Forced Holiday
Picture by mohamed_hassan on pixabay
Forced Holiday
"You seem so active today, Rita." My co-worker Rania waved at me.
I smiled back and let out a breath slowly. My mind seemed to be like a sharp sunny day after a heavy weather fugue. It was the right decision; I must keep reminding myself. I just have to stay strong.
"Yes, I'm on a holiday." Rania's brows shot up.
I just smiled in response.
Picking up my phone, I scrolled down and down to reach the group chat my friends had setup.
Hi guys, it is Rita, do you want to meet for drinks today?
Guys seems like Rita has lost her phone. Some other person who likes going out has taken over.
Oh my God Rita, where have you been? what are you doing?
Me? I'm on a holiday. Let's meet at 6 at our usual place.
Courage. Such a small word, so easy to use but so difficult to achieve. Today I'd cried twice. The turmoil in the pit of my stomach was getting stronger. My thoughts seemed to have condensed in a hammer that was slowly banging in my brain. I was back to darkness. This was a hell I'd brought upon myself. But within this darkness, there was a little lamp that was lit up by courage. I'd had two bowls of curry rice today unlike my usual apple for lunch. I could feel the taste of spices on my tongue again. I could feel again.
I closed my eyes and went inside, if I'd stayed back and thought about meeting a crowd of people, I'd have runaway but with an empty head, I moved forward.
"Rita, over here!"
"Hi guys!"
"What do you want to drink?"
"Rita doesn't drink because of her medication, do you want lemonade?"
I turned to my friend and grinned "Today, I'll drink because I'm on a holiday."
"What's this you keep saying about being on a holiday? I saw you go to your office today."
I turned to face them all
"As you know, I have been struggling with depression for a few years. I've been taking medications, but they make me sleepy and lethargic. So, after talking to my doctor, I decided to go on a drug holiday for a while."
My friends hugged me one by one and rose their glasses.
"To courage!"
@diebitch all the feels hun. I struggle with my own mental health issues and am medicated. I've managed to find a solution that doesn't generally cause much lethargy, unless I'm under unusual amounts of pressure or stress which can bring on panic attacks. The only cure for those (for me anyway) are Alzams (AKA Xanex) and those make me reeeeeeeeeaaally not care 🤣 not really appropriate for the office 🙈 I'm glad you're working with your doctor for your medication holiday. Lots of people stop or decrease their meds without sufficient support or knowledge. I am sure you're doing what's best for you and I wish you all the best 🤗🤗🤗
Thanks Claire! Although it is a fictional story, it is based on some of my experiences.
Telling stories is immensely therapeutic. I adore creative writing. Both the reading and the writing parts 🤗
A creative interpretation of the prompt. There is nothing simple about this story. While her friends applaud Rita's 'courage'. As she struggles against the effect of medication, she also struggles with the darkness that may again envelop her. sometimes, there are no easy choices.
Thank you for sharing this well-written story with the Ink Well community. We appreciate that you engage with other authors.
Here in your story the vacations represent a reunion with a possibility forbidden by the use of medication. Let's hope that friends know how to take care of rita, while she drinks alcoholic beverages.
In some ways holidays and celebrations are just that, @diebitch, a lapse in which one allows oneself to behave differently.
Thanks for reading. Yes, holidays of the mind are as much needed as a change in place for a vacation.
This story captured my heart, @diebitch. Anyone who has experienced depression knows that so many things must come together to make choices, decide to make changes, and even come up with the energy to meet up with friends. How nice her friends are understanding and supportive!
Friends help a lot if family is not around and the right friends understand these things. Thanks for reading!
Drug holiday for this purpose might well be fetal so I suggest people with serious sickness should avoid alcohol and not their regular drugs. A Nice meaningful one.
Wow, thats such a poignant story, I think so many people can relate to it, I can relate to it because a lot of times I've felt really antisocial, anxious, shy and kinda depressed but had to push myself to mingle and chill out. Great one @diebitch👍👌
Thanks nevies, it is always a tossup between enjoying company but wanting to be left alone :)
👍
I found this ending very satisfying. And I note how perfectly you set it up, right in the first line, which meant nothing when reading it the first time (as it shouldn't). This story is laser focused on the MDQ (major dramatic question), which for me is 'why does this person need courage', and the ending is satisfying because your provided an answer that is inevitable (because you were walking us to it all along with that laser focus), and surprising because none of the details you used to set it up (the fact that she is active, that she feels like coming out of a 'heavy weather fugue', that she was 'back to darkness') gave anything away (at least not to me). Great job!
Thank you, I like creating stories with surprise endings!