the history of my support group.. for drug addiction started today back in 1953-- 1953 was the last 4 digits of my phone number since my first rehab - although they have been changed.. but they lasted the longest and I still remember them back in the 90's ---
these being excerpts of my ACA-notes (= adult children of addicts and alcoholics and dysfunctional families) we contact by writing with non dominant hand and in conversations between both hands --- I was going to put this in the art thread right - but I had discussed this art in in therapy as part of Trauma therapy --- This image above is a lot of anger about being I locked in the closet by my parents as a kid.. this is a left hand art image while I usually do right handed art.. and my inner child doing the left hand that would be Billy -- as seen in the above images.--- inside my head ---
I watched something very uplifting on C-SPAN today—-Vic Novicki and his work on Easter Seals films on people with disabilities.
I seem to be getting a little bit better at figuring out what makes me twitchy. It seems the COVID break shook something loose from its containment in my psyche. Something made me really uneasy a couple of weeks ago and it wasn't until the 18th that I realized what it was. Three events occurring in October are something I didn't realize I'd somewhat shoved down. It's 14 years ago on October 17 that my dad's mom died. There was a lot of stress leading up to it. The second and third events were in 2014. I had a bout of epiploic appendigitis (Sounds bad, but it's not that dangerous), and not too long after, my mom ended up in the hospital in what was ultimately the beginning of the end for her. I guess I shoved it down better than I thought. But it got shaken loose again by the upheaval we've all had in some form.
My therapist told me the other day she has MS. I was pretty shocked - she's in her late 20s I think, waaay too young for such an illness. She takes it as a challenge, though - that's where I can relate. But accepting that there are some things I can't change is something I still have to learn from her. I'm too much of a fighter to ever give up. But I realize that I have to learn to live with a certain amount of fear since that's normal in humans. Still, my anxiety fits got a lot milder lately and I manage to control them better and better =). I think Corona helps, too, because it changes our perception of what matters and what doesn't. Taking this online therapy was a really good idea =) I can wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone. I get a lot of homework but it's fun and it is immensely helpful.
Multiple sclerosis here too. As far as I know (and the internet) MS is most commonly diagnosed on younger people, I was around 25 years old when diagnosed. Fortunately it seems that treatments have taken massive leaps forward in the past decade.
that's good to know Is it true what I read that some MS patients get temporarily worse if the weather changes rapidly?
A good family friend just lost her husband. I knew it was coming, but when I got the text last night, it felt like a gut punch. I think this year has gotten to me. I know nothing is permanent, but... it's just too much...
I don't know how much truth there is in that but I do know that some patients, including me, get bad fatigue during hot weather and when the air is kind of "moist". Fortunately there are ways to cool the temperature down at home.
My mother in law has MS. She can barely walk and can only do stuff for a short time. She also was depressed for many years untill she got grandchildren, now she started fysiotherapy which helps.
Good thing if she's getting better. My walking was hard several years ago, no long distances and it was good to have someone beside me just in case because balance is one of the many things MS may affect. Again I must say, fortunately medication has taken big steps forward, walking has gotten a lot better among other things. At some point I barely left my home at all, fortunately it has gotten easier.
The last few months have been very stressful, with my dad having been in the hospital back in September and my mom's dementia getting worse. It's very challenging for my siblings and me to deal with our elderly parents. My dad, who has a host of chronic conditions (including anxiety, chest pains, headaches, dizziness), often refuses to take his prescriptions for fear of having side effects. My mom is obsessed with going to the bathroom and often complains of back pain. Despite my parents' having limited income and savings, we've hired a daytime caregiver primarily for my mom. Hopefully, they will qualify for veterans' homecare benefits, as my dad served in the U.S. Navy. There's also schism and conflict between family members. My brother has been dating my mom's former caregiver, who has overstayed her welcome in the country due to the pandemic. I hear they want to get married after dating only for a few weeks. Some of us feel that my brother's girlfriend wants to take advantage of my brother, so she can gain legal status. This has created a lot of tension and resentment in our family. Other than having family issues, I feel mostly fine physically and mentally during this pandemic, making sure I exercise and meditate daily. One thing I wish I could get rid of is this crush on a coworker. I'm physically attracted to him but am unwilling to act upon it. Part of me also wants to have a good working rapport with him, but he's a bit aloof.