EQ with Lou

Sometimes I know a bit about you
before I ever see you with my eyes.
Maybe it’s because I’ve read your file-
making sure your mental isn’t the only thing I recognize.

Sometimes I sneak a glance at your license
~always anxious to hear your story.
Sharing your excitement and all the feels
but it’s not just your joy that gets to me.

You sit across from me
and share your trauma & your pain-
rarely do you talk about your triumphs-
often crying that your life hasn’t been the same.

I hear about human monsters
who do hateful harmful unbearable things
Things only monsters would do
As I listen, I resonate with the sting.

Together we walk through the memories
and I can’t help but feel my heart gasp–
Encouraging you step by step to heal
and experience freedom at last.

Freedom from the worry and all-present anxiety-
is a sincere hope of mine that rings true.
As I listen how you somehow continued to live
how you’re the miracle & not the monster who did awful things to you.

I feel my heart beating and my soul bleeding
as I listen to your story of triumph-
How somehow you managed to persevere
and how you desire to come up.

Up! Up! UP! From the place you were born-
from the broken bloody pain, you were birthed.
Now you sit here before me –
and I know that you’ll soon learn your worth.

How even though they didn’t understand you-
or why you might want to change.
How they didn’t see you-
How they lived beside you but never once questioned your pain.

I’ll sit here and I’ll listen
while you sit on the couch across from me-
I’ll take it all in and hold back my own tears
praying that you’ll one day see what I see.

From young to old- I treat you all…
We laugh and sometimes we cry-
None the less- without all the answers
we approach your treatment and why.

Whether you want to live or you want to die
we’ll partner together for your mental health
and together we’ll discover the key to it all- –
somehow, you’ll see good mental is wealth.

We’ll talk about all the things-
when you began to hate the idea of food
how you became scared of crowds-
Mostly when you started to hate YOU.

I’ll give you slight push with a prompt
encouraging you to unroot the lies.
I’ll listen without judgement and with love
As you bravely share parts you want to hide.

Sometimes I give it a name-
other times I recognize the condition-
of your mind, your heart, and your soul-
I learn how you’ve been bound by tradition.

I learn what it is your looking for-
we discuss your options including medicine
Right before I ask you
when you’d like to come back again?

I sit, listen how you go to your “now”
and how in 30 minutes we can find hope.
While you share of the dark days
often of a myriad of stories you’ve never told.

Sometimes you sit with tears brimming in your eyes
and you smile bravely- pressing forward
We dare to go back to those places-
digging to get to the root of the hurt.

Looking for hope despite the monsters you’ve met-
you dare to believe you can soundly sleep-
When the monsters you’ve experienced
wildly & vividly visit you in your dreams.

I find myself silently praying-
Inviting sovereign help into the space.
I’ve sat here with you in your pain.
Sometimes I cry thinking about how you’ve been in this place.

At the end of the day, I’ve seen 13-15 faces-
with so much pain, I’m soaked like a sponge.
I’ve learned I’ve got to fully squeeze the sponge-
praying the next day all the hurt is expunged.

Sometimes I forget as your psychiatrist
that’s offloading is key.
Even though I’m helping you
I can’t forget about me.

Life is more than monsters and health-
Life is a journey to be lived & taken
with adjustments to be made
because life causes us to feel shaken.

How do we do it, you ask?
We’re sure to offload and to fully squeeze-
Squeeze what you may ask-
The psychiatry sponge of me.

If I’m not careful- I might forget- –
Forget why I came into this field
Souls are at risk – we both need help & pressing:
past the pain with a full squeeze we can both heal.

Let the pain of the days go- –
until tomorrow when I’ll do it all again.
I prayed for this, and I prayed for you
So, we’ll not be overtaken.

No matter what your mental health-
You’re not by yourself, no longer just one…
We’ll walk together through this process-
sponges will stay & squeeze until you’ve won!