When buttons get pushed

[Speak Your Truth]

Can anyone help ? My buttons have been pushed to the point of bringing on severe anxiety. Does anyone think this is curable ? I am desperate to feel relaxed and at peace again and to be able to enjoy my life. I don’t know how to cope

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Cala (waves to all)

Your post made me smile 🙂 Thank you so much for thinking about us and sending your love ❤️

I hope you’re doing okay....sending some hugs your way.

birdy: I hope you’re okay. I have been worried about you. That said, there’s no need to respond if you’re taking a break/not feeling up to talking ❤️

Pepper xoxo

[Birdy77]

Dear Cala 😊 (love to Pepper and Grandy, waves to all),

It was so good to get your message, thank you so much for checking in with us and sending your love ... got it, thanks.

How are you doing? No pressure to reply, but have thought of you often and hope you are taking care and being gentle with you.

Cala, and Pepper thank you both for your beautiful concern, I am ok, the fires were really close and we did have our bags packed one day this week, just in case, but did not have to leave. The anxiety levels were through the roof that day. Pepper, sorry to worry you, I will reply on your thread shortly xo

Cala, feel free to casually pop in whenever you like, there is never any pressure ... we post and respond when time enables us. All good.

Seen any crass movies lately? 😂 kidding!!

Say hi to the fur-buddy for us.

Love,

🌻birdy

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Cala (and a wave to all),

Hugs to you...no pressure to talk but just know we are here 🙂

birdy: sorry for the late reply. I’m relieved that you and your partner are okay but it sure was a close call by the sound of things!

I’m glad you didn’t have to leave but it must have been such a stressful day. Oh no, please don’t apologise for “worrying” me. I think when you care about your friends, you will inevitably be concerned about them at some point...I’m just glad you and your partner are okay.

Love,

Pepper xoxo

[Birdy77]

Hello Cala,

Just wanted to say g'day and hope that you are taking good care of yourself.

We're always here if you want to chat.

Otherwise, sending hugs your way, and some for furbuddy.

🌻birdy

[Speak Your Truth]

Hello Birdy and thank you for your post above. It gave me a quite a lift that you were thinking of me even after I’ve been away from the forum for a while now.

How are you doing ? I hope there are more ups than downs for you.

I’m having a down day today. There was somewhere I could have gone this morning for a couple of hours, but I woke too late to do what I needed to before going out, so I didn’t go. I didn’t go anywhere yesterday either and several days now have been stormy or a bit rainy. We need the rain so badly and it’s lovely, but the overcast skies don’t help me feel better.

I thought my sleep apnea was getting under control but thru an app to monitor snoring I’ve found I still do, so I’m not happy about that. Have to do something about it, but dread a cpap machine.

Apart from that I’m still dealing with my usual problem of living alone and feeling the deep down loneliness that started in childhood, although I have been getting out and about with people and doing some nice things. The loneliness that hangs over me is so immobilising - my motivation today has been zilch.

What’s your news Birdy ? Cala xo

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Cala (waves to birdy and all),

It’s lovely to see you here again 🙂

I’m generally not a fan of overcast skies or rain either so I can relate to your comments about how the weather affects your mood...

It sounds like there’s been movement in your world...it must be nice to go out and spend time with people, even if there’s still an undercurrent of profound loneliness....

Pepper xoxo

[Ggrand]

Hello Cala,

Its so very good to see you back here on the forums, I want to thank you so much for your lovely and caring post on mine....It was so very nice to see you visited...

Cala, I often over sleep when I have an appointment or even for work, because I’m awake stressing about going. ..Im really pleased to hear that you do out occasionally with some people, well done...

I have today storms, plenty of rain, some hail and a constant rumbling of the thunder clasps, a really good day to stay inside and not feel so bad about staying inside....

Its hard living alone, I’m not sure we will ever get used to it,..Yet others like living on their own.....so maybe there is hope there....Some days are better then others, we just have to keep trying I think....loneliness now that I think is very hard to manage and overcome because even in a party, work or a crowded room we can still feel very lonely....I so wish that loneliness never existed for anyone..

Wishing you all the best I can Cala,band I really hope you stay here on the forums, I missed you 😢..

Love always and bug hugs 💜🤗..

Grandy..

[Birdy77]

Dear Cala (waves to Pepper and Grandy),

It's lovely to hear from you.

I'm sorry you had a down day the other day ... I guess they're par for the course aren't they. Dreary weather certainly doesn't help sometimes, although there are times when I absolutely love the rain when I've got some good movies or a great book on the go. Other times, it just saps all motivation and brings on the black cloak of depression.

It's really good to hear that you've been getting out and about with some people, that's a big positive. I do understand that overarching loneliness though ... that in itself can reduce motivation to zero.

I can understand your dread of the cpap machine, but I hope you won't put it off if you really need it. We got one for my father in law recently. His apnoea became so bad and they told him if he didn't get one they would revoke his driving licence. He certainly doesn't enjoy it, but it's possibly saved his life.

How is furbuddy in the wet weather? My two go a little bit feral. One haaaates being towel dried, and he acts like a complete drama queen, so that's always fun. And if I put raincoats on them, they stand as still as statues and won't budge.

I'm ok thanks Cala ... I've been feeling really tired and a bit depressed after some stress and hassles, so have been trying to be gentle with myself. But I'm ok.

It's always good to hear from you. I hope you are being good to yourself today.

🌻birdy

[Speak Your Truth]

Hello to anyone who reads this. 😢 My buttons have been pushed to the point of bringing on anxiety and depression again.

I’ve been away from this forum this year because I successfully made big changes, in my thinking especially, and it worked until the fires. I have been doing really well all year in spite of the drought and when the fires in my area started I was coping ok, but when they got really bad I started feeling really bad - couldn’t help thinking worst case scenarios - and then the worse the fires became the worse I felt, even though I was not in danger myself. So anxiety set in and then depression. I’ve developed really bad stress related heartburn and having sleeping problems too.

What I came here for tonight is to ask for some feedback on what others might do in my situation. Recently I joined two women friends for lunch who I have known for quite a few years. We are all ‘seniors’ and one of them is 20 years MY senior. She has the gift of the gab - BIG TIME. I’ve been in her company before when she talked and talked and talked and it was nearly impossible to get a word in edgeways and we did talk about it calmly at some stage afterwards when she said she “just can’t help it - it’s my Irish blood.”

This day we went to lunch - in the middle of the fire dramas - I was really looking forward to some down time and light relief from the dramas of both the fires and the drought, because for those reasons and others I was really very tired to the point of exhaustion. This time my friends gift of the gab was the worst I have ever known, she almost completely monopolised the whole time at lunch until we left. In all her many senior years she has not learnt that monopolising conversations the way she does is, I think, rude and selfish. I ended up so frustrated, disappointed and angry. Weeks later I have not been able to talk with her and I still feel very agitated by what happened.

This friend has been good to me in various ways, but I have reached the point where I just cannot deal with her incessant talking anymore. The fires are still bad in my area and the dramas are far from over and I am too vulnerable to stresses like this and it makes my anxiety and depression so much harder to manage.

I want to deal with it assertively but I really don’t like confrontation and I just don’t know how to deal with it. Help 😢🥴

.

[CMF]

Hi SYT

My buttons got pushed today but it's been brewing. My partner 's sis lives with him. They are very close. We havent had much quality to.e lately and today, when I thought we may have 5 mins she got home and took over. Talking about her shopping, t then about what she saw for him, then about their cousin who visited yesterday and so the 2 of them were chatting about their stuff and I had no involvement. I went home. He later adked what was wrong do I straight out told him. I've been upset and frustrated all night as it happens all the to.e. she walks in and takes over. I cant6handle it anymore.
You mentioned 2 friends. Have you chatted to the other o e about it? If it were me, I would not catch up with that person of it's leaving you feeling crap..