Sister Therapy
If you've been keeping up with my posts, you'll know that I've had a difficult time the past three months being in a prolonged depressive episode due to my medication needing adjusted.
I had tried everything, every one of my learned coping skills to get through this depressive episode and get back to feeling normal, and nothing was working.
Finally this past Wednesday, I saw my psychiatrist and she tweaked my medication, but told me not to expect feeling any changes for up to two weeks.
Impatient and desperate, I found myself grasping for new ways to cope. Little did I know that one of the easiest ways to cope with my depression could be found in a visit from my sisters.
I'm not sure how long it's been since the three of us have been together, but it has felt like too long. We're not really known for getting along all that well, but after a separation, we fit together like a puzzle. And that's what I have been needing; my missing pieces.
First, my younger sister came home, and came home sick. Though I hate to see her in such discomfort, I was happy to have her home. She's been having a difficult time lately, too, with being sick and battling a depression beast of her own. We sat and talked and sat in silence just enjoying each other's company, and my healing began.
Then, my older sister and brother-in-law came home, mostly to visit the baby. I'm glad Josie is an incentive for them to come and visit, because I miss my older sister often.
My older sister is my biggest advocate, and understands my mental health better than most. She knows the right questions to ask, the right advice to give, and the right warnings to hand out.
We had some very valuable conversations about the upcoming changes in my life; going back to school, moving out, maybe getting a job; and I appreciate everything she had to say.
We all spent most of our weekend watching and playing with Josie, but just their company alone was enough to make me feel like I was healing from the inside out.
My demeanor, mood, and thought processes changed while they were here, and even though they have left and I miss them already, my new mood goes unchanged.
Spending time with my sisters this weekend was just the form of therapy I needed to kick start my recovery from this depressive episode. I'll hold onto this weekend as I continue to recover and feel better, and will remember to arrange a visit with my sisters when I fall back into a depressive episode like this where nothing seems to help.
I want to thank my sisters for the role they're playing in my healing, both knowingly and unknowingly. I only wish we all lived closer together so that our visits weren't so far apart. I love my sisters, and appreciate them and how they contribute to my recovery.
