A Look Into My Childhood- You Lucky Duck!!!

So I'm trying to keep that promise of being more optimistic in my posts but golly is that hard. I'm really not much of a "glass half full" kinda gal.

Ive been going through what the people in the medical world call a Major Depression. Mine was brought on by several factors but running/managing a red cross blood drive almost single handily (on the student part, my advisor did all the advisor stuff ) and by the end of that we were both so exhausted we wanted to beat people with a burlap sack of nickels and then go take a butt load of lorazepam. Unfortunately I couldn't relax because 7 days after the blood drive I had yearbook distribution day which, as Business Manager, I played a huge role in that stressful event. I didn't make it all the way through yearbook distribution day, I got so overwhelmed and stressed out I ended up curled up in the fetal position behind a teachers desk for several hours. 9 days after that was exams and then summer started. By that point I was in full fledged Major depression, I was on Suicide Watch 24/7 for several weeks and it was FINALLY lifted last Wednesday. Lots of therapy, talk of the hospital, and being drug around places I didn't want to go to for almost two months. Although Suicide Watch was never my favorite thing it did help seeing as I was in a deep dark abyss of depression.

So in the midst of all of that I went to Disney for a national competition I placed for (didn't win but I didn't expect to) and now my support team has decided they are all in need of a vacation so they are all gone for the week. But I kept telling them that I will be fine and I am, however there was something I found surprising. I miss them!

Now I had said somewhere before that because my mother was hospitalized for several months and was seriously ill for about 1.5 years, that's when my father started drinking. As a 8 year old it was just me and my 5 year old brother. I had to grow up to protect us, get us to the grocery store for food, pack lunches, do laundry, do homework with him, make sure he took a bath every once in a blue moon and other mom stuff in addition to being in 5th grade and trying not to reveal that we were in such bad shape; because I knew we would end up in the foster care system and I didn't want that. So I grew up. I became 30 because I had to. I became hyper vigilant and expected the worst out of everything. I had to. But because I had to grow up so fast I lost some emotions- mostly regret.

However with the help of a really good therapist and support team I am having to learn the things that I skipped over when I became 30. Things like trust. I never trusted anyone until now. I was use to it just being me. My motto from the age of 7 was " I am Kathryn and I can do anything, I don't need anyone else because I am Kathryn gosh darn it!" It worked. But now I am slowly letting people into the save haven I created out of protection (and when I say slowly I mean Ive been working for almost 2 years and I fully trust 2 people and 1 or 2 friends).

So when everyone went on vacation this week I told them that I would be fine because I'm use to being alone and fending for myself its what I've done for years certainly I can do it another week. I am fine but I discovered another lost emotion. I miss them!

This whole feeling of needing someone other than just me is totally new to me. And to be frank- I'm not sure if I like it or not. I was fine all on my own (in my opinion) and now that I have people to lean on I don't like the idea that if they leave I don't function as I normally would.

Its the kinda thing I would talk out in therapy - but shes on vacation. Aah the sheer irony.

So that has been my past month or so. Now I just wait until Monday when everyone will be back. I cant wait!