Know When to Holler for Help

I told this story about myself on an episode of Divorce Court. So if you watch (and if you don't why aren't you? - just kidding!!) you should recognize it. It is completely true.

I was flying a lot, as it appears will be the norm, and my ears were hurting. My doctor had just retired so I went to my husband's. She didn't know me. The docotor asked me "How are you doing?"

Five minutes later when I got through telling her how I was, she looked at me really funny and said:
"Have you ever seen a psychiatrist?"

Apparently, I was 'traveling'. I have this ''on" button that gets pushed on occasion and I can't turn it off. I am talkative and exhausting when I am 'traveling' I drop from one thought to another with lightening speed. It's interesting to see. And it is the precursor to some of my best creative moments. But if you don't know me it can be alarming.

I answered. "Sure. Do you think I need to see one now?"

"Yep. I have a psychiatrist friend I would like you to talk to."

I went. We talked. She decided that I was fine but that I am an intense, driven quizzical kind of person who can appear to the untrained eye to be a little off the beam. Which is not to say that I haven't been off the beam in the past because I have. It just so happens I wasn't off the beam that day.

The moral of this story: Never be afraid to check your program. There is nothing wrong with needing a little psychological help every once in a while. I took my doctors inquiry as an attempt to assist. I take visits to mental health professionals as information gathering opportunities.

Having said that I will say this, don't just swallow what they say whole sale. I know a couple of psychologists who are just unwound, undone and unreliable. Worse yet they don't know it and are handing out advice based on their own deficiencies. You can't just hand youself over to people.

Moreover, I do have this anti-syndrome bias. These days we appear to label all personality quirks as some kind of deviant mental state. we put an 'osis' or an 'aholic' on the end of every adjective that describes a pesonality and then say that's what we have as if it explains everything and absolves us from all responisbility to do better. That's just silly. People can have extreme personalities without needing to be medicated. (Which isn't to say that some of us don't need to be medicated. Ain't no shame in that. I've been there too.)

I know my opinion sounds contradictory but it truly isn't. I want everyone to take whatever is happening in their head, examine it and make sure you are living the best life you can. I advocate an acknowledgement of any weaknesses and a dedication to actively address them.

I work my emotions like a job. We all should. When things go wrong it usually has very little to do with what people do or do not know. It's usually how people feel that jacks up everything.


With much love. Judge Lynn