Dear John – The power of jealous exes; anxiety and depression

I have two very close friends. We’ve been besties since I was a toddler, well, the other one was there since I was kid, the other I met when I was in my early teens. They’ve stuck by me all these years. I’m 35 and we’re still going strong. Although, we did have a bit of a fallout. These “friends” of mine are anxiety and depression.

They are a little bit different these two friends of mine. “Friend” number 1 showed up when I was still a small kid. I remember being about 4 years old when I had my first anxiety attack. “Friend” number 2 came to the picture around age 12, and brough a lot of dark clouds with them. They seem to like each other these two. Sometimes one is stronger than the other. I know this from for example from my personal hygiene. When anxiety is in the lead I take a bath everyday day as water calms me. If it’s depression’s time to lead I won’t shower or bath for days as every little bit of interest in self-care, even the basics, is suppressed.

A few years of therapy has shown me they are, after all, not the best companions to have – and that I should try and break away from them.

And I’ve worked on it! I have worked on building my distance, ghosting them. I’ve, each day, worked on ignoring them and moving on. I’ve tried and sometimes, more each day, succeeded in ignoring their late night DM’s of “You up? Want to cry hysterically for a bit?” or them wanting to bring up all my cringe worthy moments of my entire life.

I am on the winning side though, I am letting go, I am building my distance and trying my best to ignore their calls. I don’t want to go back to them.

The problem is we had something. Something real. Something meaningful. A real connection. They understood me like no-one else and were there for me when others weren’t. Sure, they are slightly obsessive in nature and didn’t really allow me to have other friends. They even tried badmouthing others with “they will hurt you”, “they don’t care for you, your’re nothing to them, they hate you”, “they laugh at you”, but they were there.

So. Enter a new acquaintance; moments of happiness. Whether in the form of a new bathroom carpet or a drink in the sun with no worries, my previous besties aren’t too happy with this new addition to my life. The threat of a break up is getting real. Maybe we aren’t just going through a break, maybe the strong feelings we once had are no longer there? Maybe we aren’t meant to be after all?

I’ve had so much fun with my new friend. I started a diet three weeks ago, a keto diet, and have already lost 5 kilos, I’m sleeping better thanks to my new bed, and I’m re-gaining my work motivation. I’m doing so much better, and actually feeling positive about the future. And what do my jealous, neglected exes of anxiety and depression do? They raise their ugly, obsessive heads. They’re hurting me, trying to beg and force me to come back. They bring up all the negative emotions – a true saga of how everyone, including the universe, has let me know. They play their games, they keep me up at night, and this morning, they won. They won.

They won. My anxiety doesn’t allow me to sleep, my depression want’s me to suffer. This morning I woke up sleep deprived feeling all things depression. The tears started falling from my eyes, my brain checked out, and my body was calling for quits. I was a mess. But! Little did these fuckers know I’ve grown stronger, there is a part of me that will not give up, and that part, that part is now in the lead. That part. At 9 am this morning assessed the situation and decided that given the emotional turmoil I’m in I cannot just ignore it, I need to let these tears flow and the wave of negativity to pass. I’ll allow it to have it’s time, hear it’s message. Let it have it’s time, tell it’s story . And then waive good bye to it.

I created a list of all my negative emotions, and went to the store to get alcohol. This morning by 10 o’clock I’ve done a lot; sure, I started drinking but I’ve also had a look at my emotions, reflected on them and addressed them.  I’ve burned that list of negative things, literally, I wrote my feelings down on paper and lit them up. I’m not in a happy place. My mood is all kinds of negative – all the betrayal, neglect and hurt, they are all with me now. But I burned that, and I will keep burning it. That shit needs to go. I might have lost the battle today, but I have not lost the war. The prosecco I’m drinking is dry, the vodka I might start with has no carbs. My keto diet still stands. I am still working on bettering my future. Depression and anxiety; you are nothing but a small bumb on my way. I will keep going.

I know you will keep messaging, and screwing with my head. We did have something, something I thought would last a life time, my ever after. But I’m now after my happily ever after. So. F you. You can keep trying. But we are done. Sincerely yours not anymore, me.