My special place

@Snowie it's okay to feel both upset with the lack of f2f and grateful for your psych. glad you have her to lean on, and i've got my fingers crossed that she offers more f2f appts next year.

oh i see, good to know.

sitting in silence sounds quite peaceful. what are S & D up to? are they home often?

@rav3n D is at her boyfriends house. She will probably stay there the night. S is home. I think he is studying/doing homework. He has exams coming up.

When I first started seeing my psych it was all f2f. I wouldn't have chosen her if it wasn't. Now it's different. She does more telehealth now.

It's silence in one way, yet so much talk in my head. It doesn't want to stop, doesn't want me to stop.

does D work full-time? i think i remember you mentioning she works in healthcare right? @Snowie oh yes, exam season is approaching! hope he aces it!

how long have you been with your current psych? it's tricky when we can't predict these sort of changes. seems like post covid, a lot more practitioners have been leaning towards telehealth.

it's awful when those thoughts get loud. have things like narrating helped before? that and neutral reframing are the main things that have helped with quietening my thoughts, but i do get that it might not work for everyone.

just a heads up that i'll be off soon, but i will get back to you tomorrow if you reply tonight 😊

D is at Uni and works part time in health care @rav3n

I've been with my current psych for about 3 years now.

Writing out my thoughts tends to help. I keep a journal of them. Did that earlier on today.

Sometimes they are just too loud.

Anyway, thanks for talking to me and for all the other times too.

Take care

Hello lovely @Snowie,

Just checking in - how are you tonight?

I know that it's so easy to feel like we have failed if we don't achieve exactly what we set out to do or like we can't be proud of ourselves for simply showing up... but I would like to invite some compassion into this space, because I truly believe you deserve to be happy as you are right now.

I find that holding gratitude for those little moments of success go such a long way. (I know it's really, really hard when we have felt a certain way for a long time though, so please know I also don't want to pressure you to 'feel good' or discount anything you're feeling).

I am curious to hear your thoughts on what focusing on some of your strengths could look like, but again, no pressure at all. ☺️

Oh, have you been able to do anything nice for yourself/with H this weekend? 💖

Hi @AuntGlow

I'm going ok tonight. The last few days have been a bit easier. Still had some thoughts, but more manageable and not as loud. Probably because H has been around and I've been able to do a few things to help myself.

I know the person we need to show the most compassion to is ourselves. But in the same breathe it is the most difficult to show ourselves compassion, especially when we have so many negative thoughts running through our head.

I find focusing on my strengths very hard to do, even if others tell me I have them. I know we all have them yet believing in myself is something I really struggle with. I know it is a lot to do with my past trauma.

Focusing on what I am grateful for is more beneficial for me.

H and I went to lunch at our favourite restaurant today. Was yummy. Wish I could tell you all the name!

Hello @Snowie 🙂

Thinking of you. Sounds like you had a nice time out 🙂

Thanks @tyme

I hope you've had a good day

So a very big week in Snowie's house.

S finishing school (still has exams to do), graduation dinner, his birthday, family dinner, birthday party, going for license. I think that is enough!

Was feeling quite sad this morning, dropping him off to school for the very last time 😢My baby is all grown up. Then happiness that I don't have to deal with school traffic again!!

Feels very overwhelming knowing what's coming and the range of emotions I'm going to have.

So just taking it one day at a time.

Hello @Snowie 💖

I am really glad to hear the past couple of days have felt easier. What have you been doing for yourself?

I hear you, lovely. I say this as someone who struggles with self-compassion too, very much so.

Okay, I appreciate you letting me know what works for you. Do you have something you're grateful for today? 🥰

Awww that sounds SO lovely!! What did you eat??