No one likes waiting. The definition of waiting in the Bible is long suffering. In my opinion, waiting on hold on the phone for something important like a doctor’s office where the hold time is interfering with my own time is my definition of torture. Sometimes, waiting is a good thing.
There are a handful of clients I have worked with where the waiting came in wanting to get a certain diagnosis that would in turn shed like on why they are not sleeping so well. Not sleeping well impacts so many parts of life such as work performance.
Imagine going to several specialty doctors and going through multiple rounds of blood work and even a sleep study. Then imagine the frustration when you really need that diagnosis to get a CPAP which would help you sleep better only to be told all tests are normal. There had been no times in the night a person stopped breathing. Plus, all bloodwork came back normal. Kind of bittersweet. This person continues to wait, powering there job, still having to endure lack of sleep day after day.
Case number two. This person has a swollen lymph node. The doctor they go to says, “I hope that is not Lymphoma.” Following doctor’s orders, this person gets a biopsy of the lymph node, but it will be an entire month before the results come in. Imagine living that month riding an emotional roller coaster on if they have cancer or not.
Both cases involve waiting. Unfortunately, a person has no choice but to wait. What they do have a choice over is how they decide to cope with the waiting and uncertainty.
The first case is not getting a definitive answer on why they are not sleeping. There is no sleep apnea and nothing wrong with bloodwork. This person continues to power through workdays and make the most of the sleep they are getting.
Frustration and impatience are this person’s obstacles. With those emotions it is a thought to numb those with use of alcohol, CBD products or the like. This person does drink alcohol in moderation. Fortunately, this person has support from family and friends and is not isolated.
Case number two’s biggest obstacle is catastrophizing and becoming obsessed with a worst-case scenario. Fortunately, this person has a job giving them structure. Having large amounts of unstructured or too much free time allows the mind to fill in the gaps of what they do not know leading to anxiety. Even though there is a month until they find out about the test results, a person could get into trouble in the span of a month.
How do you deal with waiting? Are you able to keep it under control or can it really get to you more than you would like?
If you are looking for a therapist near you then a Google search is a great way of finding one. I happen to be a therapist in Charlotte, NC but am licensed to counsel anyone in the state of North Carolina. In Google, try looking for “psychotherapist,” “find therapist,” “therapy near me,” or even “counseling charlotte, nc.” If you feel like you have hit a wall you are not able to get past, call me at (704) 458-6298 or email me at jeffhelms@clearerthoughtspllc.com.
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