I'm Not Crazy

Most of us feel a little crazy from time to time.

Periods of high stress can make us feel as though we are losing it. This can also happen when we are around people whose values are very different from our own.

Losing a significant relationship or moving into a new life situation, be it financial or a physical change of location, are other events that can cause us to feel off balance and cloud our perception of life. Circumstances like these occur in our lives often, and they naturally affect our mental stability. The symptoms of our state of mind can range from having no recollection of putting our cellular phone or car keys where we eventually find them, such as in the refrigerator, to wondering if we’re seeing things clearly when everyone around us seems to be in denial of what’s going on right in front of their eyes.

For most of us, the key to survival at times like these is to step back, take a deep breath, and regain our composure. It is then that we can seek to see the blue skies beyond the clouds and decide what course of action to take.

Sometimes a "time-out" does the trick. We take a day off from whatever is making us feel crazy ... a "mental health day". Perhaps we spend it alone or perhaps at a leisurely lunch with a friend who is comfortable in our silence or provides a distraction. Magically, we feel right in our mind again and return to a sense of balance and well being.

Talking to an objective friend about the situation can also help. We begin to see what it is about the situation that destabilizes us, and we can make changes from there. At other times, if the situation is particularly challenging, we may need to seek professional help. Meeting with someone who understands the way the human mind reacts to stress, loss, and difficulty can make us feel less alone and more supported. A therapist or a spiritual counselor can give us techniques that help bring us back to a balanced and regular state of mind so that we can affect useful changes. They can also mirror our basic goodness, helping us to see that we are actually okay. The main purpose of the wake-up call that feeling "crazy" provides is to let us know that something in our life is out of balance, and allow us to seek an avenue which returns us to our center.

It is important that we confirm for ourselves that we are capable of creating our own balanced and peaceful reality. We need to remember that most people have felt, at one time or another, that they are losing it.

We each deserve a life that helps us to thrive. We owe it to our spiritual well being to take some steps each day to help us achieve more balance and focus on our spiritual growth. We also owe it to each other to share the roles of friendship as we endure the hardships of life, all the while celebrating the beauties of God's Creation in us.

With love & light,

Rob