When Overwhelm is here life is a movie and you are the audience. Words don’t come to you, emotions are a memory, detachment and apathy seduce you into a sitting position, “I’ll do that tomorrow.” Inspiration can’t penetrate Overwhelm, nothing does.

When Overwhelm gets here, you ride it out.

Some people think you can tap on the back of your hand, your forehead and your ass, some nonsense called EFT, to get through overwhelm. These people are crazy. Overwhelm is about feeling powerless, about feeling hopeless, about feeling like you are another cog in the machine, you can tap yourself with a hammer and overwhelm won’t go away.

Some people listen to God, or angels, or the other voices in their head, Overwhelm doesn’t care who is talking, it smirks at all of them, calling bullshit on any thought that requires more action than pushing the remote button. Alcohol, a depressant, is Overwhelm’s drinking buddy, it makes Overwhelm feel better. It tells Overwhelm it is sexy, funny and happy. Funny thing, even when overwhelm is feeling better, you know it’s just overwhelm feeling better, not you. (Overwhelm likes cookies and fried food too, if it will let you eat at all.)

Goals, lists and activity can’t penetrate overwhelm. Exercise would help but you can’t drag yourself to the gym. Love might help, but, what has love got to do with happiness? (Jackson Browne). Overwhelm feeds on itself, it gets stronger, it whispers in your ear, “I will kill you.” You have to decide if you can push through enough to thwart it. Sometimes you can’t. You hope Overwhelm gets bored with you and lets you get up. It’s pretty sad when you are too boring for Overwhelm.

Laughter is Overwhelm’s enemy, so is teamwork. Enthusiasm kicks its ass, if it gains a foothold. Writing about Overwhelm seems to push it back into its hole a little, music works but the guitar is outside your bubble, you can’t pick it up. Does singing the blues give you the blues or cure the blues? Overwhelm won’t let you chance it.

“Faith, hope and love abide” said someone who had to deal with Overwhelm. Overwhelm says, “All at once or one at a time, I don’t care, I’ll lick you all.”

When Overwhelm gets here, you ride it out.