When I was 9 years old, I experienced my first panic attack, and at 27, my last. Decades later, I can say I have been through the gloom of depression, the tension of OCD, the turmoil of ADD/ADHD (not just in myself, but in others close to me as well). I have weathered countless storms and personal battles that have driven me to find a way to a deep and lasting peace that I believe is fully achievable by anyone who truly wants a way out of distress.
The human soul in turmoil is the epitome of “hell.” I have a fireproof rope-ladder that can help pull me, and other souls, up out of the flames. But I have discovered that I must climb onto this ladder to be rescued.
That’s where many of us throw in the towel. We either won’t reach for the ladder, or we won’t step onto it, or we step back off it as we’re being lifted out of the pit. This leads me to wonder if being rescued isn’t for those who secretly enjoy being unwell?
I realize there is attention to be garnered for those who are mentally unstable. There is a lot of help that can be received from others (rides, handouts, assistance with all sorts of things in life), if being in the negative limelight provides a sense of importance and worth. Being a perpetual “victim” can have a lot of rewards. But peace isn’t one of them.
The answers I have found that have removed the ball-and-chain from around my ankles, I have fought for with every ounce of my being. Those answers have required the ongoing investment of my energy (even when I felt I had nothing left to give), money, and they have many times required my sacrificing time with my family and friends.
However, the freedom from oppressive depression, anxiety, and panic attacks that I have achieved (and continue working on) now allows me to offer the rescue ladder to others, too.
Peace, my friends. It’s about mindset. It matters (deeply).
(Original posting: February 2, 2011.)
