Come Ride The Roller Coaster with Me!

These last few months have been the "usual" for me which means lots of clients with pretty significant issues.  But first, I will bring everyone up-to-date concerning my younger son, the one who had encephalitis.  

He has recovered completely from a physical and mental perspective.  I think he has learned some valuable lessons.  He is struggling right now with trying to start his law practice on his own.  Today's economy doesn't make it easy for someone just starting out. He has developed a niche practice, but the company he hired to market the practice has not been as productive for him as we had hoped.  

He has helped a local small businessman with some legal work which led him into a trying to start a business venture with that gentleman.  None of us know whether that will work or not.  He has been very discouraged lately, and I am hoping that God will continue to work in his life and heart.  

Our grandchildren keep us laughing and engaged in the  process of growing. 

My brother, whose has not been in good health for years has ended up in the hospital in the city where he lives and then in a specialized nursing home for rehab for lymphedema in his leg.  I received this piece of news just before I was to speak at a NAMI dinner here in our town.

That week-end was an interesting one, to say the least.  On Friday, I was giving a presentation to nursing students about suicide.  One of my clients, who struggles with suicidal ideation, had asked to come and talk with the students as well.  I had been offered, and had agreed to, a three hour presentation..  After the first hour, we all decided to take a break for a few minutes.  I went to use the bathroom and said hello to another person in the class who was leaving the bathroom.  When I was in the middle of "taking care of business", the power in the entire building went out.  I finished what I needed to do, and was groping for the handle on the stall door when the person I met earlier, came to get me, flashlight on her smartphone guiding the way.  The funny thing is, I am almost never without my iphone (which has a flashlight), but of course, that time, it was still in the classroom.  

As a group, we explored, talked with the cleaning personnel, listened while the nursing instructor called security and waited.  We were informed that the emergency lighting in the hallway would only last an hour, and so we all decided to leave.  I packed up my lap top, thought I had grabbed the power cord, and left.  

I had also committed to be the speaker for the NAMI dinner the next night.  NAMI is National Association on Mental Illness, a grass-roots educational group that was formed to educate people about mental illness and provide support to those with mental illness and their families/friends/significant others.  The topic was "Humor in Difficult Situations".

I arrived at the Embassy Suites where the dinner was to be held ahead of time so that I could make sure everything worked properly. Then I noticed that my battery indicator showed that I had almost no power left...remember where I had been the night before? I had not picked up my power cord.  Luckily I called someone who had the same model of lap top, and she came down and let me use her power cord.
                                                                   

The dinner was wonderful, and I put my hat on and began to speak.  

My lap top was charging appropriately.  Then, the first problem cropped up...it was with the microphone...crackle, crackle, squeak, squeak.  


Then the LCD projector which was connected to my Mac was not projecting the sound on my video clips to come through the room speakers. So, I put the crackling microphone next to the speakers on the laptop and listened as the audience laughed at Art Linkletter talking to kids on his famous, "Kids Say the Darndest Things" program.


But, after my Mac had died and before I plugged in the other power cord, the connection between the LCD projector and my Mac had been interrupted.  I thought it was my Mac and turned to use the laptop Embassy Suites provided for me when my Mac first ran out of power.  I connected it to the LCD and inserted the thumb drive that I had copied my presentation onto.  Still no powerpoint projected on the screen.  And crackle, crackle, squeak, squeak went the mike.

I was provided with another microphone, and continued to speak.  I reconnected the LCD to the Mac....but the powerpoint still wouldn't project on the screen. Reconnecting to the other laptop, I continued to speak....and chuckle.  That laptop crashed and so I powered up the Mac and presented to the audience from my powerpoint which I could see, even though they could not...I truly was enjoying the irony of the whole thing, and as I closed with a couple of funny stories, decided that what better way to give a presentation on "Humor in Difficult Situations" than to experience it first hand!  I still find humor in that NAMI presentation.

How I wish that people who struggle with depression, anxiety, PTSD, abuse histories, Dissociative Identity Disorder and other complex mental health issues could find relief from their struggles.  I suggest humor whenever appropriate and have "prescribed" old TV shows such as I Love Lucy.   In addition, I suggest reading humorous books as well.
Because of the complexity of the issues that my clients are dealing with, it is not uncommon for several of them to be in crises at the same time.  When several of my clients are experiencing crises at the same time, I lovingly refer to that as "Three full moons, six full moons, etc".  That is because I have often said that there is always a full moon in my office.  (There is a general consensus that when the moon is full, people's behavior often deteriorates.) 

As a therapist, I see the pain and anguish these diagnoses cause, and am constantly educating myself and researching techniques and medications which might help. I have found medical hypnosis to be a useful technique for those experiencing depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and those who want to stop smoking or overeating.  I am also utilizing it as I work with the clients with Dissociative Identity Disorder.  In addition, I use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to help clients process trauma.  In addition, I use Sand Tray Therapy, stuffed animals, and Projective Drawing to help the  adult clients express themselves.   This is a journey for all of us.  I hope to be able to blog about some of the more complex diagnoses and explain them in understandable terms. 

Today

I have had the privilege to read several blogs recently.  The authors have been very honest in sharing their feelings and thoughts about specific happenings in their lives in general and in specific situations.  I have been challenged to blog for several years since my daughter-in-law started writing hers...She started writing as a way to share the adventure my son and she took to Italy about six years ago.  Life became interesting for them with the birth of their first child, our granddaughter.  When my daughter-in-law  was pregnant with their second child, our grandson,  her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, stage 4. She was able to share very honestly through her blog, the gamut of emotions that she experienced.  She and her dad were very close, and his illness and death affected her greatly.  He was able to see his grandson and spend time with his family before he went to to be with his Lord.  Our "family" is a group of people who love and care for each other, don't always agree with one another, are vocal in that disagreement, but love unconditionally.  We supported one another through that difficult time and were able to laugh and cry together.

I have been involved in the helping professions for my entire adult life.  I was one of those people that others sought out to "talk to".  My mother was ill for a number of years, and my father and I were her caregivers.  She died when I was 17 and I pursued and received my BS in elementary education.  I
married, taught for six years, was a stay-at-home mom for seven years, and then began my graduate work in social work.  I have worked as a social worker in various settings, and I have experienced the normal ebb and flow of the profession.

My greatest professional fulfillment, however, has been in the last seven and a half years as a licensed clinical social worker, providing therapy for adults in their twenties through the "golden" years.  My heart and training are in the field of trauma, and I specialize in treating those adults sexually or otherwise abused as children. I work in a Christian agency, and I am free to talk openly with clients about spiritual perspective, if they so desire.  

With the focus of my work, I am often asked very difficult questions...and I do not shrink from saying, "I don't know why God didn't literally take you out of the abuse you were suffering."  I research other Christian sites and am always searching Scripture for answers to those questions...I also ask others what their experiences and perceptions are.  WHY? WHY? WHY?

I hope you will join me on this journey...the writing may be serious, may be humorous (especially if I write about my grandchildren), but will always be an honest sharing of feelings as we all seek answers to questions, easy and tough.