How are you coping?

[Sawyer]

Hi everybody,

Just a quick post to see how everyone is doing? Lifes been pretty hectic for me lately with uni and work, and i've regretted not being online on these forums more. I'm looking forward to being available more once my thesis is submitted, but in the mean time i'm going to do my best to set aside some more time to come onto the forums and be available to anyone who would like to talk through whats going on with you, coping strategies, or advice. 

I'm not yet a professional clinician, but I have a degree in psychology, am working towards a clinical masters and I'm willing to help in any way I can. So on that note, how are we all going? lets talk about what's going on for you.

Cheers,

Sawyer

[Guest_9466]

Dear Sparkles

 Sorry to hear that you are not in a good head space. From experience, I know how tough it could be. 

 May I ask if you thought of seeking a second opinion? Perhaps, I am lucky in that the antidepressant that my psychiatrist prescribed agrees with me. However, we did experiment with a couple before we found one which is a good fit for my depression. I just finds it bewildering that your doctor is against switching. Of course, the doctor may know best as he/she knows your full clinical history.

May I also suggest that you do a little list of things that you would like to accomplish such as getting out of bed and go for a ten minutes walk? Even though you may not have the energy or in the right head space, just make the effort to go, do something different. As I said before, I am a strong believer in setting and achieving little goals. Following from these achievements, I build my confidence to tackle the 'bigger' goals. 

You said that you wanted to discover your true self and that is a positive goal to set yourself but right now, it would appear that you need to get in the right head space and to do that, you need to build up much needed confidence. So, please think seriously of doing what is right for you and begin with 'baby' steps. 

Sending you hugs

 MG

[Doolhof]

Hi Morning Glory,

Last week I was really busy with a full week of training at a TAFE centre where I was part of a group of 12 working on manual handling and personal care in regards to the elderly. I enjoyed the training. It made me wish I had done nursing many years ago. Then again I would have to pick and choose what I did as I do not like wounds or blood! Ha. Ha. I have to lay down now when I have my blood taken.

I tend to agree with some of your comments about travelling for an extended period of time. It does sound great when you talk about it, but I do also like a sense of security. I am not sure how I would like to be confined in a small space for so long. I know you would be out and about and exploring, but you would still have a small living space.

Plus my husband snores terribly! We have separate bedrooms here in our house, it is the only way I mange to sleep. He still wakes me up some nights and he is sleeping down the other end of the passage. I have tried ear plugs. Maybe I need industrial strength ones. Ha. Ha.

Recently my husband has been rather depressed and own himself. It is the worst he has been in a long time. Thankfully I am feeling reasonably okay at present and try to help and support him.

I may be a little sad tomorrow as the farmer has just come to collect his sheep and the two lambs that were born while his sheep were here. The sheep have started to eat the bark on the olive trees and break some of the branches as we have almost run out of feed for them.

Trying to round the sheep up into temporary pens was rather hilarious, for me, not for the farmer, his wife and daughter. I was a bit horrified as to how the girl treated her sheep dog. I was going to say something, but I have never owned a dog, let alone a working sheep dog, but I really didn't think her actions were beneficial for the dog in any way.

Hope you are doing okay.

Cheers for now from Mrs. Dools

[Doolhof]

Hi Sparkles and Yggy,

I find the conversation around trying to work out who we are to be so simple and yet extremely complicated! It is something I have not been able to work out in my 50 years of life, so I have decided I am who I am at that particular moment in time.

Personally I would like to be thinner and fitter, more attractive on the outside, have less wrinkles and a much smaller nose, prettier feet and a more cheerful disposition with a mind that didn't suffer from depression.

In all reality I could be a lot worse off so I should be thankful for who I am and what I do have. It would just be lovely some days to know what direction I need to go and what my purpose is. For me the answer is to ask the questions but not to despair over them.

I too hope you manage to go on this cruise Sparkles. We went on our first ever cruise a couple of years ago. One thing I really enjoyed was the fact you have the same room the whole time. You unpack once. I found the cabin to be a sort of sanctuary for me.

When I wasn't coping too well, I would go tot he cabin for a snooze or a hot shower. I also enjoyed walking around the decks in the early morning. Yes, you do just go around and around and sometimes all you see is the ocean, but that was calming for me. I loved the feeling of the wind either pushing me along the deck or causing me to lean into it on some mornings.

Depending on where you are cruising, there are interesting places to explore and visit at the various ports. The food on board is delicious also. I joined a stretching group in the mornings as well which was excellent for my back.

Hopefully you will feel more settled by the time the cruise date arrives Sparkles.

Greetings to you both, from Mrs. Dools

[Sparkles183]

Thanks everyone for your replys 

it really means a lot to me that someone in this world really does care.

at the moment things just keep on getting worse I invited a couple of friends out to hang out with me for my birthday this week both on different days and within the last few hours I got a message from both friends one said she will hang out with me but it has to be near where she lives and where she wants to go and not where I want to go. And the other postphoned our hang out time to another week so I am really discovering who my true friends are....

i am proud of myself that I did  take the steps to protect myself as the temptation to hurt myself is real high at the moment..( ha ha thank God for hair removal cream or my legs will real hairy) 

but I know I have to get through this so I can go on my cruise... I am planing to go to a movie this week and maybe even treat myself to a hair cut and a messarge for my birthday....

hi yiggy...

thanks for your kindness.

i am going on my cruise by myself and I am already making friends with people who are going on the same cruise as I am, we are cruising the South Pacific which should be fun I am not worried about the trip itself I am more concerned about the emotinal state I am in at the moment I just I hope I am not like that come my holiday..

 Hi MG

baby steps does make sense I agree.

re my GP she would not change them last time as she did not want to wean me off my current meds as it would be to dangerous for me. So I will talk to her again about it and see what she says.

 Hi Mrs dools 

thanks for sharing about your cruise, it rally does encourage me and I might take your advise when I don't think I am coping escape to my room..

thanks for listening everyone it really does mean a lot to me..

thanks again 

sparkles

[Sparkles183]

Thank you everyone for your support..

today was a better day the roller coaster ride is starting to go up hill yay... I got to talk to my family on the phone and also took myself out shopping and got myself a couple pairs of shoes and some shorts for summer. I also went to San churrios and got free churrios with chocolate dipping sauce for my birthday and boost juice also treated me to a free smoothie for my birthday. This year my day was a lot laid back then normal but I did quite enjoy it.

thanks for all your support 

take care 

sparkles.

[Sparkles183]

Just an update of how I am coping.

today was ok not as good as yesterday but better then the days I been having. I went back to my GP and she just wrote me a priscription for my current medication and wrote me up for another 4 sessions for with my psychologist which works out good as that is one session a week until I go on my cruise.

my GP thinks I have improved since I started seeing my current psych as I am not getting as much suricidal thoughts as I use to so I guess that is good. So even though I feel like we are going nowhere at times there has been a little bit of improvement in my wellbeing. 

I am kind of freaking out about next year as I have been seeing my psych every week at the moment to fill up my 10 sessions and I know I only have 10 sessions with her next year so I may ask my GP if she can refer me to cheap counselling sessions that I can go to every couple of weeks and maybe see my psych evry month next year for coping skills.

thanks for listening 

sparkles 

[Guest_9466]

Today, I am not coping well but that is because I just found out that I lost a friend. We have just met, this friend of mine, even though I have known of him for ages. We had corresponded on and off but recently, I had the privelege of meeting him twice this year. 

Yesterday, I heard that this friend died of a hear attack whilst planning a trip to Uganda. Although, I felt sad for me, I am glad that it happened this way as he died whilst he was planning on doing something he loved best, travelling. He was my travel friend.

Good bye my friend,

MG

[Sparkles183]

Hi MG

sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. I hope things things get better for you and that you have someone to hold your hand while you go through the grieving process.

take care and sending u big hugs...

sparkles 

[Guest_9466]

Dear Sparkles

 Thank you for your support. It humbled me that inspite of your struggle with depression, that you have compassion to reach out to someone who is grieving for a new friend, recently found and lost. 

Sometimes, it saddens me to think why I waited so long before getting to know him, an opportunity lost. There have been a few instances similar to this. For example, at my local gym, Of which I have been a member for many years. I often attended the same class and came across several like minded people but did not think to make contact. When I did, it invariably still managed to delight and surprised me, that after awhile, we would establish a friendship of sorts.

So, today, I make a pledge to do my utmost to smile or say 'hello' to strangers, in the hope that it would lead to a friendly relationship.

[Guest_2350]

Dear Morning Glory,

I am sorry to hear about your loss and I hope you will be okay.

I wish you all the best with your pledge to say "Hello" to strangers and to leave your comfort zone and try to make new contacts. I have moved so many times in my life and every time I start over in a new area, it takes such a long time and so many "Hellos", it can be frustrating and disheartening at times, but it is worth it and I have made new friends, some that stayed for a short time in my life and some that will always be with me. I also make a special effort to greet elderly people on the road - when I grew up in Switzerland that was considered courtesy and I believe it is so important to show respect and perhaps wish them a nice day. I do have to admit that I live in a small town, I am not sure if I would greet everyone in a big city 😉

Have a lovely day!