Psychic Flu
Again I curse the damaged memory which has made a sloppy bowl of alphabet soup of the many, many psych pros who have guided me on my long and confusing Trail of Tears. One of the psych pros who I wish I could remember better is the woman who advised me to treat my psychotic breaks like a physical flu. Sometimes I believe I can see her face before she sinks back into the broth. Once or thrice I might even have caught glimpses of a closet-sized office where she held my hands and worked to calm my hysteria. Her terminology is from several psych generations past. 70's? 80's? By the 90's, her suggestion had grown into my habit of plying lots of rest, fluids and soft foods during and after what are currently being called, "PTSD Episodes" in the current generation of psychobabble. Don't rush the recovery phase. Your immune system remains over-taxed for a good while after the flu passes.
This morning finds me calmer, but sliding into disoriented panic attacks each time I get up and attempt to do something.
Easy does it. Small steps, big faith and lots of prayer. God please grant me patience. NOW GODDAMIT!!!!
Achoo. . .
Replies
Hope you rebound shorty.
Hugs & support, Arfie. I so relate to this right now, especially at this very moment. Not only am I fending off a physical cold and just had a bad set in of my own “psych flu”.
Hugs!
I doesn't care to do the fact checking today, but I am pretty sure I have seen more than one scientific study on the effects stress and anxiety have on the immune system. It sure fits my personal herstory. Proof irrelevant. It works better for me than beating myself up for things beyond my control or trying to outrun my past.
The lingering haze of heavy rain
Blows chill across the falling dusk
I wish to complain about the pain
Of wrought iron souls abandoned to rust
The barbed wire bonds streak the plains
The windmill groans in the whip of the wind
I appeal across the barbed wire bonds
Let us join in a healing song
Beautifully written my dear friend!