I want to learn from the past and move forward!

[Doolhof]

Hi Everyone,

We have returned from our holiday. I can sit here and think about the things that did not go so well or I can remember the good and enjoyable parts and expand on them.

Now I am home, I have the opportunity to create new situations, experiences, circumstances and actions.

I don't need to return to the old way of doing life that did not work so well for me all the time. I have an opportunity to create a new and different existence and way of thinking!

I need to believe I can do this! I need to also realise life with depression and anxiety is part of my reality, I need to find and put in place actions and behaviours that will help me accept all of my life, the good, the bad and the not so pleasant.

Cheers to you all from Dools

[Doolhof]

Hi Everyone,

I managed to get myself to my family gathering for Christmas on Saturday.

I decided before going to try really hard to let the "ghosts" of Christmases past to stay in the past and realise each person I was spending time with has their own life journey and possible issues.

The gathering went well, I have a lot to be thankful for. I am very pleased with myself for managing the journey there and back and only having 2 panic attacks while I was away!

Wishing all of you who celebrate Christmas a very special time with family and friends.

Cheers, from Dools

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Dools (and a wave to all),

Thank you for the warm Christmas blessings 🙂

It sounds like your Saturday family gathering went well, for the most part. I feel you handled it all very nicely 🙂 As always, your beautiful outlook and uplifting attitude shines...

Pepper xoxo

[Doolhof]

Hi Pepper and All,

Happy 27th of December to you all! I'm not sure if this day has any significance, guess it is a special day for some people!

Thanks for your kind words Pepper, hope you had a lovely Christmas and all the best for the New Year that is almost upon us.

It felt important to me to attend the family Christmas so I am very pleased that I went. Mum has sent me an email since saying how much she enjoyed me staying with them. My younger sister was with me during one of my panic attacks, she was very supportive and I appreciate that.

Before breakfast at my parent's I enjoyed an early morning walk. One morning I saw some wallabies on a track through the bushes.

Christmas Eve back home with more family and friends was lovely and Christmas Day at the In Laws went well. My husband actually asked me if I needed a chill pill before we left and I told him I was doing okay. I had packed plenty of gluten free food to share and knew I would have lots to eat that wouldn't upset my health.

A lot of self talk, considering options, letting go of past hurts and being prepared to move on and accept new beginnings worked well.

I just need to keep that optimism going, even during the unpleasant days. I need to remind myself there is hope and change can happen.

Cheers to you all from Dools

[Doolhof]

Hi All,

On a little bit of a downer today. I know these days come now and then so I have been trying to keep myself busy.

I started to clean out a storage cupboard. It became a little too overwhelming trying to deicide what to keep and what to give away! Managed to clean up and sort some stuff then watched a movie.

Might do some drawings for my journal next. Best to be doing something rather than nothing and thinking negative stuff!

Hope everyone is coping okay.

Cheers from Dools

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Dools (and a wave to all),

It sounds like you had a rough day the other day. I hope keeping yourself preoccupied helped...drawing in your journal and cleaning sounds great 🙂

What a productive day you had! I think it’s very impressive that you managed to get a lot done, despite not feeling your best.

Thank you so much for the Christmas and New Year blessings. Very kind of you and much appreciated...your family Christmas must have been lovely. Your sister seems like a very caring person...

As always, your wonderful attitude and resilience shines. My well wishes to you today.

Pepper xoxo

[Doolhof]

Hi Pepper and All,

Hope you are travelling along okay Pepper.

I dislike the heat with a passion so if I want to be in the garden it has to be early morning or late evenings. I'm trying to go for a walk early as well before the sun gets too hot.

A few thoughts have been messing with my head lately so I have been writing them down and using some CBT skills. I came up with some very dark ways of dealing with the dragon lady at the employment centre! I then tried to think of actions I could take that would actually be beneficial and not have me locked up! Ha. Ha.

Today I am helping to clean up the Op Shop, we reopen next week.

Think I have been missing my usual activities and have been home alone too long so need to do something about that.

My journal is coming along well. Next I want to write my plans for 2019.

As I was on a little downer yesterday, I decided to wait to start that today. Starting off with "Blowing up the employment centre" was not really the thoughts I wanted to run with.

So today is a new day. I will be with other people, chatting and working, laughing as well no doubt, we always have a chuckle over something.

Thanks for dropping in Pepper! All the best to you dear kind soul!

Cheers from Dools

[quirkywords]

Mrs Dools,

How did your cleaning up the op shop go today.

Were there many helpers?

I keep on saying tomorrow I will tidy up my shop as little people and big people think the tidyup fairies work in my shop!!

I have not actually written with pen and paper for a while so was going to this year and may do a 3 things today type journal but my writing is messy and my hand gets so tired so quickly I doubt it will happen. However I know have about 4 journals to choose from as I like buying just not that good at selling!!

Mrs D, do you ever look back at some of your posts when you were not that well last year and maybe think of cutting and pasting them so you can compare to how far you are going on your journey.

Quirky still disorganised in 2019!

[Doolhof]

Hi Quirky,

Thanks for your comments. You could try just using dot points in your journal and see how you progress with that through the year. It may also be important to tell yourself if you miss a day or two that is okay.

No I haven't looked back at the posts I wrote when I was less then well! I just know I certainly don't want to go there again!

I certainly appreciate how far I have come since those very black days. I need to work on ways to consider my options each day and make the most of what I have.

Dealing with loneliness is not something I do all that well some days.

There were about 12 of us cleaning up and sorting in the Op Shop today. We were able to use the community room out the back for sorting as other groups have not returned to the centre yet.

I've managed to make an appointment to talk to someone from a different employment agency to see if they may be able to help me. Apparently they only have so many positions open for assisting people and are only open 1 day a week in our region!

Have fun selecting a journal!

Cheers from Dools

[Doolhof]

Hi Anyone,

Starting to spiral down again. Not a good feeling. Having trouble finding the brake to stop this before it becomes too serious.

Feel like it was triggered by some medication the Dr gave me for an issue totally unrelated to mental health issues.

Does anyone else have adverse reaction to different medications triggering depressive episodes?

Hopefully I will be able to pull myself out of this once the effect of the medication wears off!

I know other stuff is triggering me as well. This sucks!

Cheers all from Dools

[Birdy77]

Dear Mrs Doolsey,

I am sitting here with you.

You are not alone, even in this downward spiral.

You have friends here who care so, so much about you.

I can't comment on the medicine reaction thing, but I can tell you that I'm on the downward spiral with you right now.

I am trying to allow it, let it do what it needs to do, I'm trying to stop the judgement around it and stop resisting.

You are one of the most resilient people I've come across Mrs D. You have an inner strength that astounds me. You manage to make us laugh with your beautiful humour even when in the depths.

So, thank you, for being you and for helping so many of us here on our journeys.

🌻birdy