Thursday, September 4, 2008

Haha.  I got it.  (ps...that was a sarcastic irritated haha.  I am not laughing)  The tension and frustration have been building all week.  I've been watching the clock waiting for meal times, craving more when it's done, and abusing condiments.  I can't look in the mirror without tearing into every little flaw on my body.  I'm judging.  I've even been trying to justify straying from my food plan once or twice, but thank God, I could see even in the moment that those were the moments my food plan was created for.  Those are the times when I'm about to get out of control, and I need those guidelines to protect me from compulsive harmful actions.  So I stuck to it, but it felt white knucklie.  I've been writing a ton, sharing at meetings, and making soooo many phone calls, calling newcomers, and reading, being social...I've even been doing intense step work tracing the origin of my disease, and revisiting past experiences.  It was suggested that perhaps I'm just uncomfortable with those things.  Just because I've identified and analyzed them doesn't mean I'm comfortable with them.  That sorta made sense.  I do have a lot of things going on that I don't really know how to deal with right now.  Talking about it doesn't just magically fix everything (unfortunately).  It helps of course, but I still have so much to sort through.  The weird thing was that most of these issues and explorations felt inspiring...scary?  yes.  uncomfortable?  definitely.  But in a fun, exciting way...well most of it.  I was about to go to sleep, and was doing some hard core praying, because i just know something's going on with me.  I asked God to help me to see what I needed to see, and it all just exploded out of me.  Recovery is starting to make me feel really normal, and I freakin' hate it.  I eat moderately.  I exercise reasonably.  I make time for friends, I read, I write...bla bla bla...I'm so bored out of my mind, I think I'm going to burst.  I liked working out 8 hrs/day, because people can't work out 8 hrs/day.  I like doing what can't be done.  I like pushing myself to the limit, and exceeding all expectations.  I'm so mad at recovery and people for taking away from my training time, and at God for making me wait around for this injury to get better.  I feel like he cut my legs out from under me.  He did!  and I know why.  And it's because I needed the time to build a relationship with a higher power, where I trust and rely on God, and spend time connecting with other humans, which are all things that I don't want to do right now!  I know i'm overreacting and being bitter and black-and-white, but I'm so frustrated!  I want to be good...but not just good.  I want to be exceptional...beyond exceptional.  Super-human.  I feel like ... I have the ability to be world class at several different sports, and I had a real shot at a few of them already, but something was always off in my head that prevented me from working hard enough.  I have so many friends now who have reached that level, and I try to explain to them that I was right there too, but I pushed too hard.  but they disagree.  Because they did it too.  They just didn't have a freakin' eating disorder that caused them to self sabotauge.  They still sacrificed social life.  They lived for their sport.  sleep, nutrition, study, and hours and hours of intense training...it all revolved around their sport.  That's all there was.  That's how they rose to the top.  That's what I want to do.  It's how I've always lived instinctively, and it's so hard to have to give it up for something you don't even know you want.  I just feel so backed into a corner.  At least I know I'm feeling, because I'm crying again.  I was actually a little worried, because I hadn't had a good cry in a while.  I know some of this is me vs. E.D.  ED wants me to think I'm horrible for giving up my dreams (which I haven't done at all.  I'm jsut approaching them in a different way) and being lazy.  ED is making a violent protest of the new ideas and way of life that has been dominant in my head for the past few weeks.  ED is louder than the new ideas now, and it feels like he's right.  He's so loud now, that I'm scared he's going to be overruled soon, and I will forget how important it is to strive ever harder for excellence.  I'm afraid I'm going to fade into mediocrity.  I guess I'm a little hurt to find out that my coach, who "chose me to be his little prodigy student, and rise through the ranks"... well this is actually a line he uses on lots of young women who he thinks he can seduce.  I didn't realize how hurt I was about the idea that I might not have been selected for my skill and determination.  One of the last girls he chose didn't have prior training, or specific aspirations in this field!  It's just...ugh...i have to go.  more on this later

2 comments:

Sandhya said...

I so get this post. I have used these exact words myself... people can be extraordinary and sacrifice and get to the top. But I couldn't because I had to stop and RECOVER and I'm angry. I have also been pissed to find out that I was selected because of the probability of seduction instead of skill. I HATE THAT!!! You're not alone. Sorry you have to go through this stuff.

Anonymous said...

I think that is a fear a lot of people have...that if I am in "recovery", I am bored/boring...because I loose the charge of anxiety/fear. Basically, I have an adrenaline addiction...once I cut out thoughts/feelings/activities that produce adrenaline, I get calm...and let's face it, calm is not exciting!!

Or that if I don't stand on top of myself with a whip at all times, I will become fat/lazy, out of shape, etc.

The only ammunition I have against that sort of thinking is look at the results it got me....the bitch with the whip usurped all of my energy, and ultimately I didn't get to where I wanted to be anyway. I "dieted" my way up to 205 pounds at one point. Even when I was thin, I still felt fat, and could never really enjoy my body.

I really relate to the feeling bored/fear of turning mediocre part. I have felt so emotionally deprived for so long, that I sometimes mistake recovery for "boredom"....again, my fallacious reasoning. Along with excess food, spending, and general control, I need to ask my HP for what I need to surrender drama....for drama produces the adrenaline I am addicted to at the core of my being.

Hang in there....it is totally normal to be going bonkers at first due to the extreme discomfort of giving up control/old ways of feeling/thinking/being. It takes tremendous courage and guts, which you have in spades, girlfriend! But you are right, recognizing and owning it doesn't make it go away. Someone in OA once said "fight for your right to be uncomfortable". For that is exactly what we are in early (and even later on) without mind/emotion numbing foods/substances/behaviors...friggin' uncomfortable as hell!!!

Hang in there an know that you are loved and supported!

Karen