September 06, 2022

Therapy

I don't have any transformations to post for Transformation Tuesday, which is a bummer! I still keep thinking it's Monday, though--holiday weekends always confuse me the following week. Today has been a long and exhausting day. I just got home from cross country practice and just as I thought, the kids were very excited about the fun donations to our team. After they ran today (speed and hills!) they did a six-legged race, which was so funny. (I'll post more about cross country later this week.)

I don't remember if I mentioned this already, but I decided to start going to therapy again. I know I keep writing about feeling super overwhelmed and I don't mean to sound cryptic; I was just hit with several big things at once (like the disaster in my bathroom/bedroom). That is still moving along, just very slowly.

I worry about my dad a lot because his health hasn't been good. My mom went to my sister's for a few days and she's usually the one that pushes my dad to go to the hospital or get tests done or things like that (my dad is stubborn and would probably never have gone to a doctor on his own). While she was gone, my dad got very faint a few times and he actually fell down five times in three days. He hit his head a couple of times, which is why my mom made him go to the ER when she got home.

Thankfully, the CT scans were fine; but it doesn't resolve his low blood pressure causing him to feel faint and fall. I know exactly what he's talking about when he describes it, because it's the same thing that happened to me when I fainted and broke my jaw. I also fainted and hit my head a few years ago. I have low blood pressure like my dad and I feel faint frequently when I stand up from a sitting or lying down position.

As if that wasn't enough for him, when he went to the ER, he tested positive for COVID, too! Anyway, I'm always worried about him now. He's got a lot of health issues going on at once and there really isn't a solution. He's tired of doctors and tests and I don't blame him at all.

To write about the other stuff I'm dealing with would invade others' privacy so I can't write about it--and that's actually why I chose to find a therapist. To top it off, my psychiatrist is retiring in December and I only have one more session with him. I really like him so I hope he can recommend someone that's a good fit for me.

Today was my first appointment with the new therapist and I'm glad I made the decision to go. I'll see her weekly for a little bit and then every other week and/or as needed. As you know, I'm passionate about mental health. I always tell people that finding a therapist is like dating--you might have to see several before you find one that you click with. Thankfully, I really liked her (I'll call her "A") and I'd like to keep seeing her. 

While this post comes off as a downer, I didn't mean for it to--today was a really great day. Better than I've had in a long time, actually--Jerry even mentioned noticing it before he left for work. And it will be even better when I eat some of the hash I made before I left for practice! I'm starving--you know, from watching kids run up and down a hill and yelling at them to keep going ;) 

I know I haven't been posting the daily "random fact" calendar tidbits, but today's was perfect for this post:


There is nothing wrong with seeking help for mental health, and I hope that by writing about it, there will be less of a stigma and more people will feel comfortable talking openly about it as well. I always feel vulnerable when writing about it, but mental health/illness is so important and I don't think it's something people should feel ashamed of.

Okay, I'm going to go heat up some hash and then hit the hay ;)

5 comments:

  1. YAY and HURRAH and YIPPEE! Seriously, Katie. You are such a fabulous role model. I'm so glad you're doing to see a therapist. You give us permission to do the hard things by doing them yourself. HUGE HUGS.

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    1. Thank you, Nita! I love how open you were about your own mental health in your book. The title is actually what caught my attention--Depression Hates a Moving Target--sounded perfect for me. I'm so glad that I read it and that we connected!

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  2. I always appreciate how open you are talking about mental health! It certainly makes me feel better. I think I would like to start seeing a therapist but I have no idea how to even start! It seems very overwhelming to me.

    I so feel for you about the issues with your dad! My dad just had a huge health scare in July. He was in the hospital and then rehab for a month! He's slowly getting better but it's still so much to deal with. I'm sending all the positive and healing vibes your way!

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    1. I know what you mean about it seeming overwhelming to even think about finding a therapist, but it's worth it. I found "A" by asking a therapist I was familiar with for recommendations based on what I was looking for. But in 2017, I googled therapists near me and then read a ton of bio's. I emailed several and was surprised not to hear back from at least half of them. When I read the replies from the others, I chose based on their responses (if they had a super formal response, for example, I didn't think they'd be a good fit for me). It sounds like a lot of work, and I probably overthought the whole thing, but I found a therapist I really liked.

      I'm so sorry about your dad's health scare, but it's great that he's getting better. I never really thought about my parents' health when I was younger--when you're a kid, you think they'll be around forever!--but age strikes reality for sure.

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  3. What's going on with your dad makes me think of a friend who was failing and falling. He was seeing specialists and his son is a medical professional as well. He ended up in our nearby ER that most people have no faith in. They discovered he had a severe kidney infection caused by his prostate. He was septic and they really helped, and he looks A TON BETTER!. All of those specialists blamed it on his joint issues, and he had a severe infection. I hope your dad feels better fast.

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I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

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