Building Roller Coasters, Avoiding Jail Time

We all have ticks. Whether they're OCD related or just because, we all have them. Some of them might be super embarrassing and you try your best to keep them under wraps. Picking a booger and eating it, for example. (Come to think of it a lot of people do this and it's extremely concerning how little attention it gets.) I'll be driving in my car and look to the driver on my left and BOOM he just ate his booger. Looking over at a kid in class whose digging around in his nose and then BOOM eats it. Anyway...

Ticks are nothing to be ashamed of. However, I am kind of ashamed of some of mine. I will tell you that no matter what food is put in front of me, I always have to leave one last bite. Ben hates it. I cannot finish food! I don't know why, and I don't think I care too.

Cereal left at the bottom of the bag that's enough to feed a small duck? Me.

The last bite of ice cream left in the freezer that's just a chunk of vanilla and has no goodness? Guilty.

Oh, and my personal favorite - the chips at the bottom of the bag. I will leave the crumbs and put the bag back into the cabinet. I'm not kidding. I can't bring myself to throw it away. Sorry Ben.

Another tick I have is associated with anxiety, and it resonated again in me last week. I was anxious about something, and was simultaneously feeling nostalgic to go home. I decided I was going to download a bunch of old video games on my computer that I used to play. This nostalgic anxiety tick has happened to me before too, where I surrounded myself with toys I grew up with and looked at old yearbooks and texted old friends - all in an hour.

My friend Pete (what up Pete!) enjoys reading my blog. He is our financial adviser (And if anyone is young and married or just young or just married and needs a financial adviser, Pete is your dude. Message me and I will give you his info!) and we had a phone call with him the other night. I explained to him how I had just downloaded roller coaster tycoon on my computer and he thought it was an interesting type of coping mechanism. I told him I'd write about it.

There are healthy coping mechanisms, and not so healthy coping mechanisms. Someone who is manic and feeling nostalgic might purchase an extremely high priced ticket to fly home that very minute. (I've looked at tickets - but never purchased :) )

Someone who is nostalgic for a relationship might stalk their ex and his/her new relationship and try to sabotage it somehow.

Who knows!

Our brain can do crazy things. I like to think I am avoiding many long years in jail by downloading roller coaster tycoon.

Not only did this soothe me, I feel more at peace and less on edge. If there is something you are thinking of doing that you're unsure of, as long as it isn't dangerous for you, go for it! You never know what life is gonna throw you next.

-Tay

#anxiety #depression #wife #life #nostalgia #happy #blog #medschool #mentalillness #manic