We’re virtually here to help!

By CPN Behavioral Health Department
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Health Services

Bozho
(Hello),

I love my family, and I am sure you do, too. I also love my space at times, and I am sure you do, too. However, one of those has seemed far more abundant in my life these days.

Being stuck with the same people can certainly take its toll on you. Not only do we run the risk of getting bored doing the same things day in and day out, we can often fall prey to allowing ourselves to become irritated with the people around us more quickly than we would if they were not in such close proximity so much of the time.

While many of us long for the kind of human contact we knew in the recent past, we can still experience too much closeness at times with the people we love. I know this seems confusing, and that’s because it is! But it’s also okay. We can simultaneously long for contact and still want our personal space when we are home. It doesn’t mean you are indecisive or that you are taking your loved ones for granted; it just means you are human.

Let the people around you know that you need some space sometimes. It may also be important to let those around you know that, in these times, it is not about them or their actions. It is about your need for time alone for a while. Let them know that this doesn’t mean you don’t love them or care about them or that you don’t want them to tell you about their day. When we express how we feel rather than lash out, the people who care tend to hear us (and we tend to hear them). Every relationship, whether it’s romantic, a friendship, a sibling, or with your parents or children, needs some space once in a while. After all, if we are always together, what will we do to surprise one another?

Of course, you can always check with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov with questions and helpful information during this time. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is also available at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or text CONNECT to 741741, or online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Migwetch
(Thank you)!