Mental Wellness Support Group
- Thread starter Twilight Phoenix
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Pretty rough right now. Objectively, by every metric, I am wwwwaaaayyyyyy better than I was last year at this time but I feel absolutely terrible. Still too much stress, constant elevated anxiety, and really depressed.
I'm not having constant panic attacks like last year, I'm healthier than last year, things are moving forward in life unlike last year, no COVID restrictions like last year, but that knowledge isn't making now any easier.
I'm not having constant panic attacks like last year, I'm healthier than last year, things are moving forward in life unlike last year, no COVID restrictions like last year, but that knowledge isn't making now any easier.
but you don't give up and that's what counts. Things really do get better with time.
I had gotten a grip on my anxiety and then got retraunatized when my shields were down. Pretty bad situation and I got myself professional and medical help. Talking with my therapist helped a lot and in December I started to gradually reduce the meds. For 4 weeks now I am off the meds and - Murphy's Law - promptly encountered a situation extremely similar to the one that had retraumatized me. And this time I didn't panic. I was just worried which is perfectly ok.
I'm pretty proud of myself
So keep going. It's a long way but you don't walk it alone. You are able to see the positive things and that proves that you already won the biggest battle
The rest is time-consuming but you'll make it for sure
I had gotten a grip on my anxiety and then got retraunatized when my shields were down. Pretty bad situation and I got myself professional and medical help. Talking with my therapist helped a lot and in December I started to gradually reduce the meds. For 4 weeks now I am off the meds and - Murphy's Law - promptly encountered a situation extremely similar to the one that had retraumatized me. And this time I didn't panic. I was just worried which is perfectly ok.
I'm pretty proud of myself
So keep going. It's a long way but you don't walk it alone. You are able to see the positive things and that proves that you already won the biggest battle
The rest is time-consuming but you'll make it for sure
Working and preparing for my trip to Boston today. Anxiety kept going up and up. Couldn't even eat, the thought of food made me feel sick to my stomach. Don't really know why it's so triggered. Ended up taking my first Benzo in 2 months. Too stressed to eat was a sign it was time I figured. Also figured when I already took one I should email my lawyer to find out if they got the latest form from the government for my divorce, that we re ordered last month after the other never came.
best of luck with the divorce!
Are you afraid of travelling itself or of what expects you upon your arrival?
We have a few board members from Boston. You could meet some if them irl Would that be something to look forward to?
My therapist has an unorthodox trick but it worked very well for me: if you realize you get into an anxiety spiral, bite in a very hot pepper. The shock pulls you out of the vicious circle within seconds.
Being scared of unpleasant mail I keep a jar of pickled jalapenos in my letterbox
Are you afraid of travelling itself or of what expects you upon your arrival?
We have a few board members from Boston. You could meet some if them irl
Would that be something to look forward to?My therapist has an unorthodox trick but it worked very well for me: if you realize you get into an anxiety spiral, bite in a very hot pepper. The shock pulls you out of the vicious circle within seconds.
Being scared of unpleasant mail I keep a jar of pickled jalapenos in my letterbox
I've not eaten a proper meal for months and I can just about manage to eat something simple like cooked ham or paté and bread when the hunger pain gets too much because it's easy to eat it from the fridge. I has to be something simple because I don't have the energy anymore to make proper meals. Eating has always been a chore for me and when I was younger I liked the sensation of being hungry. I would never eat breakfast, lunch or snacks.
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That sounds alarming! Could you suscribe to meals on wheels or some delivery service? By not eating you get even more exhausted and then the problem quickly spirals into serious malnourishment.
Meals on wheels would be a good way to get food without having to cook. And once you aren't starving anymore you'll have the energy to prepare your own healthy meals and get better. A body is like a motor. It needs fuel. Only, contrary to a motor, a non-fuelled body tries to rescue itself by starting to digest its own muscles. That is why you feel so exhausted.
Meals on wheels would be a good way to get food without having to cook. And once you aren't starving anymore you'll have the energy to prepare your own healthy meals and get better. A body is like a motor. It needs fuel. Only, contrary to a motor, a non-fuelled body tries to rescue itself by starting to digest its own muscles. That is why you feel so exhausted.
I’ve made it without my therapist for three weeks since my voice has been gone three weeks (thank you, COVID and a possible sinus infection as well). I’m amazed that I’m doing okay.
Well, I've given two presentations so far for NAMI In Our Own Voice, and they went very well. The last presentation was Wednesday (for orientation of new employees of the local mental health center). There were a lot of thunderstorms going on while we were speaking, and I was afraid the power was going to go out, but thankfully it stayed on. There was a thunderclap that sounded like a bomb going off, and that shook up everybody briefly, but we soldiered on. I was asked to join the Human Rights Committee as a peer representative to oversee client complaints against mental health employees. I was honored to be asked. These sorts of things make me feel important and really help my self-esteem. Now if I can just get paid for my presentations! (We get a stipend of $30 for each presentation from NAMI.)
***HUGS*** to both of you.
Congratulations to both of you!
I've been feeling down off and on for the last week. I *think* it may just be due to some work and home stresses. I need to start meditation again.
Amen to that! My mom thinks it's a character flaw and weakness. She propably has to think that to stay sane, else she'd have to admit that she is one of the causes for the anxiety disorder my siblings and I have.
Boston was a good trip. Relaxing up until the last day. Drank a bit too much and so woke up after 4 hours of sleep with alcohol induced anxiety. Which then cause anxiety attacks because I had a 6-8 hour drive ahead of me after two nights at 4 hours of sleep. Ended up having to take a Benzo to get over the anxiety.
Work was brutal yesterday, and knowing I had my divorce papers sitting in my inbox (they came in right before I left for Boston) hanging over my head did not help. I could not take yesterday or today off work because of deadlines so I'm just trying from etch out what needs to be done and keep a handle on my anxiety. I took a sick day for tomorrow. Originally I had planned on doing the documents (divorce and will) tomorrow but I don't think I want them over my head tonight so I'll do them right after work and then have tomorrow as a day to try and recover if I can't sleep tonight.
I'm down to my last 3 benzos. Since November I've been averaging one a month - I went 8 weeks from April-June without any. But with this stuff I kinda need them again temporarily except my doctor's office is closed until next week so I can't ask for a refill until then.
So I'll take one when I do the papers and have two left. Another 1 kept saved for when they're accepted and signed and everything's official and 1 spare I guess. Although with how bad my anxiety was yesterday and this morning I wish I had a few more....
Work was brutal yesterday, and knowing I had my divorce papers sitting in my inbox (they came in right before I left for Boston) hanging over my head did not help. I could not take yesterday or today off work because of deadlines so I'm just trying from etch out what needs to be done and keep a handle on my anxiety. I took a sick day for tomorrow. Originally I had planned on doing the documents (divorce and will) tomorrow but I don't think I want them over my head tonight so I'll do them right after work and then have tomorrow as a day to try and recover if I can't sleep tonight.
I'm down to my last 3 benzos. Since November I've been averaging one a month - I went 8 weeks from April-June without any. But with this stuff I kinda need them again temporarily except my doctor's office is closed until next week so I can't ask for a refill until then.
So I'll take one when I do the papers and have two left. Another 1 kept saved for when they're accepted and signed and everything's official and 1 spare I guess. Although with how bad my anxiety was yesterday and this morning I wish I had a few more....
Indeed. My biggest frustration with any illness that can't be scene, mental and other physical ailments, is how dismissive others can be around them. And not just dismissive, but incredibly insensitive in ascribing day to day inconveniences as equivalent to mental health struggles, i.e. feeling "depressed" over a store not having a particular food, or something like that. I try to be respectful that different people experience difference things but having experienced full depression I can't use the term in anything other than a clinical way now.
Whenever I see quotes like that I think about this song, "The Light" by Disturbed. One of their best songs, in my opinion.I did ask my therapist for more therapy time --- I got it
this is good within the darkness of life,..
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From my Bowie fan friend...
And
And
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It will take a lifetime to relax in chaos.
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