Theme Of The Week #86

Tell us about a personal challenge you overcame, and how it helped you grow

I’ve spent several days trying to figure out how to answer this one.

Perhaps I’ll expound elsewhere about the particulars of what I’ve done, but I don’t know that I’m ready to articulate it fully on my public site.

I don’t really “overcome” things. I compensate, and adjust to keep moving along.

Since so many of my adjustments are related to my various physical issues.

Given that I’ve had all of these major things going on with my body, basically since puberty, some of the things I did to deal with physical discomfort weren’t good for me.

My psychologist has kind of pointed me towards OCD, especially the “Pure O” version of OCD.

I have many obsessions, and the various things I’d developed really don’t work for others (and I started seeing my doctor when the methods I’d developed really quit working for me all at once).

I do have obsessions. Writing, for example, but I’m definitely more towards the obsessive side of OCD.

So, have I overcome it? No.

Am I better than I was, say, two years ago? Absolutely.

I’ve done all of these things, but there’s so many things that I would have liked to go and do that I now can’t. I have money to travel, buy things I would like, etc., but I really can’t enjoy them because of things that have gotten worse with the MS progression.

For example, skiing would be something that’s a near-suicidal urge.

Even things around town are tough when you can’t drive or walk well.

I don’t think I’ve overcome, but I’m certainly a lot better than I was not terribly long ago.