I FEEL this! Don't dismiss my feelings!
I have great friends but they don't really get much of what I experience. There's always a "you'll be fine" or "just do it" undertone to everything they say to me. On one hand, I see they have faith in my capabilities. I have a strong history of going through a lot, managing a lot and surviving a lot. They are living in a past I can't recreate right now. I know in the future I will be full of steam and well and healthy again, however, right now I struggle. For the past decade, I have struggled. The cycles of anxiety and depression are tough. Now, on the other hand, I feel this pain and sadness and fear and I need it to be validated. I don't always want fixes or solutions. Sometimes, I really just need people to know I am doing all that I can and this, in whatever form, is the best you will you get of me! This is new to me. I haven't journaled in so long, this is new again. I feel good. I can feel all of these thoughts that usually swirl in my head settling down. I asked God for help and I feel he brought me here to develop skills, put broken pieces together, to tear down battered walls and rebuild my best self. I don't mean to sound as though I have not made great successes managing these difficult thoughts and feelings. I have for sure over the years! I'm just starting to realize my well-being requires constant consideration and I don't have to feel ashamed or selfish for caring about me!
Replies
No, you don't have to be ashamed of caring about you. You need to do that. God wants you to. I'm sorry you suffer with anxiety and depression. A lot of us women do. I'm so glad God led you here. We all help each other. Everybody has problems so they understand others' problems. Your friends that don't understand probably don't suffer from anxiety or depression. My friends without those problems don't understand either. Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean you don't have health issues. We try to focus on a lot of those issues in WL. Anyway, I've written too much here. Hugs to you. God bless. God understands stress and anxiety too. Huhs and prayers,
Robin
Shadowlady