Work In Progress

So I thought I had a handle on this....... "Type A"..."Type B".  I am clearly a "Type A"---with a slow to arrive "Type B" that strolls in for herbal tea and yoga after I have been feeding my soul and NOT at work for an extended period of time.  ( I really like her!!!) However, "Type A" and "Type B" emerged as labels for how people respond to stress and were employed, and were later tested in a later experiment to see if these "types" could predict coronary heart disease----- in men----- over 60 years ago----.  The experiment didn't factor in women or the stress reduction medication and techniques available to assist with coping with stress today. Damn.  I thought I was done. But instead I will dig a little deeper (ok a lot deeper), to get a more full picture back to Hippocrates (c. 460-c.3 70 BC), the father of modern medicine, who identified four "temperaments". These "te...

As a self identified "Type A" behavior "enthusiast", getting to know my neighbor in "Type B" might help me get a handle on why I too often feel like I am banging my head against a wall at work.    But before I get too far, after all, there are a bazillion "self assessment" tests out there from, " What potato chip flavor are you ?" to " Which Prince outfit are you ?" In the 1950's, two cardiologists, Friedman and Rosenman used Type A and Type B as a way to describe behavioral responses associated with how male patients with heard conditions responded to stress in their waiting room.    They observed that some of the men actually wore down the edges of the seats from sitting poised on the edges of the seat and jumping up frequently, (labelled Type A) while others were able to relax in their seats and the wear on the chairs was focused more evenly (labelled Type B).   They went on to invest...

The more I read, the more I learn. (What is it they say about a little knowledge is a dangerous thing?) The more I learn the more I start to resentfully acknowledge,  through gritted teeth, that my therapists MAY be right---awareness is the first step. So this is what I am learning about Type A behavior/personality. Who You Are vs. Situational Reaction: Researchers believe that Type A personality characteristics may be more of a reaction to environmental factors, or reactions toward certain behaviors, and are influenced by culture and job structure. This rings true to me for what I am going through right now.   Type A behavior includes 100% investment in the work you do--home or work.  Everything you take on is important AND valuable with a goal of making other people's lives better -- which in turn, makes your life better through feeling a sense of value and self-worth.   This is why it feels so devastating when others, through indifferen...

Finding a new family doctor when I moved here was easier than expected.   A quick online search matched me to a doctor also new to town, who was accepting patients.   As we did a  brief personal medical history, I described the basics: my mental health issues with depression and anxiety, my recent career change and "irritable bowl syndrome" --a diagnosis I had received some 10 years prior after all the tests for Crohn's disease, Colitis and Diverticulitis came back negative. "Of course IBS.  You are fair skinned, thin, and Typical Type A personality!" My first reaction was: She thinks I am thin!!!   Followed by a swelling of pride at being called "type A". (Further pride erupted as I mentioned my A+ blood type---like really---how amazing can I be, right?) Let's face it. We live in a culture where everything is measured against some yardstick of success and getting an A...well, it speaks for itself.   Type...