Even if I remember the good, the mental heath struggles that I face can render them invisible to my consciousness. Sometimes I could be reminded a million times and I'd still forget the good parts of life.
It does help for someone to keep reminding me. I'm sure they probably get to the point of frustration, but that's the way things work at times.
I'm sure I'm not alone either because mental health issues tend to change the brain chemistry and make it difficult to process and access things that others normally could. I'm not saying it is permanently that way, but often it presents challenges to the mind in physical ways.
When I was paralyzed, my memory went. Basic things were difficult to remember. Remembering the good was definitely a struggle because the horrible moments I was facing tended to crowd the good stuff out. Even now, after many years of healing work, sometimes the horrors still try to overtake the memory screen of my mind.
Good in with the bad memories...
For me though, if I remember something good that happened to me while growing up, there are other horrible events that happened within those good moments. So, my mind really struggles to separate the two out and sometimes it takes more processor power than I can muster up in those moments.
It took me awhile to really get some of my memory back online and I still struggle with it today. However, it is getting better and often times I can remember those good times in my past, while not letting the bad times take over.
Memes and happy thought sayings don't do much for me. In fact, they just turn my mind into a mess, more than they help. I know people think these are great and if they help, then I am happy that they do for you. For me, it is just another avoidance that gets in my way.
It does help though when I have people close to me that share and remind me of the good moments during the mental health struggle moments. They are authentic and not just trying to fill the void with words, so it helps. They do it out of compassion and from the heart, not just as a way of making up for their own loss and struggles in life.
No matter what you've been through in life, there are good moments. They may be buried in the rubbish of what remains, but they are there. Sometimes we have to look a little harder for them.
Try to focus on those little moments as much as you can and cling to those when the footpath feels like it is crumbling below your feet. Sometimes, holding on to those little things, no matter how small they may be, helps you hang on just long enough to find your footing.
Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly
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