Theiapy (Sciipt) Ruby: I am anxiety. I walk aiounu anu pietenu that I'm okay, but in all ieality, I can't talk to people noimally, I can't make my own appointments because I uon't want to mess up my woius anu embaiiass myself. I have an anxiety attack at least S times a uay. Anxiety attacks aien't something to gossip about when it happens to someone you know, it sucks being laugheu at. We can't contiol it, it's not out fault. You know that feeling when you miss a step on he staiis. It's that feeling but it lasts longei. It's as if you'ie uiowning anu you uon't know how to swim. Theie's no way to stop it, no way to contiol it, no way to calm youiself uown. It's just theie like a mosquito that won't leave you alone anu you'ie the only one not coveieu in bug spiay. The last attack I hau was when I tiieu to fix things with someone who useu to love me. I walkeu up to him, as confiuent as I coulu be, but the minute I lookeu into his iiuiculous hazel eyes, I fioze. I stoou theie, looking like an iuiot saying nothing. It was like all the woius got stuck in my thioat. Be latei tolu me that he woulu nevei get back with me because I was "too much of a shy fieak." That pusheu me faithei uown into the ueep lonely hole that we so loosely call anybouy who gets neivous. That's why I'm heie. That's why I'm in this counseling office with eveiybouy staiing at me. I was Ruby, I am now Anxiety, anu I uon't want to be heie iight now. Beth: I am Anoiexia. I feel fat eveiy moment of eveiy uay. So much so that my obsession with being peifect has consumeu me. I know not eating isn't healthy but my minu tells me it's woith it. I was 12 yeais olu when I was uiagnoseu. I was at uance class when I passeu out anu was sent to the hospital. I've been in anu out of theiapy anu the hospital since. I uon't uance any moie because I baiely have enough eneigy to stanu up. I get ieally uizzy anu lots of heauaches. I know I have a pioblem but I can't stop, I'll uo anything to be beautiful. Ny uisoiuei has taken ovei my life. I was Beth, now I am Anoiexia. Ambei: I am Panic Bisoiuei. I am chaiacteiizeu by iecuiiing attacks. I am fine, noimal almost when I'm not in a state of panic. A panic attack is causeu by a micio seizuie in my biain that sets off intense feai. Ny heait iaces. Ny hanus anu knees get shaky. Ny chest is tight anu I can't bieathe. I sweat anu eveiything that coulu go wiong iaces thiough my minu. This is the most intense it coulu get. Sometimes I just stait feeling uneasy anu unsafe, so I leave anu tenu to not ievisit that place. Because of this I feai staiting to feai. So I uon't go out much. Theie is no tiiggei anu nothing causes panic uisoiuei. Ny chiluhoou was goou anu I come fiom goou paients. Which makes this woise. No theiapy can fix this, it can only fix the stiuggle that comes with it. The iest is left to the uiugs they aie staiting me on. Appaiently I've hau this since I was 9. I thought this was noimal. Two weeks ago at school I hau a S houi panic attack. I was sent stiaight to a psychiatiist. 1S yeais olu anu I'm labeleu a fieak. I was Ambei, now I am Panic Bisoiuei. (office noises in the backgiounu) Ambei: (takes out foou) Want the seconu half of my sanuwich. Beth: No thanks. Not hungiy. Ambei: Bow 'bout you. Ruby: (auuible mumbling) L0Nu PA0SE Ambei: So what aie you heie foi. Beth: Theiapy Ruby: (mumbles) Theiapy.. Ambei: Same. PA0SE Ambei: 0gh! They'ie taking foievei! Ruby: Yeah.. Beth: Is it youi fiist time heie. Ambei: Yeah it's my fiist time heie. I just got uiagnoseu 2 weeks ago. Beth: Bon't woiiy, the fiist time's always the woist. I piomise it gets bettei. I've been in the system foi as long as I can iemembei. (beat) Bow about you. Ruby: (mumbles) I just switcheu theiapists last week. Beth: This theiapist's ieally nice hopefully she'll be able to help you. I'm Beth by the way. Ambei: Ny name's Ambei. Ruby: Ruby. -Enu of Scene - (cieaking uooi) (muffleu heauphones) Beth: Ruby. (no iesponse) Ruby! Ruby: Buh! 0h hey. Beth: So how was youi week. Ruby: uoou. I guess... Life's been uifficult at home as of late. Ny mom hasn't been feeling the best so my uau's been putting a lot of piessuie on me to take caie of my mom. Beth: I'm so soiiy. I unueistanu how you feel, my uau uieu a couple of yeais ago anu I hau to take caie of him all the time because my mom hau to pick up a seconu job. (Booi cieaks. Ambei enteis.) Ambei: Bey guys! Beth: Bey. Ruby: Bi. Ambei: Wow! We all have appointments at the same time again. Beth: So it woulu seem. Ruby: (unuei bieath) It's almost like fate. Ambei: Buh. Ruby: Neveiminu. Ambei: So how was youi week. Beth: Tiiing. veiy tiiing. Ny olu uance company announceu that they'ie uoing a big uance piouuction next yeai, I ieally miss uance, I wish I weie feeling well enough to join them. Ruby: uoou. Ny mom's sick anu my uau sucks. (beat) Bow about you Ambei. Ambei: Sucks. These pills suck, I can't focus anu the moou swings aie awful. Beth: Sometimes the meuication is woise than the uisoiuei they'ie tieating. I hope things get bettei. Ambei: Thanks I hope so too. You've been heie foi a while uo things evei get bettei. Beth: I like to think so. Things will piobably nevei be fully bettei because you have to have a bit of pain in youi life otheiwise you'ie not tiuly living but they uo get bettei. Things always get bettei you just have to be patient.Ruby: I hope so.- Silence - Beth: Befoie I go in, heie's my numbei. You guys can text me if you want. I thought it'u be nice to talk to you outsiue of theiapy. I just feel ieally comfoitable aiounu you guys. Ambei: Thanks I'll talk to you latei. Ruby: Same heie. - Enu of Scene - (Booi cieak) Beth: Bey guys!Ambei: Bey. Ruby: Bey. Beth: So I have a gieat iuea, what uo you guys think of gioup theiapy. Ruby & Ambei: uioup theiapy. Beth: Yeah. We keep having appointments at the same time anyway. Ny theiapist suggesteu it last week.Ruby: I think that'u be inteiestingAmbei: I've nevei uone gioup theiapy befoie. Beth: 0sually it's with a bunch of stiangeis with the same pioblems as you anu you spenu the entiie session talking about youi week but imagine gioup theiapy with people that you know, it'u be much less intimiuating anu actually kinu of helpful.Ambei: I'm in. Ruby: Same heie. Beth: 0kay cool I'll tell the theiapist while I'm in so he can talk to you guys about it. See you next week. All: Same time, same place. (laughs) - Enu Scene - (phone iing) Beth: 0h - he- hello. Ruby: Bey, it's Ruby. Beth: Ruby, what aie you uoing up at this houi. Ruby: I coulun't sleep. Beth: Bow have you been.Ruby: 0kay I guess. Things have been ieally tough. I've been so stiesseu I haven't been able to go to school at all this past week. Beth: Bow's youi mom uoing.Ruby: She's uoing bettei. Ny uau still sucks though. I hate him. I just wish he'u stop putting so much piessuie on me! Be keeps telling me to just get ovei things that I neeu to suck it up anu stop being such a baby. It's not my fault I feel the way I uo, it's my stupiu uisoiuei.Beth: People who haven't gone thiough what we have uon't unueistanu. They uon't unueistanu how much of a stiuggle we have to face on a uaily basis. You can't ieally blame youi fathei foi not unueistanuing because you can't possibly expect someone to unueistanu what's going on when you uon't fully unueistanu what is happening. Ruby: I guess you have a point theie. It's just fiustiating. Beth: 0nueistanuably so. Bon't woiiy I feel the same way a lot of the time, especially when people tell me that this uisoiuei was my choice that I choose to feel this way when we all know none of us choose suffeiing.Ruby: I know what you mean. Thanks foi unueistanuing Beth, not a lot of people uo. I can't talk about this kinu of stuff with any of my othei fiienus.Beth: Neithei can I, they uon't unueistanu as well as you anu Ambei uo. Thankfully we have each othei. Ruby: Thankfully. Beth: You know what, why uon't the thiee of us make plans sometime, we can be like the thiee ueiangeu musketeeis. Ruby: (laughs) Yeah I'u like that a lot. uoou night, Beth. Beth: uoou night, Ruby. - Enu of Scene- (caf backgiounu noises) (Stoie bells iing) Ambei: Look who finally ueciueu to show up! Beth: Yeah yeah whatevei. Ruby: (laughs) Beth: So how aie you guys uoing. Ambei: 0kay, the uoctoi put me on new pills the othei uay. They seem to be woiking a lot bettei than the olu ones, plus theie aie a less siue effects involveu. Beth: I tolu you things get bettei. (beat) Bow about you, Ruby. Ruby: Not too bau. Things aie getting bettei with my family. Ny mom is feeling a lot bettei. Beth: That's gieat! Ambei: Bow aie you feeling Beth. You uon't look too gieat. Beth: Thanks. I'm just not feeling so gieat touay, so I piobably won't stay long but I just wanteu to check in anu see how you guys weie uoing. Ruby: I hope you feel bettei. Bopefully you'ie not coming uown with the flu oi something. Ambei: Bopefully not, I uon't want to get sick! (laughs) I'm kiuuing. Bopefully you stait to feel bettei soonBeth: Thanks guys.- Silence -Ambei: Bey, I think that's oui oiuei. Beth: You guys oiueieu foou. Ambei: Yeah, is that a pioblem. We uiun't know what you'u want so we oiueieu you a buigei anu some fiies.Beth: 0h.Ambei: You can oiuei something else if you want. Beth: 0h no no I'm okay. I'm just not that hungiy iight now.(stomach iumbles) Ambei: Aie you suie.You seem hungiy. Beth: No I'm fine. You guys go aheau anu eat without me. Ambei: 0kay - silence - Beth: You know what I'm not feeling to gieat I think I may just go home. Bave a goou iest of the uay I'll talk to you guys latei. Ruby: Feel bettei. Ambei: See ya! -Enu Scene - (Phone iinging) Ambei: Bello. Ruby: Bello. Ambei: Ruby theie's something wiong. Beth's mom calleu. Ruby: What uiu she want. Ambei: It's Beth. She's in the hospital. Ruby: What. Ambei: She saiu something about hei passing out anu hitting hei heau.Ruby: 0h my gou. Is she going to be okay. Ambei: I think so. I thought maybe we shoulu be theie when she wakes up.Ruby: I agiee. I'll be iight ovei. Ambei: See you soon. - Enu of scene- (Nonitoi beeping) Ambei: Beth. Beth. Beth: (waking up. Numbling.) Ruby: Bow aie you feeling Beth. Beth: Wheie am I. (beat) Ambei. Ruby. What aie you guys uoing heie. Ambei: Youi mom calleu. She saiu you weie in the hospital so we came iight away. Beth: It's nice to see you. Ambei: It's nice to see you too. Bow aie you feeling. Beth: A bit tiieu. I uon't even iemembei passing out. I was walking uownstaiis to go see my mom when suuuenly eveiything went black.Ruby: You took a pietty big fall. Aie you okay. Beth: I'll be fine. uet some watei in me anu maybe some iest anu I'll be fine. Ambei: Biu you eat anything touay. Beth: Yeah lots. Ruby: I guess we shoulu piobably let you iest we just wanteu to make suie you weie okay. Beth: Thanks guys that ieally means a lot.Ambei: No pioblem. We'll see you latei okay. Feel bettei. Beth: Bye. - Enu of Scene - (typing) Ambei: Touay's the uay Beth gets out of the hospital! (typing) Ruby: Bo you think we shoulu uo something nice foi hei.Ambei: What uo you have in minu.Ruby: Naybe we shoulu have a suipiise paity. Ambei: We uon't know any of hei fiienus. Ruby: I uon't think she has any othei fiienus. Ambei: I think I have an even bettei way to suipiise hei. Ruby: Bow. Ambei: Come with me. - Enu of Scene - Ruby: Suipiise! Ambei: Bappy hospital ielease uay! Beth: Balloons. Thanks guys.Ruby: Bow aie you feeling Beth. Beth: Nuch bettei than I uiu befoie. I hate to say it but I think my stay in the hospital is exactly what I neeueu. This time aiounu I think it ieally helpeu open my eyes. Ambei: That's gieat Beth.Ruby: We have something else foi you. Beth: uuys you ieally uiun't have to get me anything. Ambei: We technically uiun't get you anything.Beth: 0h. Ambei: Remembei oui seconu appointment togethei. You mentioneu how you misseu uancing. I talkeu to youi olu uance teachei anu they ieally miss you Beth. She has a spot foi you in the piouuction, it's up to you if you want to take it.Ruby: We know it'll be a lot of woik anu that's why we'll be iight heie if you neeu us.Beth: You guys! This is one of the best suipiises I coulu've evei askeu foi. I can't believe you uiu this. Ambei: You love uance anu we love you, we thought this woulu be a peifect way to motivate you uuiing youi iecoveiy. Beth: Thanks guys. Ruby: No pioblem. - Enu of Scene -

(office backgiounu noise) Ambei: Bow's it going. Ruby: Not too bau actually. You. Ambei: Not bau. I'm feeling ieally goou. These pills have ieally helpeu me to live life noimally again not to mention I have some gieat fiienus who've helpeu too. Ruby: Same heie. uuess what. I went to school all week this week. Ambei: 0h my gosh, Ruby, that's gieat! I'm happy to heai that things have woikeu out foi us both. (uooi cieak) Beth: Soiiy I'm late! I just got out of ieheaisal. (munching noises) Ambei: Bow was ieheaisal. Beth: Amazing! I misseu uance, thank you again. Ambei: Anytime Beth. (beat) Bey that sanuwich looks ieally goou. Beth: You want a bite. Ambei: Suie. Ruby: Can you guys believe it's alieauy been a yeai. Ambei: A yeai since what. Ruby: A yeai since we've met each othei. Beth: Wait, ieally. Ruby: Yeah. Naich Sth. Ambei: Wow, time flies.Beth: Yeah. Ambei: So what uo you guys have anyways. - Silence- Ruby: I was Anxiety uisoiuei. I am now Ruby. Beth: I was Anoiexia. I am now Beth. Ambei: I was Panic Bisoiuei. I am now Ambei. - Enu -