St. Luke's Beacon
A publication of the Life Skills Program at St. Luke's House, Inc.
About Me
- Beacon Blogger
- Bethesda, MD
- A staunch believer in recovery, this newsletter provides consumers with the opportunity to express themselves both creatively and intellectually. We welcome your feedback! Please leave us comments :)
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Not in a Box
Not in a Box
by Nicole Black
My experience with my Diagnosis
I have what some call PTSD with
D.I.D. These are big acronyms for big boxes of symptoms. Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder are the labels on my boxes. I have
been placed in another box for convenience, as Bi-polar Disorder Type 2. The
health professionals who placed me in that box did so without a thorough
diagnostic analysis of my symptoms. Also I believe it easier to be labeled Bi-Polar
Disorder instead of PTSD for families because the cause is blameless. My 13th
therapist listened to my experiences and my symptoms and helped me understand
that my aversion to the Bi-polar box was correct. Thus we began the intensive
therapy that would aid me in managing my symptoms. I am in my sixth year of
psycho-analysis and 3rd of cognitive therapy. By combining the two I
have made swift strides in my development.
One stumbling block for me was the
stereo-types associated with each diagnosis. PTSD is viewed as an event of one trauma
to heal from. However, if one has had prolonged traumas, and/or trauma during
early development, healing is more like managing symptoms because the disorder
may have become chronic. Since I have
experienced prolonged traumas during early development as well as in my adult
life my PTSD is chronic. Some call this Complex PTSD.
D.I.D. has been generally
understood as multiple personality disorder. Typically people with this
disorder lose time and have very distinct alter-personalities. However, in my
case I do not lose time and my alter-personalities are better described as
shadow selves. According to the Mayo Clinic website, Dissociative amnesia (loss
of time) and Dissociative Identity Disorder (alternate personalities) usually
go hand in hand. I experience Depersonalization
Disorder with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Life looks like a movie and I
watch a character who looks like me act in the movie. I don’t know which
character, shadow-self, will appear on the screen or what she will do to get
through the scene; I watch with great interest and remember all the details
until the movie ends. When I feel in my body looking out into the real world
and I see no movie I have to deal with what happened in the “movie”. The movie usually starts in highly stressful
situations.
Because I have had PTSD for so long
I am use to flinching at touch and jumping at loud noises. My hyper awareness
of surroundings is also par for my course. The trouble I find is when others
point out or respond extremely to these “quirks” of mine. I don’t expect the
world to change. I accept I will be triggered. How I manage those triggers is
my recovery. My long time friends are use to my quirks. They are gracious
people and do not call attention to them. When nervous I also stutter. Again,
with grace and patience from friends I get my words out without embarrassment.
My long time friends also know my shadow selves very well. However, for the
past six years they have said goodbye to many and nurtured some. They
understand that some shadow selves only rise to the skin surface due to extreme
stress. Their lives tend not to be chaotic, meaning low stress. So, when I am
with them I am free to be myself and I am comfortable.
Dealing with my family is harder.
They love and want to support me. But sometimes the opposite occurs. My Mother
has gotten much support from going to NAMI meetings. These meetings help her
help me recover better. Some family members do not want to know the details of
my traumas. This is difficult because I have to behave as if the traumas we not
as bad as I felt and do not affect me.
It feels like a lie. It is hard to lie when I am trying to heal. Mental
illness does not only affect the individual; it can affect an entire family. If
that family really wants to support the person with the mental illness they can
educate themselves and work on their own issues that may inhibit healing. My
family has struggled in the ways they support me. We are finding realistic
solutions and exploring what support means to each of us.
As I integrate my shadow selves and
nurture my core personality, I accept the symptoms I cannot change and embrace
the endurance required for the ones I can. I find support from those who have
similar experiences. We share what works and what felt like a primrose path. We
shed tears that don’t scare each other because we understand the root. We encourage each other to keep trying and to
nurture our dreams. My longtime friends cheer me on during this process. Some
have been through it themselves. Some just know that I want to feel different.
In both cases I feel real and loved. PTSD and D.I.D. can make me feel less than real. That has
been the biggest challenge, understanding and participating in reality. In the
next 3-4 years I hope to manage in a way that I can be self supporting and
truly self nurturing. It will take all
that I have and possibly more, but I will get there.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
World Series or Bust
After a historical 2012 campaign the Washington Nationals
(Nats) have set their sights higher for the upcoming season. According to manager Davey Johnson getting
knocked out of last year’s National League Division Series in five games by the
St. Louis Cardinals made him want to make 2013 even more special. Since he claims this will be his final year
managing in the Major League’s Johnson has stated that anything less than a
World Series title will be a disappointment.
During the offseason the Nats acquired Denard Span from the Minnesota
Twins to shore up their centerfield position and provide the team with a
leadoff hitter. Also, they got a fifth
starter in Dan Haren from the Oakland A’s who is expected to fill the fifth
spot in the pitching rotation that was vacated by Edwin Jackson. In the bullpen the Nats signed Rafael Soriano
to become their new closer. With Opening
Day now behind them on April 1st (no fooling!!!) you can almost feel
the excitement surrounding this year’s Nats squad. The season started against the Miami Marlins
at Nationals Park at 1:05. Behind two
home runs off the bat of Bryce Harper and seven strong innings on the mound
from Stephen Strasburg the Nats would start the season with a 2 – 0 victory.
by Kris L.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Why do Catholics go to church on Sunday instead of Saturday?
Catholics go to church on Sunday because it was the day of
the resurrection. Although the ten commandants say to keep holy the Sabbath day,
this was part of the covenant with the Jewish. Catholics do not have to follow
it because Jesus started a new covenant saying that it doesn’t need to be done.
We don’t have a Sabbath day but we do have the Lord’s day, which is Sunday.
-Ray J
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
White smoke, new Pope.
The new Pope was finally elected on March 13 and took on the name “Pope Francis”. He is the first Pope not only to take on the name “Francis” but is also the first to be from a country that was from South America since he was the Cardinal of Argentina. He is not to be called “Pope Francis I” because in order for him to get that title there would have to be a future Pope with the name Francis. The current Pope is just called “Pope Francis”.
By, Ray J
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Luminosity
Luminosity.com
is a website that helps with brain function. They have a couple of games that
are automatically free but the problem is that for further use you would have
to sign up to a payment plan.
Ray J.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
What happens when the Pope steps down?
The process of replacing the Pope once he steps down is a
simple one. An election is held to determine who the new pope will be known as
the “Papal conclave”. This election is a meeting of the” College of Cardinals” (Cardinals
being a bishop who watches over a country or nation) assembled to elect a new Bishop
of Rome, also known as the Pope. There are three stages of election: the
"pre-scrutiny", the "scrutiny", and the
"post-scrutiny." The “pre-scrutiny” determines who the nominees are,
the “scrutiny” is actually voting for a nominee, and “post-scrutiny” is the
count of the ballots.
Ray J
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