have all kinds of feelings these days. Therapy + medicine has helped me be so incredibly happy, that when I find I have to prolong my next session or I have a newly stressful event in my life, I fear the anxiety or sadness come on. And when it does, I have all the normal lows, just like anyone else. The difference is there isn't a sense of hopelessness. There's a sense of reasoning. I write my feelings down, think about what I'd like to talk about or how to overcome them, and then I exercise and try to focus on the good things. It's a process. I don't get it right every time, but I feel every bit in the moment as the next person.

I just thought I'd share because it's a common idea that I think deters people from getting help when they need it. Some of us just have an imbalance. Just like some people have Crohn's disease. Some of us have diabetes. Some of us have cancer. The main commonality I'm trying to highlight is the fact that many of these issues are not visible, but our bodies are still unable to reach homeostasis within some systems, which we can't see. It doesn't mean that we are doomed. We just have to recognize the diet, lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors that got us here, and then we have to take the steps to restore.