The Power of Stories

Hello fellow story lovers! I hope you are having a marvelous week.  This post is going to be a little bit more personal than some of my others, but I would like to share this chapter of my life with you all.

I suffer from Primary Obsessive-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as well as general anxiety.  I'm not sure how long I've struggled with this but it's been present for a very long time.  I am currently seeking treatment through therapy and medication.  I am taking this journey step by step and I know one day, this will be managed and no longer such an overwhelming part of my life.  

For a long time growing up I had a really naive attitude toward mental health.  I thought that aside from the well known disorders like schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, and amnesia that mental illness was something that one could just "get over." Meanwhile, I was struggling to get through each day without falling apart. I was constantly exhausted and overwhelmed and scared. I was so scared.  

Here is where the power of stories comes in. *Spoiler Alert* My husband and I were going through the television show Scrubs a few years ago and we got to the arc where Carla has her baby. We find out she is suffering from Postpartum Depression, but thinks it's just a case of the weepies and that she'll soon be fine. 

 Eventually her friends get together to help her out. Jordan, who went through PPD as well, basically tells her that it's just like any other illness and nothing to be scared of or embarrassed about. I mean you wouldn't refuse medicine for a cold or cancer, right? Mental illness is just that: an illness.  Seek help. Get medication if you need it. Do what you need to do to feel better. 

I think this scene is hilarious, and is somehow perfect in a otherwise emotional episode.

I had never thought about it that way. Why wouldn't I take care of myself when I'm feeling so bad? There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. I am ill and I need help.  So I sought help. After searching around a bit, I found a great therapist. Never be afraid to ask for help.  Let me tell you that this was one of the best decisions I've ever made.  My faith in God is stronger, my relationships are healthier, my attitude toward life in general is happier.  I have more joy than I did before I got help.  Now I still have some pretty crappy days and weeks but I'm learning how to manage them.  It's been a slow journey but I am actually moving forward rather than being stagnate.  Instead of cowering in constant fear, I am living life!  This blog and my bookstagram hobby are one way I've learned to express myself and like myself.  I'm proud of the pictures I take and proud of putting words to paper, even if the writing isn't great or the grammar may be incorrect.  Through my stories I hope to shine some light on someone's dark day. I hope to bring a smile to someone's face (even if they already have a megawatt grin). I hope to give you a little slice of happiness by sharing some of the things that make me happiest.  

While I could go into detail about each and every story that has been a tremendous influence to me, I'll just give you the short list:

• Scrubs TV Show
• The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom (I learned so much from this book that I will have to do a blog post just about it so stay tuned)
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery and the CBC mini-series
• Harry Potter series
• North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and the BBC mini-series
• The Young Victoria movie
• When Marnie Was There movie

There are many more that have helped me in so many ways, big, medium, and small.  Reading books and listening to stories in general just brings me so much joy. I want all of you to feel that joy as well, so thanks for reading this far and letting me share my story with you.

God bless and well wishes,

Cordelia M. Blythe