Spiraling Out of Control

Do you ever feel like your life is spiraling out of control? I know that I have…many times and under different circumstances. As difficult as that can be to go through, it is even more difficult to see a loved one go through this and nothing that you do can help. Sometimes the event/events that lead to this out of control feeling are normal everyday things that compound each other until you can no longer handle it. Other times the effects of medication or a mental health disorder/illness lead one to feel like he/she no longer has control of his/her life. Whether events are actual or perceived, we can essentially blow them out of proportion to where we no longer know what is real and what is not.

 

Just like in real life, our beloved characters from that galaxy far, far away have experiences that make them feel like their lives are spiraling out of control. The most predominant character I can think of where this happens is with Anakin Skywalker. He lost his mother, not once but twice. He did not feel that he could trust the Jedi in general, the Republic, Obi-Wan, or even his wife. The longer the Clone Wars dragged on, the less sleep he was getting, and the more overall stress he experienced, the more prone to mistrust, paranoia, and hallucinations he became. The one person Anakin believed he could trust, Chancellor Palpatine, capitalized on these feelings and helped to feed the mistrust, doubt, paranoia, and hallucinations to his advantage. Once the spiral gets too big, the easier it is to fall. Palpatine knew this and used it to ensure that Anakin would pledge his loyalty to the Dark Side when he finally hit bottom.

Like I mentioned in my “Redemption” blog, it often takes someone or something to pull a person from the depths of darkness. After losing not only trust in everything and everyone but also literally everything and everyone, it is very difficult to bring that person back to see that not everything was what was perceived. Padme tried to do this for Anakin, but was unsuccessful. By the time she realized that Anakin’s thoughts were too far gone, she was too late to stop this deep spiral before his final fall into darkness. I can only imagine how she felt. However, I am nearly certain that she felt helpless, frustrated, and sad all at the same time, because I have been there. Not even all of the support, love, or encouragement can stop this fall, and all you can do is watch it happen, hoping for the best.

Follow Carrie on Twitter @bamasgirl77

The Cantina Cast

The wretched hive your Jedi Master warned you about!