Introduction - Hello Everyone

[Guest_498]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum. I'd like to introduce myself. I'm 40 years of age, female. My interests include music (any genre), reading a great novel, watching comedy, Restuaranting, and learning new things. I suffer from depression and anxiety. Depression feels very lonely for me. I'd like to reach out for some support. Thank you.

[ecomama]

OMG SOUNDS FAN FAIRY TASTIC Blubes!

Awesome shopping!

I just want you to interior decorate MY house now lol!
You sorted Sleepy's bedroom out so here's hoping.

I'm going all out to Kmart tomorrow for more cute containers for my cupboards... LOVE them. They're a bamboo look or maybe even bamboo top and clear bottom.
Going to put my baking things in them for the new look pantry lol.

Cheeses, no one ever sees anything in my house except for the kids and their friends.

BUT I like them.

New throw rug, wow.

Me thinks Victoria will get a BOOM in turnover now. Really hope so!

Love ya lots
EM

[Guest_498]

I love that bamboo look they're soo in at the moment!! They're nice!! I just love cute containers to keep things in the pantry. Organisation & such a clean look about them, without having things in plastic bags scattered around everywhere. Nice, nice. I love Kmart shopping, I could go absolutely crazy in there.

Lol, so I said to my flatmate do you like the look of the glass mug for the bathroom - it's a nice shape with a stainless steel base (you'll find it in Ikea catalog) and he took a glass from the kitchen and said its a glass mug...lol. I said but the shape ... it's nice. He said "you women". I said "you men don't appreciate these things. He was holding a tea towel then he playfully flicked me with it, Lol. I'll get him back. Maybe tmr.

The throw rug is for the end of my bed. I needed to replace the old. Looks good. I'm happy with it.

I'm binging on a series on Netflix (finally subscribed) and watching an Italian one that my flattie recommended. It's in English. Its a mafia series about a town called Suburra. So far so good. Ive seen 5 episodes already. 🙂

HOw was work today, Ems?? My day was shopping. It was soooo good to finally get out of the house. It makes a huge difference. Over the moon that we're getting to a covid normal again.

Love Blubes

[ecomama]

Omg my poodle is going wild at the possums in the trees, DRIVES ME CRAZY lol... my balcony is 3 stories high so we're UP there right next to the possums...

Far cry from the trembling little rescue puppy we carried around in a baby carrier for months!

Little bubba.

I dare say Blubes.... what's this? flicking with a tea towel? That's rather playful isn't it?
LOLOLOL.

I love your bathroom mug, noice one.

What's the Italian series called... I'm all Luthered out and done the latest Midsomer Murders and all else on ABC lol.... I'm re-watching a series with Nicola Walker in it and I would watch ANYTHING with her in it.
She's my absolute fave atm.

Work was great. Had a few dramas NOT caused by me if you're wondering lol! But boss needed help in sorting them.

SO GOOD to stretch your legs I bet! I'm so happy for you and all Victorians.

I thought it would be a GREAT idea if there was some type of Website like "Buy Victorian" so others around Australia could buy Chrissie presents or anything from Vics to support businesses there.
I don't buy much at all online - books occasionally - but plenty of ppl would!

So Missy, who's getting new eyelashes tomoz? Not me... I decided against them but YOU!
How fab is that?

Oh... must tell you...I'm pretty EXCITED that prodigal son's coming home AGAIN this weekend!
Yippeee!
And his gf has been talking with the other kids about whether I hate her or not... omg I LOVE her... hence the added heartache. So she might come "home" too. We miss her too, so hope so!

AND my friend from school could also be about to "come out" too lol... I've had my inklings about that for over 30y.... stay tuned. I phoned her tonight but waiting waiting lol.

Y bought HEAPS of new furniture for her new room LOL... it just began arriving and I had no idea! We've set till Feb next year to get most of that done. Have to rip up carpet etc UGH and we're going to whitewash her floorboards - SWEET!
My floors will be polished floorboards when I get in there. They're already done.

My drs appt for the lumps is next week, got the earliest one available.
Would love some healing energy sent please! Or just a vanishing spell would do lol.

Love EM

[Guest_1643]

hi blubes the housemate sounds quite playful and fun

how was the shopping?

i actually got a bit scared yesterday because there were too many people out - the roads here were blocked at midday when i was heading out, which is unusual really for a wednesday afternoon - guess everyone was in a mad rush.

Did you set up all your new haul? It's really nice to be able to do normal things and even go to kmart. I think people are bookig in slots now? Hope you're feeling good and happy 🙂

[Guest_498]

Hi all,

Ems, your dog sounds gorgeous. I'm such a dog person, I love them. What breed is it?

Yeh, lol he is playful. The other day, he was dismantling one of the clothes rack for me in the garage and asked for an allen key. As I was looking for one, he shined the light of his phone at my eyes so as to blind me. He did it twice. I giggled and gave him a little kick on the butt (mucking around kick).

If you like any mafia-type shows like the sopranos, you'll like this one. It's full on. The series is called Suburra Blood on Rome. I've been binging on it.

Yeh, eyelashes .. getting them today. $120.00 as all have fallen off, then 70.00 every 3-4 weeks. They do get a bit expensive.

Prodigal son is coming home most weekends - that's fantastic like he hasn't even left. I hope he is doing ok there with the family. Will his gf visit too? or did she have a falling out with you guys?

Exciting times ahead with Y's b'room. She must be super excited!! I'm always so excited when I get new furniture or have renos/ interior designing done. I love the look of floorboards. Will you stain it, dark? That's a gorgeous, expensive look. Love it, love it.

Let me know how you go with the doctor's appt next week. Keep us updated.

Sleepy how are you? Yes, I did set up all my new haul. I bought things for my room & ensuite. Changed the bed last night with new fitted sheet I purchased, new throw rug @ end of bed, and glass mug for my electric toothbrush. Looks good.

"Did you set up all your new haul? It's really nice to be able to do normal things and even go to kmart. I think people are bookig in slots now? Hope you're feeling good and happy :)" - Yes, I felt normal again doing such things as shopping. I felt happy and was good to see ppl around doing basic things like shopping. I really missed that. So, with the bookings - this is how it would work: if there is a long queue at Kmart or wherever retail, you are able to make a booking with a QR code and go to other places like Coles, for example, to do your shopping whilst you wait. When the line shrinks, the retailer will send you a text message advising you of time to come back.

Blubes. xx

[ecomama]

Dearest Sleepy21

It's a completely normal reaction you're having when we have C-PTSD. I am so proud of you FOR going out yesterday.... you do realise you did "exposure therapy" on your own, don't you?
You put up with the 'stuff', went x far and came home safely.

I'm really proud of you.

Noises, rush, lots of ppl or NO ppl at all, anything can be triggering. I was just like that at work 6y ago.... my shaking was so bad you would have thought I was actually IN a War zone.
I shook 24/7.
It took 18 months for the shaking to diminish considerably at work.
Now work calms me.
I get there and go ahhhhhh lol.

You could concentrate on "the shops" and just keep doing it just keep doing it. Get home safe.
Rest and be very proud lol.
Just keep doing it, get home safely.
Just like training for a triathlon but with your mind.
SAFETY is the key.

You're rockin' it Sleepy!!

Love you!!!!
EM

[ecomama]

Dearest Blubes (HEY monkey and Uncle and Paul lol.... cute little family group we got here)

Dog? - Black poodle lol!! I'm more of a labrador, border collie, blue cattle dog person.
We get 100% rescue animals so we Pray and the next little darling or in the case of chickens... 20 little darlings come to us. LOVE!

Your flattie - so cute. Loving your stories of you two lol.

Prodigal son - omg YES. He's been home EVERY weekend since he left.
GF? She thought we had a falling out but it was the way she reacted to my 'down the line spreadsheet of concerns' shared with son while she was here. She took that scenario as an invitation to argue with me - her drama filled family dynamics - not ours.
It wasn't.
It was a PRIVATE convo with son and she butted in.
She wasn't going to "win any arguments" with me on my points.... 'past behaviour being the strongest predictor of future behaviours' and all that jazz.
I was merely stating the bleedingly obvious lol.

Turns out, very sadly, I underestimated how destructive the situation would be for son.
I Pray he won't be lost completely, he has a really strong core of character, but in less important sectors like financial and educational, he's doing his best but it's a freaking mess.
LOTS of learning happening lol!

Flutter by butterfly eyelashes! So sweet! Happy you're sounding so happy Blubes.

Floorboards lol!!! Gosh we cover some ground here!
I think they'll be raw timber when we pull the carpet up and scrape off all the rubber ugh... been there before - yuck job!
I whitewashed the floorboards in Ys current room after pulling up that carpet.
She likes that and wants that again in her new room.

We have large white tiles from the front door, throughout all the halls, kitchen, dining room etc.
Having dark timbers wouldn't go very well. If I went that way, I'd want to rip up ALL the tiles and do the whole house that way.

I like LIGHT. We have huge security shutters on every window so if they're down it's dark.

It's more of a "Country Style" home with lots of dark timber antique furniture, a piece here and there up to 7 generations in our family.
Very modern kitchen appliances tho lol.

Love EM

[Guest_498]

At beauty salon waiting...
Sleepy, is fear of crowd or going out (agoraphobia) one of PTSDs symptoms? I don't generally feel like that. At times I would hate to go anywhere where theres a massive crowd! Like Christmas or football stadiums. Its just a personality thing though.
Yeh, we have got a beautiful lil' BB family here. Love you all!! Brb. Gotta go in now. Xx

[Guest_1643]

Hi Blubs - sorry I can't answer that.
I don't fit 100 percent into the diagnos of PTSD. Not sure how it manifests in others.
I don't think it's the same in everyone though or that every person has the same symptoms... i see it as more of a general umbrella and some symptoms apply, some don't.

I really did panic today and yesterday as the crowds are hectic, no parking, huge delays and traffic jams and that was really hard for me after the slow slow pace. I also had a car accident last year and that makes me scared sometimes.
Hope the lash extensions look pretty

[ecomama]

Sure monkey... they say PTSD is under the Anxiety umbrella but then it's gone ape from there.

Plenty of ppl could have anxiety about things like crowds, loud noises etc - stressors like that.

I used to LOVE crowds lol! Went to Sydney every Australia Day and enjoyed huge concerts.

Now I can't be bothered. Having kids makes these things very unmanageable.

I even loved job interviews and just got pretty excited about them. Plus lecturing to thousands of ppl at Unis for my work, the passion to impart the research far overtook any other feelings I may have had.

Sure PTSD can be triggered by different things for different ppl but most of the symptoms are the same. Hence being able to diagnose it more effectively.

Anxiety is far wider and varied I think from ppl I've known with anxiety. Maybe fewer common symptoms IDK?

I have major protection mode when men are concerned. Not sure if it's "anxiety" just sick of stuff there.

It's completely understandable if anyone felt anxious about things opening up in Victoria. Some ppl are worried about the disease ofcourse.
But the whole "new world" the way another BB member put things there about HOW to shop could provoke all sorts.

Gaining your "social legs" like "sea legs" lol could take a bit of getting used to as it is all new.
Same but different.

Lots to fathom but ONWARDS and upwards our beautiful Victorian peeps!

Love EM
PS: We're going out to buy Halloween costumes etc.... Y is ACTUALLY going to a Halloween Party! OMG this girl is rockin' it! lol.