Giving it a Name

Several years ago, I found out that I suffered from anxiety and then I learned that I had OCD.  Both of these diagnoses really weren’t that bad.  I already knew that I was living with anxiety and OCD, the diagnosis just gave it a name.  The name gave me power.  Power to understand that whatever my body was going through it was simply a physical reaction to stimulus in my environment.  I know that may not seem like a lot, but it really is a huge amount of power. 

When I have an obsession or compulsion, it can feel like that OCD symptom has more power over my life than I do.  When I have a panic attack, it can feel like I am going to die from than panic attack and it becomes the most important thing in my life at that moment in time.  However, when I understand that these things are just part of a physical disorder and that I won’t die from them, then I can know that they don’t have the power in my life, God does.  When these disorders feel overwhelming, I know that I can turn to God and it might be difficult and painful, but I can have faith that He will give me the strength to get through it.   

In the last few years, I have learned that I have mild dyslexia. My brain doesn’t work the way I thought it did.  Once again, I don’t really mind because instead of feeling like there’s a problem, I feel like I have more understanding about myself.  All my life, I have loved reading and writing, but I could never understand why I had such a difficult time reading.  Now, I finally understand what is going through my brain when I read and why it is such a struggle.   I don’t feel like there’s something wrong with my brain.  I just process things differently.   My past proves that it isn’t going to stop me from achieving anything I want.  I can do so much and now I know about this disorder so I can actually do more to help myself. 

My difficulty today is that I have come across another situation.  I might be mildly autistic.  I don’t think it would be that bad and knowing might help me navigate social situations better.  However, I keep thinking: there can’t be another thing wrong with me.  I already have anxiety disorder, OCD, and dyslexia.  My brain is totally neurodivergent.  Do I really need to add something else?   

It might help me understand more, but at the same time.  I keep thinking.  I understand my brain doesn’t think the same as most people think.  I get it.  I just don’t know what I need to do with it.  So, tonight I ask God for guidance.  I know that I don’t think like the other human beings.  I have known that since I was a child.  So I pray please give me some guidance of what I should do with this information.   

My faith saved me.  May God’s peace reside in all of our hearts. 

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