Night Shift

I'm still here, hehe. A bit hyper-energised in my mind at the moment despite the small amount of sleep I've had.

@Former-Member, feeling any better this morning? I saw your post yesterday about showering. Hope that picked you up to do that. I've been good with that mostly this week (every second day) but I've let it slide the past few days. It's on the agenda for today though, along with washing and cleaning the bathroom and maybe even cooking something tonight.

That's no good @Former-Member. I was hoping that the excitement of the game last night had taken away those aches😜 I don't have anything planned much today except maybe do some more clearing up here. I need to food shop at some point too. Have you followed any of @Silenus threads as he is managing his bipolar without medication. Just had that thought. I do schema therapy and she is also into ACT a bit. I'm finding this better for me. What do you have planned for today?

Sounds like a busy day @Mazarita. I'm really glad your week has gone ok. With any luck I'll change my sheets today but it could take a small miracle yet. I'd like to plan a family dinner for my boys and girlfriends. We haven't got together for a few weeks. I always find it hard to think about cooking when I'm not eating much (excuse). I'd have to find somewhere to sit yet as the dining room is still full of boxes and things from moving. Sounds like you have a busy week too. I tend to think you haven't found the right psychologist yet. I'm sure there is one for you somewhere. Good luck with your plans for today😊💜

@Mazarita I also rang to see where my Phams worker application was at. Apparently I'm about 8th on the list, moved up from 30 so maybe another month. I will need to start some sort of life out in the real world😱

@Former-Member,

That's great to hear of your progress on the Phams list! I really hope it helps you as much as it has me. It is daunting going out into the world after not engaging for some time. But if you take it in small steps it just gets better and easier I think. Remember that you are in control of how fast or slow things go with them.

A busy day planned by my standards, though many others would whip through such things in short time. Managed to change my sheets after a long time last weekend, thanks to your pampering challenge. Feels so much better in a clean bed with a relatively clean body. I always find it hard to think about cooking full stop. But I learned a delicious dahl recipe in the cooking class I went to recently and now have the ingredients for it so thinking of doing that. Partner will be delighted if I cook. You are brave thinking of hosting a dinner with boxes still around and coming out of a slump. Would probably pick you up to see your boys and their girlfriends though.

I think I'm sounding quite prejudiced about psychologists really, which is not fair on them as a whole profession. I have had some help from the ones I've seen, just not as much as I was anticipating and have felt considerably worse after some sessions. The peer to peer support here on the forum has been more valuable to me in so many ways.

@Mazarita My expectations are sometimes too high too for the psychology/therapy sessions. I come away mad that nothing has or will change for that week. I really think for me though it is probably dependent on my mood at the time. If I've gone in negative chances are I'm not engaging and I'll come out negative. But I really feel like you have to be able to connect first. It seems that part is missing (I may be wrong) with the one you are currently seeing. I also find that if I go in with a 'fix me' list I am left disappointed.

I am lucky to have pretty easy going girlfriends of my sons. Pretty sure one will end up my daughter in law. At least she is familiar with my chaos. She has a good understanding of MI from personal experiences so I am really lucky. I have no idea if I'll pull it off, it would be a weeknight in the middle of the week so I have some time to get sorted.

Have you got your women's group tomorrow?

And you are very right too @Mazarita that the type of therapy has a big impact. No one will touch CBT with me yet. Think I'm obviously not a good candidate 😜

PPS Sounds great about the Dahl recipe. Happy cooking @Mazarita. I hope your partner enjoys it. And I forgot to say the concept of me cleaning a house in a day is a complete fantasy. I am way too much of a squirrel and get side tracked. You have health complications, I have brain complications (read excuses). I hope you pull off your plans for today. You are on a roll.😊💜

@Former-Member,

Sorry I'm taking so long in my replies today. I'm being a bit thoughtful about them before posting.

To add to some of what I was saying earlier, the first psychologist I saw for 10 sessions from the end of last year did help me with giving up the green. But it was only a couple of ideas he introduced that really helped. The rest of the time I found myself feeling quite distressed in the sessions because he was in the habit of just sitting there blankly looking at me so that if I didn't do all the talking, very little would be said. He also ended sessions early a lot of the time. The one I'm with at the moment, well, I have liked one of the exercises she gave me ('postpone the worry'), but the rest of it has been relatively lacking in use and, as you say, without much personal rapport. I may just take a break from psychologists altogether. If I didn't have any other kind of support available, I would think that a psychologist was better than nothing. But I have good (better) support in place elsewhere.

It's possible my better relationship with psychiatrists also has something to do with never having been admitted as an inpatient. That seems to be where some people don't like their experiences with them.

@Mazarita Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I tend to post what is ever on the tip of my tongue which doesn't always work out so well. I guess upon reflection I think the thing that I should have said is that it really seems like you have much of your life sorted too. If there is no need for support from a psychologist then it's not worth the time or effort. From what you just wrote though I would not have coped with the first psychologist. I think what you have to say about seeing psychiatrist as an inpatient or even outpatient in the public mental health system is true and it is probably very different to seeing a private psychiatrist. I have forgotten to ask recently how giving up smoking is going. If it's not going well forget I asked this question though. You have taken on some huge tasks this year from the sounds of it. It appears that you are definitely moving forward and taking control of your life which inspires me. I am grateful to you for sharing this. 😊💜