Drama Queen?!

I'm a very private person. But at the same time, I'm a very passionate and sometimes overly emotional girl. I'm also a writer, so when I feel strongly about something, it comes out in words on the paper (or on the computer screen if you rather). In turn, a lot of people misjudge me and label me as a "drama queen". That couldn't be further from the truth, and their stereotyping really bothers me. I'm actually a person that shies away from all attention, and become a complete bright red mess when the focus is shifted to me. But my writing is what helps heal me. And like I said, I'm intensely passionate. So most people consider my extensive use of descriptive adjectives, "dramatic". No, I'm not looking for any sort of attention or sympathy when I express how deeply I feel about a particular issue. I'm a water sign, a cancer, and my range of emotions runs wide and deep. Expressing them, whether verbally by venting, or in writing, is my way of coping. Once it's off my chest, then I always feel a lot better. Whether its in a letter that I'll never send or posted as a status message on a social networking site.

I admit that in the PAST, my "dramatics" used to be a little excessive. Back when my life was a mess and my head was screwed on crooked. Immaturity, insecurity, and a lack of coping methods all played a role in the "old me". I flew off the handle at the littlest thing and I had a crisis at least once a day. It usually ended up being broadcasted via phone call or status message just because letting it all out seemed to make the problem a little less serious and easier to handle. I also have always responded, first and foremost, emotionally. I think with my heart, not with my mind. And my reactions automatically sprout from the intense emotions that I feel instead of taking the time to process the situation logically and think. But I have done a hell of a lot of reprogramming in my brain so that now I can take a step back and think, "Is this really as bad as it seems? Am I creating this into a bigger issue than it needs to be?"

Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to know that you are making positive changes in your life and your behavior... yet everyone around you is so focused on how you've "always been" that they fail to see your progress? Lately, my words have been automatically misinterpreted as negative complaints or people just assume that I am stressed about a situation that in the past would have normally caused me a great deal of angst. My friends and family are so stuck on how I used to act (and react) in the past that they are blinded by the changes that I've worked so hard on. I know that I'm making these positive changes for MYSELF, I just wish that the others around me would recognize my progress instead of leaving me tainted with the stigma that once enthralled my life...