Did you know that if you didn’t like the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremonies, you’re a right-wing fascist? You’re illiterate and know nothing of history. If you didn’t like The Acolyte, you’re a racist, sexist incel. Don’t even get me started on those people who didn’t like Star Trek: Discovery. At least that’s what the internet…
There are two stories about Jimi Hendrix being fired. The first was when he was fired from a band he joined in high school. Hendrix was too wild for them. That just wasn’t the sound the band was going for, so they fired him. Hendrix was later hired by Little Richard to be in his…
I have the strongest urge to start this last piece about my mental health journey through an intensive outpatient program (IOP) with an apology. I can’t tell if it’s an acceptable urge or if I should use opposite action to resist it. The thing is, I don’t feel like I’ve done a very good job…
Well, I finished my intensive outpatient program (IOP) today. It’s a day earlier than I expected, but I’ll talk about that later. For now, I was customarily early, but the fourth to arrive. These new group members are something else. It was a big group today, so check-ins took all of the first hour and…
This is the start to my last week of IOP. I’m all kinds of conflicted about it. Over the past two-ish months, group has become kind of homey. At the same time, I think it’s time. I have to get back out in the real world sometime. I just wish the real world weren’t so…
I overslept this morning. Well, that’s not quite right. Technically I woke up when I was supposed to. I just kept hitting snooze and hitting snooze some more. I was only about five minutes early to the IOP. I was also third to arrive. It was one of those mornings. The pacing was a little…
I was third at the IOP this morning. These new group members are early birds. I guess I’m going to have to get used to it. I can’t reasonably get there more than fifteen minutes early every day. Plus, the normal clinician was out today, so I started the day a little out of sorts….
Today was a weird day at IOP. To start with, I was the fourth one there. Fourth! I never use exclamation points, but fourth? Come on. What’s wrong with me? Fourth! Check-in was fairly normal. I talked about my weekend. It was a nice weekend. Spent it with my partner. We went to a sugar…
I wasn’t the first person to arrive at the IOP this morning. I was second. It threw me off. Second. I didn’t win. I got there about the same time I always do. It’s just that someone else was earlier. So disconcerting. My check-in was fine. I was very tired again, which is kind of…
I got some good news at my IOP this morning. I’m stepping down to three days a week. I thought I’ve been making progress, and this is confirmation that the IOP thinks so, too. Yay me. I woke up with a nervous feeling this morning. It was like butterflies in my stomach. I brought that…
