MIP Memories

    It was so weird being in MIP in March. It was probably the most extreme dissociative state I've been in. I had nearly complete lack of awareness of time. I was in the 90s and early to mid 2000s. I wasn't even as recent as 2020. I wasn't looking for Elle. I knew she would not be there, because I had already told outpatient everything. They knew about the texting and all of it. They knew it happened quite some time ago. Inpatient was just finding out, I guess. 

    But I kept thinking about the way it used to be. All the things that had happened. It's a very haunted place. Something draws me there, but it's not a place you want to be. That's the weirdness of it. It's like one of those movies where something feels like unfinished business. It's just like a Siren, drawing you in. But it's creepy as hell, and then you want to stay away. Just being near those glass doors. It's just like standing outside the unit at McClean. Feeling like you're floating. Alarm bells going off in your mind. A voice telling you that you need to get out of here. I almost had a similar feeling standing outside Patrick B that one time, even though I had never been there before. That campus is creepy as hell. 

 

Dear Elle,

I'm sorry. That i scared you. You always kept me safe. I hope you understand. 

Love,

Sarah

Dating and Autism

     The other day, someone suggested to me that I should date someone with autism. I have to say the idea rather horrified me. The idea of putting together two people with poor social skills seems like a recipe for disaster. I said I'd rather date someone with ADHD. ADHD seems easier to handle. Autism can be rough. Better yet, I wish I could date someone in healthcare (not one of my professionals). They just seem to understand better, but they still have enough social skills that they can lead the way when I cannot. 

    I hope someday to find someone, but I don't plan to look for autistic people as dating partners. If I meet someone that is a good fit and has autism, then great. But I'm not about to go around looking for autism as if that's something on a checklist. I think people in a couple need to complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, not reinforce them. I'd hope to meet someone with better social skills or at least skills that complement my own, not reinforce my weaknesses. 

Intrusive Thoughts

    I do get intrusive thoughts. These can vary in nature. When I'm especially triggered, they can get strong. I think sometimes the doctors confused a triggered, dissociative state that includes intrusive thoughts and hallucinations with Bipolar mania that includes paranoia and psychosis. 

    I see people that I've met before. I see them and I talk to them. Sometimes they even say things back. It started when I was little. Most of them are from my families. Biological or medical. I talk to them when they aren't there.

     I did not want to be a doctor, but I did want more from my life. But they say some things are permanent. I just hope my angels are watching over me. I know I can't count on people in the community to understand. I have a goobledy gook bunch of DX's in my chart, impaired recall, attention problems, dysregulation, disconnections with reality, time distortions... I don't know what the future holds, but I know that the professionals are hard at work. I just know that the harder people push me, the harder I have to push the doctors, and they can make mistakes. I guess to some extent I'm still working on acceptance. 

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

As it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make things right

If I surrender to His Will;

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life

And supremely happy with Him

Forever and ever in the next.

Amen.

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Weird Ideas Part V

 

   I don't like it when people get hurt. I don't. But she was all that was standing in the way of me and that key card. People wonder why I get frustrated and angry, it's when other people condescend or stand in my way or make threats. Even for decades after I started having thoughts of hurting health care workers, I didn't realize the anger problems I had. 

    She was a nice lady. I could have attacked her, no one was nearby but I didn't want her to be hurt. I'm not that kind of person. I knew I didn't want to do it so I didn't. She was safe with me. So maybe she wasn't so crazy to go walking along down a dim hall alone and far from the unit at night with a patient. Maybe some men would have attacked a woman half thier weight in an opportune moment in a dark hall. But I'm just not one of them. I just struggle to communicate and get angry.

   I'm hoping that my feedback filters in little by little to the upstate healthcare community. I think it's important to understand the dangers of Bad Psychiatry and Medicalized Perfectionism. Not every little imperfection of a living organism can be corrected. Sometimes we simply are imperfect beings. Imperfect beings that will never be perfect. 

    We are imperfect beings that get over diagnosed, overanalyzed, over criticized for our imperfections and this leads to things like thoughts of harm to self or others, agitation, PTSD, and broken trust. Forced medication is not ok. Goading is not ok. Threats are not ok. Lying and playing games is not ok. Slapping on a new dx and new drugs and blaming the patient is not helpful. Remember the Hippocratic oath, because, contrary to popular belief, I can and will always find a more ethical provider somewhere else and word does spread. Even if I don't file a complaint, it spreads. 

    And you can blame yourselves for that. 

Gender Conformity and Ableism

 

   I think two forces that have had major destructive impacts on my life are Gender Conformity and Ableism. Ableism is a big part of mental health stigma, but they are not the same. 

    Ableism is the belief that people who are nuerotypical (don't have things like autism, Down's Syndrome, retardation, mental illness, etc) and physically normal (not in wheelchairs, etc), are superior to those who are different. This goes back to Asperger, Nazism, and medicalized perfection. See the Nazis wanted perfect people too, all blue and blonde haired and strong and perfect. Only America takes it in a different direction. Instead of overtly trying to genetically perfect the population, we use other means. We stigmatize people who are different ("We're going to have to ship him out of state", jail threats, put downs, denial of accommodations) we use means to "thin out the herd". 

    We're not that much different from Nazis in some ways. The Nazis performed human experimentation to try to find ways to perfect humans. They gave amphetamines to soldiers, performed unethical medical experiments on Jews, they had a vision. I try to tolerate people who are different and find things to appreciate in them. Because I know what it's like to be medically perfected and examined from every angle to find faults. 

    Gender conformity is slightly different in that it's about the idea that men and women have distinctly different roles in society due to their biological differences. Some common ideas are that women should not work and that men are supposed to be strong and silent and all about their careers. It's very black and white thinking applied to genetic differences. Like Ableism, it fails to take into the account that humans are imperfect living organisms that do not conform to schematics. We were not designed, we were formed or created as imperfect beings to live in harmony, not to destroy one another. 

Post ER Visit

    It feels good to be getting Pristiq back in my system. I was really relieved by the difference in the ER staff yesterday. They were much more receptive. 

    I think I need to reduce my mychart messages more. I get frustrated with the doctors and some of the staff. I'm trying to increase my trust and improve my regulation. I may have called the doctors something like jealous incompetent idiots or something like that and I believe I told them that some people should rot in hell. Maybe a bit abrasive. Maybe I'm oversensitive. I'm trying to take this in a more positive direction. Because I believe that rather than fantasizing about guns and explosives that I should focus on trying to treat them the way I want to be treated. So that's what I tried to do. I was actually there for about 4-5 hours, not 2. I lose track of time. 

    So now I just need the rest of the pristiq. And to stay positive. Be me. The best me I can be.

Problems

    What I do have a problem with (other then fancy diagnoses) is anger, trauma, poverty, and lack of mental presence. I'm very spacey. I don't expect people to give a damn, but I do have to deal with it, whether you think I'm faking or not. The autism and adhd are the more complex underlying problems. It's not that hard to understand. All you need is the desire to truly understand, and it's following basic sentences. A high schooler can do it. 

    The starting point is autism. ADHD, most people understand already. Then slap on some trauma dissociation, and bingo, you have someone who is intelligent, different, and not very present. Comes from decades of repeated trauma. Ods, comas, severe depression, hospitalizations, these all qualify as trauma. No cure. It's fairly permanent. Pretty much all of it. Permanent disability. I can still do things, but the emotional dysregulation, spaceiness and communication issues will make full time work and many major endeavors unrealistic.

THC

    I think there's a lot of misconceptions about THC. The biggest for me personally, is that some people think I was addicted to it or that I was "having fun". Wrong. No, I tried it under the advice of a phyisician, it became a whole big thing, and I was taking very small amounts to treat symptoms, not to have fun. To me it was no different than a medication. 

    It was Spravato that became a huge problem. It landed me in the ER with crazy symptoms. It's going to be some time before I feel comfortable discussing what thc and spravato were like, because it was definitely a traumatic event. THC did have an uplifting effect, but the amount of lies and trauma around it makes it unlikely that I will ever try it again. I'm still trying to feel safe in my own skin again, especially around hospitals. 

    They're so busy pointing fingers sometimes that they forget to check the facts. Such as, oh yeah, WE were the ones that prescribed Spravato. SPRAVATO caused the er trip. Facts like that. Inconvenient ones. But no let's demonize and change the story. Great job guys, go fuck yourselves, pretty please. Seriously, you deserve it. Fucked me over pretty good.

Dedication

    I keep getting distracted, but if I'm trying to get my days back down to a system, just a different system. A system focused around accountec, writing, and health. As I keep saying getting too old for stretching myself thin, for chaos. I can't afford distractions. 

Trust Issues

    Trust issues refer to the difficulties a person experiences in believing in the reliability, honesty, and integrity of others, often stemming from past negative experiences. These issues can manifest as fear of betrayal, abandonment, or manipulation, and they can significantly impact relationships, leading to anxiety, suspicion, and difficulty forming close connections. 

Signs of Trust Issues:

Fear of betrayal or abandonment:

Individuals with trust issues may anticipate being hurt or mistreated, leading them to be guarded and hesitant to open up emotionally. 

Difficulty forming close relationships:

They may struggle to trust others, making it hard to form and maintain intimate friendships or romantic relationships. 

Suspiciousness and skepticism:

They may constantly question others' intentions and motives, even when there's no logical reason to do so. 

Anxiety and insecurity:

Trust issues can lead to heightened anxiety, worry, and a general sense of unease in social situations. 

Avoidance and withdrawal:

They may avoid social situations or relationships altogether to minimize potential pain or disappointment. 

Difficulty forgiving:

Small slights or misunderstandings may be difficult to forgive, potentially causing further strain on relationships. 

Low self-esteem:

Trust issues can sometimes be linked to low self-esteem, as individuals may not believe they are worthy of trust or love. 

Causes of Trust Issues:

Past experiences of betrayal, abandonment, or trauma:

These can include experiences like infidelity, abuse, or neglect. 

Adverse childhood experiences:

Difficult or traumatic childhoods can significantly impact a person's ability to trust others. 

Mental health conditions:

Anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental health conditions can contribute to trust issues. 

Insecure attachment styles:

Individuals with avoidant or anxious attachment styles may be more prone to trust issues. 

Gaslighting or narcissistic abuse:

These experiences can erode a person's sense of self and make it difficult to trust their own perceptions, let alone the perceptions of others. 

How to Overcome Trust Issues:

Seek professional help: Therapy or counseling can help individuals process past traumas, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and learn to build trust. 

Work on self-esteem and self-compassion: Building self-esteem can make it easier to believe in oneself and feel worthy of trust from others. 

Practice mindfulness and self-awareness: Paying attention to thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can help individuals identify triggers and patterns related to trust issues. 

Communicate openly and honestly: Communicating needs and boundaries can help build trust in relationships. 

Start small and build trust gradually: Rebuilding trust takes time and effort, so it's important to start with small, manageable steps and build up from there. 

Forgive yourself and others: Forgiveness is essential for moving forward and letting go of past hurts. 

Be patient and persistent: Overcoming trust issues is a journey, and it's important to be patient with oneself and celebrate small victories. 

Jess... you cant keep going visible just because he's cute. AND STOP BREAKING INTO HOSPITALS.

 

[Whispers] ok, everyone, on three, we run... bob... tie her shoelaces together.

Damaged Trust

    Trust is a delicate thing. It can be so powerful when it is well formed and treated with respect. I feel like going to the ER helped restore my trust. Because it was nothing like last time. There were no threats, there were no sides, there was no Elle, there was no talk of drugs... this time, they focused on the problem and the solution(s). That's what medicine should be like. That's exactly what it should be like. It gives me hope. It makes me think I can trust the ER. 

    I want to believe that the system can work! I hope this is a new leaf!

Angels of Mercy

Together, and then apart, the pieces move in sync...

Gently striding forward through the ravages of time.

The Angels of their mercy come for my pain yet again

Soothing it with their salves and their words of gentle wisdom.

I knew my heroine long enough to know when she was strained.

I knew the task before me as long in time and short in its glory

I knew the Angels would be with me on my poor man's journey

I only hoped to make the fruits to be worth the bitter costs.

Ascending upon the mountaintop of my spiritual journey

Surveying all the wreckage of my life and what it was

Knowing that I'll never be the person that they sought

Forever bound to my fate as the rich man's poorest son.

I'll keep my pace upon my journey

I'll keep my eyes upon the prize

I'll prove myself unto my Angels

She'll earn her mercy before she dies. 

Acrylic paints

    I finally got some actual acrylic paint, not just markers. I'm working on my first amateurpiece. Impression of a stormy sky. Next, I'm going to try to knock out a couple of poems and some of the messenger. The meds are getting back into my system so I'm getting some relief.

 

Perhaps we don't have to blow up memorial after all... vell, shall we call off Plays with Matches?

    Spidey went down to di ER to get checked out. Saw 3 docs. The first ER doc just talked to me. Den di doc Spidey saw in march did a very basic exam. Darcy. Den di head doc. They got me my some of my meds called in. The nursing staff seemed less alarmed. Didn't mention Elle's name. Darcy recognized me. She was quiet. 

    I told the 1st er doc about how I was scared of hospitals. She said they would take good care. I told the head doc about the trust issues and the traumatic march hospitalization that started right there. I told a patient observer about how the hospital used to seem like family. All I said to Darcy was that I recognized her. She said yeah, I remember I took care of you.

I feel better about this experience because they really heard me and were able to help.

Everything is quiet since I'm not around

And I live in the numbness now

Sinking right down.
I do the things I did before
I write stories more and more
And then they say where's that crazy guy
You don't get work a lot and joke no more
I don't see me anymore
Since 2020 came

The plans I make don't have me in them
'Cause dreams come swimming into view
And I'm hanging around the ward like I always used to do
The words they use so lightly
Are oh so far from view
I only know because I, carry me around in the background
I'm in the background

Words they come and memories all repeat
Pain inside like nothing I'd care to meet
And I would never lie to you,
No, I would never lie to you,
I never thought I'd feel so very through
But it feels true...

The plans I make still have you in them
'Cause dreams come swimming into view
And I'm hanging in the ward like I always used to do
The words they use so lightly seem so far it's true
I only know because I, carry me around in the background
I'm in the background

I only know but I am, way,
I'm way in the background.

 I'm worried about whats going to happen to me. I'm not doing well.

Dear Leaves,

I hope that I'm doing this right. I've had headaches and nausea, anxiety, trouble sleeping, lack of energy, lack of focus, lack of medication, lots of frustration... this has been exhausting. Trust is so hard sometimes. So very hard. My perception is changing. I hope I'll like myself when the dust settles. Sometimes I worry that I might say or do something I will regret. I feel very, very afraid to talk to people. It seems like I never know what to say. Sometimes conversations just stop, and I never figure out what went wrong. I can't stay this way forever. This earthly purgatory is running me into the ground. Sometimes death seems inevitable. It seems just weeks or days away. I feel confused much more often than clear, but that's nothing new. I need to find a better way.

Ashes

I am the life, saith the Lord, and he whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

Dear God,

How's Peter doing? Think he will recognize me? Have I done enough good? Am I reaching anyone? Being kind is challenging sometimes. I've gotten lost again. It's become a habit. There's so many people I miss. Some are long gone. Others are far. Still others are on some sortof vacation, whether temporary or permanent. 

I need some guidance here. Don't let me walk blindly. I'm afraid of what I might hit. 

Ashes