Month: November 2019

I have more than enough reasons to give up and resign myself to a life bound by fear, disappointments, and regrets. And yet, in the struggle, I am learning resiliency. I’ve peeled off nearly every layer of “skin” and have been left exposed and vulnerable. Interestingly enough, my heart beats on and my spirit longs for wholeness. In some ways, I feel closer to freedom and the endless discovery that results from it. I’m learning that so much of my suffering has resulted from a sense of separation from myself. This developed from years of drowning out my voice with the endless chatter of others and the belief that their perceptions of me held more weight than mine. I was drawn to anything that distracted me from the stillness and the truth truly needed to heal. And thus my life over the last decade grew nearly intolerable and as a result I lost a great deal. Some of the loss was necessary, while some was a direct result of suffering so long with a mental illness. It seems recently, that everything has culminated into a rather serious struggle that has demanded my full attention and energy.

Besides the recent move to Los Angeles which has been overwhelming and alienating, I’ve been battling dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and have lost a little over 60 pounds in roughly four short months. I wasn’t really that worried until my fear restricted my diet further over the last month and the last ten pounds fell off so quickly, leaving me intimately aware of what true hunger feels like. It hurts. The fear of swallowing originated from a real place as I recently have been diagnosed with an esophageal motility disorder. I’m doing my best to be patient with a slow healthcare system and am waiting to receive treatment for both for the motility issues and now the fear surrounding my swallowing.

Besides, the physical struggle, I’ve been grieving so much loss over the years and a significant loss very recently. I lost a childhood best friend, Beth, to suicide on October 13th. I’ve known her over thirty years and her struggle of mental health was similar to mine. We had exchanged messages through messenger the night before she passed and although she shared that her medications were screwing with her, she never gave any indication that she was suicidal. In fact, the very last message I received from her she talked about researching treatment options. Her death came as a shock to everyone close to her. I am still processing it all. I literally just returned from a cross-country trip this past Sunday where I attended her “Celebration of Life” ceremony. It’s been disorienting to say the least.

The passing of my friend drummed up a lot of memories of others in my life of whom I have “lost” along the way for various reasons. Over time, I’ve been “shedding” certain people in my life that were weighing me down. I have had to cut ties with my sister and her kids because the addiction issues became too difficult for me to navigate. I wasn’t getting my needs met and I found that I was often raging and/or depressed. It was unhealthy for me and I did what was necessary to heal, which was to “let go”. I also went “No Contact” with my ex-fiance because of his lack of commitment and other confusing behavior patterns which always made me feel insecure in our relationship. This has left me somewhat isolated and alone, and yet, perhaps it has been needed not only for me to heal, but also to reconnect with myself so that I develop a stronger sense of self.

I actually thought that my mental illness couldn’t get much worse as the grief of losing people, jobs, independence, family, etc. seemed rather brutal. Then along comes a phobia of swallowing and it has pretty much paralyzed me for the moment. I can’t eat out and I’ve become very restricted in what I eat and drink. There are the moments where I have tried my best to get something down with no luck and I end up staring at my plate, tears inevitably rolling down my cheeks. I’ve always been able to hide somewhat behind an anxiety attack, even to where others may not even be aware that it is occurring. This is different. I can’t go and “fake it” at a restaurant as everyone would wonder or ask why I am not eating. It’s serious and potentially life-threatening. And I have recently reached the threshold where I really shouldn’t lose anymore weight. Not to mention the constant hunger pain and exhaustion I experience from not getting enough calories. I’ve been lucky to get 1000-1200 in on most days.

And so, all of the above should be enough to “give up”. But, I won’t. I am tired and scared, but I’m also hopeful. I have appointments coming up to address my concerns with both my therapist and psychiatrist. And I will soon see a motility specialist for my esophagus. I will fight and keep trying because that is who I am deep down inside. And I am determined to find the good in this struggle. For instance, had I not become fearful, I would have never pursued the esophageal testing and I probably would have not known about the issues of motility. This time of struggle could save my life or, at minimum, provide me with the tools to eat in a way that will not permanently harm my esophagus. My overwhelming fear of swallowing is an opportunity for me to address the fear and anxiety in my life that has had a hold on me my entire life. Because this is a fear that cannot be ignored, it gives me the time to discover why I am so fearful and the space to learn better coping skills.

Life is not without struggle. My task going forward will be to find ways to accept the struggle and neither cling to it or avoid it. I would like to understand what it is trying to teach me. The loss in my life has been significant, and yet, I am slowly regaining pieces of myself back. I am also continually sculpting and molding my true essence and am defining what it means to be me. I have shaved off what is not mine by letting go of the people and endeavors that have often kept me trapped in self-doubt and fear. As part of the human race, we all struggle from time to time. What seems alienating is often what unifies us in the end. I hope one day I will be free from suffering and my words can be a source of comfort to someone. I would be amiss in my process of healing to not shed light on the path along the way.

“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light”. – Aristotle