Sunday, July 22, 2007

You Never Know What Others Are Struggling With

photo by simon.flanagan
Last night I had two girls and their significant others over. The men left to go rent a movie and the three of us were left to just talk. At first it was a little awkward, not knowing what to say, but the conversation quickly turned to something very interesting. I can't remember how the topic came up, but one girl confessed that she suffered from depression and how she just barely got off her meds because her fiance thought she didn't need them. (Duh! she seems normal BECAUSE of the meds). So now she has been off them for about 3 weeks and she is extremely emotional, crying all the time. She talked about how she has panic attacks and passes out sometimes, and how hard it is for her to make friends because she is so self conscious about what others think about her. Then the other girl opened up about how she thought she had depression too and how her husband would get offended when she would talk about it because he assumed if she was depressed it was because of him somehow. She said she also had a hard time making friends because girls have always been so mean to her in the past. I was sitting there thinking, this whole time I was worried about me and my anxiety and what they thought of me, while they were worried about themselves and what they are going through and what I thought of them! For awhile I thought the first girl didn't like me because she was so quiet and never seemed to talk to me or want to get to know me. In reality she was so shy and didn't think I liked her. It also made me realize just how supportive Tyler is of me and my anxiety. It really makes me grateful for the "ah-ha" moment.

So we talked about how we should hang out more since we all have so much in common and we have fun together. It was a real eye opener for me.

8 comments:

Mike said...

Back on the 4th of July, I went to a small party with some co-workers, and while I was talking with the host, she mentioned that she has anxiety issues. It was nice to see someone with anxiety appear so confident and outgoing.

Congrats on finding some new allies! It's always nice to have people who are on the same wavelength.

Aimée said...

Welcome back mp! Its amazing how some people can hide it so well. I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. How did you do at that 4th of July party? Was that hard for you?

Russ said...

Aimee,

I came across your blog while reading Molly's (staple it together). You seem to be a very nice and caring person. I am not sure if you are a spiritual person or not (have not read your entire blog) but trust in the Lord in everything you do and He will direct your paths.

Hope I didn't offend you but it was on my heart...Good luck with everything.

Molly said...

Gotta love Russ!

I had a similar experience recently. I was having lunch with someone locally who reads my blog and does not comment. She has similar issues with anxiety and panic and has a blog too. It is really interesting that there are people out there that you never would have guessed are going through the same things that you are!

Take Care!

Aimée said...

Hi Russ and welcome to the blog. I am a very spiritual person and I am so glad for the comment you left me. I was actually just sitting down to post a new topic that is spiritual in nature and was worried about offending readers! So I am glad to know that there are also readers out there that are spiritual and can enjoy the subject. I appreciate your compliments and advice. You are so right and I need to do more of that. Hope you come back soon :)

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad to hear you had such a great experience this weekend. I understand that blogging is theraputic for you, but it's nothing like having a person sitting in front of you with whom you can openly discuss your issues. With a blog, you can read what everyone's got to say, but in a conversation with someone you can see, hear, and feel what they're feeling when they talk to you and express yourself to a greater extent. It's wonderful that you're finding people who have this in common with you. True, it's a horrible thing to have to go through, but having these women there for you means you are going through this even less alone than you thought. I hope all continues to go well and that you grow even closer to your new friends. Bonding with people like yourself can be amazing therapy.

Aimée said...

Thanks Brinn :)How are you doing?

Anonymous said...

It is amazing what we find out about others when we get to know them. :)

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