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Guess who came for dinner?
This is not the easiest article to write. I have something I really want to tell you about and yet it is a bit challenging to get the words down. You see, I had some unexpected “guests” over the holidays. Wondering who came to dinner?
It was none other than my old friend, the Blues. Perhaps you know him? He usually brings along his brothers Guilt, Sorrow, Regret, Despair, and Loneliness. This time he even brought his cousin, Anxiety. It was a dinner party to remember, let me tell you!
I was actually shocked when they arrived at my doorstep. It was the holidays, after all, and I had not invited them. I only had enough food to feed Happy and Joy…so Blues and his family kicked out Happy and Joy and moved on in. It was not pretty.
You may wonder why I am sharing this with you but the truth is, I want you to realize that once you have experienced the symptoms of anxiety and depression, they can come back even when you don’t expect them…even when they are uninvited.
Such was the case for me this Christmas.
And I want to share with you just what I did when they all moved in on me…how I handled the invasion, and how I ultimately kicked them to the curb and entered the New Year feeling refreshed and ready for anything.
- I went with it. I saw them come in the door, watched as they shooed Happy and Joy away, and sighed and said, “Well you’re here now. Might as well get comfy.” I didn’t fight them off. I didn’t bury them under the rug. I acknowledged their presence and rolled with it.
- I felt them fully. I sobbed. I cried. I raged against the world. I let my emotions flow. I did not try to stop them from coming out for I knew that suppressing the emotions would only make me sick. I let them flow out of me naturally and safely within the confines of my own home. I journalled and I spoke to friends. I told people where I was “at” emotionally, I didn’t hide it, nor did I criticize myself for having these feelings. I accepted myself and what I was feeling completely.
- I rested. I went to bed early. I had several “jammie days.” I ordered in food so I wouldn’t have to cook. I didn’t clean a single thing. I cancelled plans so I could stay home and rest. I allowed myself the time I needed to heal.
- I read positive, uplifting books and watched funny movies. I stopped any activity that was vaguely negative (e.g. checking the headlines in the papers, talking about politics). Instead I surrounded myself with positive influences that I knew would impact my psyche in a supportive manner.
- I reminded myself that I had dealt with these guys before…and I knew exactly what homeopathic remedy I needed to take to help ensure that they would not stay forever. I have gone rounds with Blues and his brothers (and his nasty cousin Anxiety) since I was a child. I have “been there, done that.” And with the help of homeopathy, I have survived, lived to tell the tale, and gone on to help countless other people in their quest to kick these guys to the curb with the use of homeopathics. So I did what I do best…and what I know best…and I took the remedy I needed to help the process along.
As I said, it wasn’t really the prettiest 2 weeks for me. However, as always, I learned many things along the way. And I hope that, in sharing my process that you, too, will be able to move Blues and his cronies out of your house more efficiently and more effectively should they turn up at your house for dinner one night.
