This is a really important update, not only because it deals with my wife Lizze, but also because of how she's choosing to deal with a major struggle.
Lizze doesn't have an easy life. She's living in chronic pain, thanks to Fibromyalgia, and chronic, untreatable migraines. She's been dealing with menopause, and hormone replacement therapy as a result of an emergency hysterectomy a couple years after Emmett was born.
A couple of years ago, she was diagnosed with Bipolar II, with Borderline tendencies. This has been very challenging to manage because much like Gavin, her biology tends to make her process meds differently. This makes finding the right combination of medications, very difficult.
She also struggles with severe social anxiety that makes it difficult for her to leave the house at times.
Rather than continue to struggle, Lizze has made a major decision that I know wasn't easy.
Lizze has decided it would be in her best interest to do intensive outpatient therapy again. This comes in the form of classes, sometimes referred to as DBT therapy.
You may remember that she took these classes before. It's not uncommon for people to need to go through these classes at least a second time. Some people need more than that.
These classes basically teach her to adjust the way she processes the world around her. It helps with communication skills and teaches her ways of managing her anxiety, and even her Bipolar symptoms. It also helps tremendously with the Borderline tendencies.
Having not taken the classes myself, everything I've read and heard about them talks about how painfully difficult these classes are for the person going through them. I remember Lizze coming home from these classes last year, completely overwhelmed, and exhausted.
That's a very typical reaction to these classes because they force you to go against every instinct you have.
While it absolutely sucks, it helps tremendously. Once the skills are learned and put into practice, life changes in a very positive way.
Lizze and I talked about this at length before deciding to go down this road once again. This is a huge commitment, not only for Lizze, but also myself as well.
These classes will take her out of town for half a day, four days a week. The first class is either eight or twelve weeks, I can't remember. There are two more classes to follow.
Anyway, this puts a great deal of weight on my shoulders because I'll be managing the kids on my own. I'm more than willing to take that responsibility because I know Lizze has it so much worse, and this is something I can do to both help and support her.
The bulk of these classes will be taking place while the kids are home for summer break, and that will be a great deal of work.
At the same time, this is best for all of us in the long run. The fact that Lizze is willing to do this again, not only for herself but for the boys and I as well, is absolutely amazing. I respect her more than words can say.
This will be a sacrifice but the end will absolutely justify the means.
Her goal is to help you understand what goes into this kind of therapy and how it impacts her. There will be ups and downs, positives and negatives. It will be honest and frankly, very interesting.
