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Saturday, September 26, 2009

I think I found me

Life is just a chance to grow a soul.

I have been on this quest to find myself. It will be ever lasting I am sure, but I feel so like I finally am living who I am supposed to be.

I have had multiple friends over the last few months as I am trying to make sure I am doing the things I need to, (i.e. going to events where I can meet people who share certain views and find potential

dates, taking time to not do anything, work when it needs to get done, and write), who have become frustrated with me. I will most likely always be a people pleaser but it is so nice to still hold on to my course rather than changing out of guilt.

One of the truths I am learning about me is that my life changes based on where I am at and what is going on around me. Almost every friend I have in my life is someone that was I spent much time with at one point or another. Normally this only lasts for a few months at a time then we go months with out hanging out. Not really something I or they choose, but the way it works. I always care for my friends even when I have gone years between talking to them.

The other truth I will post about me is that I have been keeping some of my big growth milestones on another blog. It alone has around 20 posts I think in the last month. If anyone wants the blog, send me an email and I would love to share a little more.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Lost Friends...

So, it has been a birthday heavy week for me on facebook. There was a time where anyone that I considered a friend I would try to spend their birthday with them. Now my 100 some odd friends on facebook simply get a "Happy Birthday" once a year. It is weird that almost all of these people at one time or another were close friends. Now. They are just Facebook friends that get a simple yearly wish. I guess that's why I try to look at facebook as more of a directory of sorts. Just a place to say happy birthday and always a place to have contact info just in case. I am learning that people are only in your life for a time so learn as much about them and from them while you can. Someday you may find them lost.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Moving to Logan

So over the last 6 months I have had the itch to get out of Utah. I felt like my life has spun a little out of control as far as balance. It has been good, but I just felt like I needed to hit the refresh button or restart. Over the last few months job offers have come and gone, but I really like where I work, so I turned them all down. The last few weeks I have been consumed with trying to help everyone I work with all the time, and really started looking at the options of changing jobs just to keep me in check. Again, not something I wanted, but needed. A couple weeks ago I heard that a position for my company opened in Logan. I do love Logan and felt so much peace about it. It felt like home just thinking about it. I was not sure if I would be able to go to Logan and stay in the same pay bracket I am in etc, etc, so I took a job offer in Salt Lake with another company. It would not have been my first choice, but it would have got the job done. When talking to some amazing people at my work, and with their ability to transfer me, I am glad to be staying with the same company. Some really good benefits... I still will be in Salt Lake area a couple days a week for school and friends I will be able to keep some involvement in the programs I started in Davis County I will have a chance to retreat to for a time to recharge and refocus with out much distraction. I don't have to start fresh at a new company. So all in all, life is good. I will move in the next few weeks and hope to find some place cheap so if anyone knows of anything, please let me know. I love you all, thanks for your support! Chris

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Codependence

So, it is no secret that I am a child of an alcoholic...So you think I would have been codependent on my dad right? NO! I think my codependency lies with others. People who have other problems that I feed off. I feel like I am finally getting better, but not 100%. I am making a huge life change that really when all is said and done is only about my happiness. I feel so selfish saying it out loud, because I never make it all about me. Making it all about other people makes me the hero, which then in reality makes it about me in the end. I guess this is what codependency is. So, yeah, it is weird, making a selfish choice for the first time that I can remember, feels good. I guess that's because it is less selfish than trying to be every one's everything. Wow, life is good, maybe I will keep this up.

He is some info on Co dependence if anyone is trying to figure out how crazy I am... Look at the symptoms...Is that not me in almost every way?

Codependence is a pattern of detrimental, behavioral interactions within a dysfunctional relationship which is regarded as an emotional disorder, and by some as a psychological disease.[1] In the relationship, the codependent person is controlled or manipulated by another who is affected with a pathological condition, such as drug addiction.[2] The codependent's life gets more and more out of hand and at the end, they might become as sick as the one they are codependent on.[3] In general, the codependent is understood to be a person who perpetuates the addiction or pathological condition of someone close to them in a way that hampers recovery. This can be done through direct control over the dependent, by making excuses for their dysfunctional behavior or relieving them of the consequences of the dependence. This is called enabling, which can have negative social and health consequences for both parties. A codependent may feel shame about, or try to change, their most private thoughts and feelings if they conflict with those of another person.

Contents

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[edit] Symptoms

Symptoms of codependence may include controlling behavior, distrust, perfectionism, avoidance of feelings, problems with intimacy, excessive caretaking, hypervigilance, or physical illness related to stress.[4] Codependence is often accompanied by clinical depression, as the codependent person succumbs to feelings of frustration or sadness over their inability to improve their situation.

  • tendency to place the needs and wants of others first and to the exclusion of acknowledging one's own
  • continued investment of self-esteem in the ability to control both oneself and others
  • anxiety and boundary distortions relating to intimacy and separation
  • difficulty expressing feelings
  • excessive worry how others may respond to one's feelings
  • undue fear of being hurt and/or rejected by others
  • self-esteem dependent on approval by others
  • tendency to ignore own values and attempt to adhere to the values of others

[edit] Treatment

Individuals who are suffering from codependence may seek assistance through various therapies, sometimes accompanied by chemical therapy for accompanying depression.

In addition, there exist support groups for codependency; some of these are Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) and Al-Anon/Alateen, Celebrate Recovery, Nar-Anon, and Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACoA), which are based on the twelve-step program model of Alcoholics Anonymous. Although the term codependency originated outside of twelve-step groups, it is now a common concept understood in many of them.[5]

Many books have been written on the subject of codependence. Pia Melody (Facing Co-dependence) and Shirley Smith (Set yourself Free) Melody Beattie was one of the first to describe such behaviors. She is the author of Codependent No More among many other volumes.

[edit] Controversies

  • The view that it is just a popular psychology concept,[who?] codependency is also a concept in for ex Medical Subject Heading.[6]
  • Caring for an individual with a physical addiction is not synonymous with pathology. To name the caregiver as a co- alcoholic responsible for the endurance of their partner's alcoholism for example, pathologises caring behaviour. The caregiver may only require assertiveness training skills and the addict accountability in taking responsibility for managing their addiction, or not[7] [8].
  • Not all mental health professionals agree about codependence or its standard methods of treatment [9]. It is not listed in the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic manual. Stan Katz & Liu, in "The Codependency Conspiracy: How to Break the Recovery Habit and Take Charge of Your Life," feel that codependence is over-diagnosed, and that many people who could be helped with shorter-term treatments instead become dependent on long-term self-help programs.
  • Some believe that codependency is not a negative trait, and does not need to be treated, as it is more likely a healthy personality trait taken to excess. Codependency in nonclinical populations has some links with favorable characteristics of family functioning [10].
  • The language of symptoms of and treatment for codependence derive from the medical model suggesting a disease process underlies the behaviour. There is no evidence that codependence is caused by a disease process, communicable or otherwise.
  • Some frequent users of the concept codependency use the word as an alternative to use the concept dysfunctional families, without statements that classify it is a disease. [11]
  • Not everything promoted by recovery agencies is a demonstrable scientific fact, some of it is based on fashion and faith alone [12] [13].
  • People who have experienced natural disasters, life threatening illness or accident, and personal and community tragedy have been found to perceive a benefit from the ordeal such as positive personality changes, changes in priorities and enhanced family relationships [14]. Caring for survivors serves a worthwhile ethic of empowerment - both for the caregiver and the survivors.

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Secret Blog

So why do I blog. It is an easy way for me to put together random thoughts...and then let go. I can't begin to say how many blogs I have wrote and then deleted because I am afraid someone might read it and get the wrong idea. I want people to know me better, to understand me, so why do I feel a need to keep a blog just to journal in. Would a journal not serve the same purpose? Maybe I just write these random blogs that i delete in hopes that I will click publish and people might really know how I feel, with no regrets.

So here is my not so secret blog that I should keep to myself...See next blog...

Sunday, August 23, 2009

What to do with life...

I feel like the only way to get my job done is to work an insane amount of hours. I want a life, and to do school, and to keep my great job. How do I do it all? Any ideas world?

Thursday, August 20, 2009

This thing we call life

So It is 12:40 am and I am still not even close to heading to bed. Here are some random bullet points of my life:

I work like crazy, but love the work I do like crazy more

I have a cool roommate, I feel partly like I am back on the mission

I had my first real crush and it lasted 2 days...Don't ask

I feel closer to God and have peace in my life more than ever.

I am becoming me again, and some love that, some don't but it feels good to make that choice.

I used 6800 minutes on my cell last month. Maybe another cell phone strike is needed?

The more I learn, the more I know I know less.

Every day I go to work, I am more dedicated to finding better ways of helping people with Autism.

I don't spend enough time with my friends, but I want to more.

I also need new friends.

Me and my mom may fly to Vegas to see "LOVE", it would be the first time in 14 years we have gone on vacation together.

Well, the thoughts just stopped flying, so that's good for tonight. Maybe I will write a blog where I try to be insightful again someday. For now this is all you get ;)