tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76710387858889373172011-04-21T14:20:37.244-07:00Nurse Daddynoreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7671038785888937317.post-85355535997363251612008-09-24T20:00:00.000-07:002008-09-24T17:00:35.563-07:00A few years back I began to describe what I refer to as the "hamster wheel of thought". There are people I've spoken to that really get what I mean as soon as I say it (those that likely suffer with it as well) and then there are people for whom elaboration is required.<div><br /></div><div>If your thoughts were hamsters, each might hop into the wheel and take a run for a bit, until the thought process ran its course. If <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">my</span> thoughts were hamsters, each of them would attempt to get into the wheel, all at once, and run it in different directions. If one thought/hamster dominated, it might get that wheel spinning until the centrifugal force tossed the others out, at which point a marathon session of spinning ensues. Thats when all iterations and permutations of the same line of thinking follow one another, with everything a blur, nothing truly concrete, no version of the thought staying in the forefront long enough to allow you to grasp whether it resolves anything or leads to any next step. </div><div><br /></div><div>The spinning and whirring hamster wheel of thought often makes it difficult to be "in the moment", what with the whirring going on in the hamster habitat of the consciousness. Focus is hard to find, cues are missed, and stress and frustration build. You wish you could just let it go. People will tell you that... "c'mon, let it go already". Ah, but if only it were that easy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Meds help. Meds can calm the hamster. He runs for a little while with a new idea. He sees more clearly the facets of a situation and is able to find some resolve, and take that thought with him into the bed of cedar. He returns to the wheel with the next line of thinking a bit fresher, using previous thoughts to help make the next spin in the wheel go a little smoother.</div><div><br /></div><div>But meds are not everything. Sometimes it takes a bit of coaxing to prevent the hamster wheel of thought from spinning out of control. The meds can help you be more aware of how you are thinking, and give you what you need to coax the hamster out of the wheel.</div><div><br /></div><div>And when you reach the point when your head is quiet and you don't think you need the medication anymore, please remember this one thing: your head is quiet <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">because the medication is working. Keep taking it.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div>OK, that's it for right now. My furry friend is tired.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7671038785888937317-8535553599736325161?l=hamsterwheelofthought.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Nurse Daddynoreply@blogger.com0