Mental Wellness Support Group

[publiusr]

Good!

Some help may be on the way
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-gene-brain-anxiety-scientists.html

A gene in the brain driving anxiety symptoms has been identified by an international team of scientists. Critically, modification of the gene is shown to reduce anxiety levels, offering an exciting novel drug target for anxiety disorders. The discovery, led by researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Exeter, is published online today (April 25) in Nature Communications.

The self-help gurus can go on-and-on about attitude, but Joker was right about the "one bad day" scenario:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-circumstances-happiness-personality.html

Happiness can't be bought, but nor does it depend mostly on one's mindset, as many happiness surveys would suggest, according to a recent study by Cornell psychology researchers.

 

[Bynar0110]

I hope they can make a similar breakthough for Depression.

 

[JD]

Despite what I said in my last post, I still ha ven't been able to get myself to go to an interview at the grocery store. I just can't bring myself to do it, so I'm starting to wonder if I might be better off at one of the stables.
I keep going through kind of a pro/con with a job at one of the stables vs the grocery store, and the stables do tend to come out on top. So I'm starting to think that maybe that really would be the better option for me. It wouldn't be a perfect job, but at least being around the horses might be enough to help with the anxiety if it starts up. I'm gonna possibly try to talk to my mom a bit more in depth tomorrow.
I have to confess, I'm also thinking if I do get that kind of job it could also give me the opportunity to ride and how to do groundwork, which I would love.

 

[fireproof78]

Good!

Some help may be on the way
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-gene-brain-anxiety-scientists.html

A gene in the brain driving anxiety symptoms has been identified by an international team of scientists. Critically, modification of the gene is shown to reduce anxiety levels, offering an exciting novel drug target for anxiety disorders. The discovery, led by researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Exeter, is published online today (April 25) in Nature Communications.

The self-help gurus can go on-and-on about attitude, but Joker was right about the "one bad day" scenario:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-circumstances-happiness-personality.html

Happiness can't be bought, but nor does it depend mostly on one's mindset, as many happiness surveys would suggest, according to a recent study by Cornell psychology researchers.

"Perhaps the best way to see whether someone is doing well," the researchers concluded, "is to ask them."

I always go back to this. People who are struggling with depression often feel deeply isolated and that no one cares. Asking them, really asking and not pat questions of "How's it going?" (or another variation thereof) will go along way to helping reduce symptoms of depression.

 

[shyborg]

Despite what I said in my last post, I still ha ven't been able to get myself to go to an interview at the grocery store. I just can't bring myself to do it, so I'm starting to wonder if I might be better off at one of the stables.
I keep going through kind of a pro/con with a job at one of the stables vs the grocery store, and the stables do tend to come out on top. So I'm starting to think that maybe that really would be the better option for me. It wouldn't be a perfect job, but at least being around the horses might be enough to help with the anxiety if it starts up. I'm gonna possibly try to talk to my mom a bit more in depth tomorrow.
I have to confess, I'm also thinking if I do get that kind of job it could also give me the opportunity to ride and how to do groundwork, which I would love.

Good luck with it. It's not easy finding a job that works for us or that we don't dread

I use to work at a restaurant and long story short, it didn't help with my issues and I was going through burnout. It took me awhile to find a job that I could handle and that would even interview me. Right now, I work as a janitor in a small warehouse. It took me awhile to get over some of the issues with it. Like feeling inferior, dealing with unfun stuff, or being afraid of doing something wrong. So far it's been okay for me. It helps me get out of my head a bit, I can listen to audio entertainment, and decent hours/pay

 

[JD]

I've also thought about doing something more with horses as my a bigger career, so I job like this could also be a good first step in that direction.

 

[shyborg]

I've also thought about doing something more with horses as my a bigger career, so I job like this could also be a good first step in that direction.

Any particular ideas in terms of working with horses? Like training, medical care, or something else?

 

[JD]

Training would be my first choice. I follow several trainers or just people who are training their horses on Instagram, and it looks like something I would like to try.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Yes. Even stable hands get trained at some point for them to learn the necessary skills.

 

[JD]

Had a moment today that kind of ties into my whole work situation. I met a horseback rider I'd never seen before on my bike ride today, and I actually managed to talk to her and ask if I could pet her horse. It usually takes me a few encounters before I can get past the anxiety enough to ask, but I was actually able to today.
And it went really well, the lady was pretty nice and the horse was very well behaved. The lady actually a warned me when I first started to pet her horse that she was a new horse and she might be a little skittish, but she was perfect. She was also a Mustang, which is pretty cool, she's only the second one I've ever met. Just as an FYI, if you ever seen a horse with this kind of a brand on their neck, it means they're a Mustang that was rounded up from the wild. She had one, and when I asked the lady said she was a Mustang.
I've come to realize that horses just generally seem to like me. I've had a few people who were actually a little surprised at how well behaved their horses were with me, and I've had a couple horses spontaneously decide all on their own to come over to see me. One of the times that happened I could even see the ride keep trying to turn him to go around me, but he kept turning back until he walked right up to me. And a couple weekends one of the horses I pet over the fence at the stables I go past on my bike, got excited and came running over the fence at a full gallop, with a happy luck buck and kick, when she saw me.
So I think this could be another reason why working with horses could be a good idea for me.

 

[fireproof78]

Had a moment today that kind of ties into my whole work situation. I met a horseback rider I'd never seen before on my bike ride today, and I actually managed to talk to her and ask if I could pet her horse. It usually takes me a few encounters before I can get past the anxiety enough to ask, but I was actually able to today.
And it went really well, the lady was pretty nice and the horse was very well behaved. The lady actually a warned me when I first started to pet her horse that she was a new horse and she might be a little skittish, but she was perfect. She was also a Mustang, which is pretty cool, she's only the second one I've ever met. Just as an FYI, if you ever seen a horse with this kind of a brand on their neck, it means they're a Mustang that was rounded up from the wild. She had one, and when I asked the lady said she was a Mustang.
I've come to realize that horses just generally seem to like me. I've had a few people who were actually a little surprised at how well behaved their horses were with me, and I've had a couple horses spontaneously decide all on their own to come over to see me. One of the times that happened I could even see the ride keep trying to turn him to go around me, but he kept turning back until he walked right up to me. And a couple weekends one of the horses I pet over the fence at the stables I go past on my bike, got excited and came running over the fence at a full gallop, with a happy luck buck and kick, when she saw me.
So I think this could be another reason why working with horses could be a good idea for me.

Way to go in beating your anxiety.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Has anyone tried any Self Help books? I mostly listen to audio books from Amazon. There are some pretty interesting titles, like How to Unf**k Yourself, Rewire Your Anxious Brain, to name a few.

 

[fireproof78]

This is the one I have used in groups and with clients. It has good worksheets, practice and homework to help learn new skills.

 

[Commander Troi]

Has anyone tried any Self Help books? I mostly listen to audio books from Amazon. There are some pretty interesting titles, like How to Unf**k Yourself, Rewire Your Anxious Brain, to name a few.

I'm currently reading Self-Compassion by Dr. Kristin Neff.

 

[JD]

Way to go in beating your anxiety.

Thanks.
So I'm starting to think I'm meant to go for a job with horses. I still hadn't been 100% certain about doing it, so after I ran into horseback rider on Wednesday, I decided if I pet any other horses between then and Monday, that would be a sign that I really was meant to at least try for a job at the riding club or stables. And since then every bike ride I've pet at least one horse, on Thursday a couple of the horses I pet through the fence where they live came over to see me, then yesterday one of my absolute favorite horses was out at the stables and came over to get some pets and scratches, and now this morning, I ran into a horseback riding couple who I ran into one other time, and they rode over to me so I could pet their horses as soon as the saw me.

 

[Gryffindorian]

I'm experiencing a bit of anxiety. I'm excited about my 10-day Alaska cruise from San Francisco starting today. This is my third Alaska cruise, with the previous one during the pandemic in September 2021.

Though traveling alone, I really enjoyed the first couple of cruises and met a lot of great people, but on my last cruise, I felt I didn't make a connection, since we were still in a pandemic and social distancing was especially important. I wanted to be respectful of everyone's space and didn't interact much with the crew.

Two years later, I'm on the Ruby Princess and feeling a bit self-conscious about being alone. Do I reach out to fellow cruisers, or just mind my own business? I'm not trying to avoid human contact, just feeling out of touch with my socialization skills.

 

[Commander Troi]

Reach out. IMO, people are being far more social these days.

 

[fireproof78]

Two years later, I'm on the Ruby Princess and feeling a bit self-conscious about being alone. Do I reach out to fellow cruisers, or just mind my own business? I'm not trying to avoid human contact, just feeling out of touch with my socialization skills.

Reach out, for sure. I have found, even as become older and more curmudgeonly, I realize that people are not just ant-me and actually will be friendly and welcoming. I realize that socializing post-pandemic is hard but part of it is giving you the freedom to be awkward and realizing others feel awkward too. And that's OK!

 

[Gryffindorian]

Part of me says I have to go out there and mingle with others. This ship is packed, and most public venues like the atrium/plaza on the Promenade Deck are buzzing with activities. I can hardly find a place to sit. It's like being in a crowded shopping mall during the holiday season; it's not a place to relax.

My first cruise with Princess was a lot more intimate, and I felt the atmosphere was right for meeting new people.

This current cruise also doesn't offer much in terms of live entertainment, so I just as well enjoy watching Netflix in my cabin. Can't wait to be on terra firma during the next few days!

 

[think]

This is the one I have used in groups and with clients. It has good worksheets, practice and homework to help learn new skills.

I had 6 months of CBT therapy outpatient followed by 1.5 years twice a week one on one DBT therapy with a wrap thing going on as well.. wrap=wellness recovery action planning ... so yeah .. the results for years of removing my toenails whole for the physical pain was better and safer than emotional pain.. ,, that the focus for that was to stop doing that .. ,,, and they said to wear socks .. that is how I am to stop this self harm..DBT did not work for me. == 6 years later and many toenails gone.. even after/during a 2 year weekly focus group on just that that did not work .. I tried focusing on self harm as an addiction and took the disorder to my 12 step drug addiction group.. that was my hardest process .. and I havent self harmed with toenail removal since november 2019 free from self harm and started a new 12 step program to resolve the lack of self love and self care caused by childhood traumas. these are working for me ,,, though the cbt and dbt did help -- yet wearing socks is not something that ever really helped me, it was the fact that I could be open about my problems and ask for help with them. In that in the end I found a solution to the problems,..