Over

I think it's finally over.

It has happened a couple of times before. My mind is often only one realisation away from being able to let go of someone. It's like jumping off a cliff and landing in the ocean; one minute it's dry and hot, and the next, it's wet, salty and chaotic.

It happened for me today. I was walking past these awesome shiny walls and checking out my profile when a phrase popped into my head. "He makes me feel safe." It was an answer to a question that a friend had posed to me a month or two back, asking about why I was into him. The answer still stands. I had felt safe, protected and cared for. He was like this huge and mighty harbor, and as long as I was in it, I was safe. I had perceived him as this strong, kind and passionate force.

He doesn't protect me anymore. I don't feel safe. Instead, I am scared. I am scared of his backlash; I am scared of his volatility. I am scared because taking care of me is no longer his priority, and it means that all that power he possessed can now be turned against me. He is someone that can belittle me and push me around on a whim. He has no respect for me and little compassion. He does not make me feel safe.

I have no interest in the present him.

Cognitive Control

I think I have cognitively controlled my self-esteem into a funk.

I really like this boy that is neurotic, deeply passionate, manipulative, controlling, magnetic, vulnerable and beautifully spiritual. In one of his short-lived but intense periods of passion, I was drawn into his world.

His passion for me has been extinguished.

I want to be close to him again. I want to be special in his life. I want to know why. I want to take care of him. I want to be there for him.

It is a drastic drop into insignificance.

As a sane, pragmatic and self-loving individual, I have been trying to take measures to protect myself. My chosen method of coping has been cognitive control. I try to kill all hope within and suppress wishful thoughts. When I want to walk towards him, I tell myself that he does not want me anymore. When he takes the seat beside me, I tell myself that it is because of the person on the other side. When he says that he does not care about my feelings, I take it literally. When he only sees me in a group, I tell myself that it is because he is keeping a distance from me. When he spends time with the girl I was a rebound from, I tell myself that it is because she is more spiritual, pure, innocent and more lovable than me.

I need to stop this. I wanted to write my thoughts out so that I may realise how absolutely disgusting and self-defeating they are. So he isn't into me anymore. Well, I sincerely think that it is his loss. I refuse to be a martyr. I refuse to even be in the same competition as a teenager. I am a strong, intelligent, loving, supportive and beautiful young woman. I am growing in my faith every day, I have found, and am immersed in study that makes me excited for life. God loves me. I am his daughter.

Now, I just have to work on believing all the above when I am standing in front of him.

Hypomania

I thought I was mentally unwell last week. I gave myself the diagnosis of Hypomania.

I had boundless energy, a constant grin on my face, reduced need for sleep, and confidence to surmount all obstacles. I talked to strangers, was quickly irritated and accomplished a large amount of tasks in a short period of time. I felt good, strong, and slightly unhinged.

Today I learnt that periods of Hypomania are a result of excessive dopamine secretions in the brain. Dopamine floods the system and results in increased feelings of pleasure and action seeking to attain rewards. Hypomaniac episodes last 4-6 days and are normally followed by depressed periods due to depleted stores of dopamine in the brain.

As it stands, I don't think I have Hypomania, it was a misdiagnosis. I attribute my elevated mood to the sense of newness and freshness each new school year brings. I attribute my reduced need for sleep to excitement, my confidence to past experience. I attribute my crazed sense of purpose, my commitment to filling up every minute of the day, my increased reliance on god and my increased sociability to a defense mechanism - protecting my brain against thoughts that would undermine my self worth and thoughts that would wipe the smile from my face.

An organized and packed schedule helps. Watch me turn the anger and the self-doubt into something that would shine brighter than the sun.