Awareness of Women's Mental Health

Thanks everyone - I am not good at catching up with names and I have a list but - yep - including some

@utopia@Shaz51@Razzle@Jumpingcactus@outlander@Sophia1@Zoe7@BlueBay- oh golly

I live a fairly peaceful life really and I can hardly believe the week I have just had and stuff keeps happening and I will have to get back to everyone

Shopping normally happens on Fridays but yesterday the woman I had complained about twice turned up and short story - I told her to go away so no shopping yesterday - I need to get a taxi soon and go myself to get a few things to get through the weekend and I promised my daughter that I would do baby pavs for today's BBQ so - for good or bad I went to sleep very early in my chair watching a movie and woke up at 6.00 pm so not difficulties getting up today -

About anxiety attacks - I seem to be getting better at it - the fourth one this week and I just told someone to deal with it and left the problem with her - 4 things in 3 days - for me - that is some kind of record

Anyway - enough for now - I can't seem to make sense out of what I am reading this morning and I have little to add right now but I made some choices and that's my next subject

I choose not to speak to my sister if she is at the BBQ - she is the least of my problems

I am getting a passport - things have not fallen out the way I would have chosen but I have made the decision -

I told the person who constantly interupts to leave and I told her I feel she doesn't care what I - the client - has to say - I don't like confrontations but I don't back off from them either

And I told the next person to deal with the problem herself and walked away from it

Sure - I have cried a lot this week but how well I slept in my chair last night - I didn't even notice when the TV turned itself off and I am seeing my family

I am thrilled with the responses to this thread and to the people here who are opening themselves to it - everyone one of you is important - to me and to each other

Thanks so much

Dec

hello @Owlunar and all others passing by

Well done on sending the woman responsible for past complaints off on her bike...

as well as the person who constantly interrupts..same person?

then the next person...trying to get out of an unacceptable situation that she was irresponsible in causing?

Yes a wonderful demonstration of choices.....

not letting them control you ...

seriously I do not understand why some of these people get these jobs....

the care factor that they have seems to be close to zero....more concerned with themselves...

Wishing you a fabulous time with your loving family....ignoring sister....I am sure that the laid back atmosphere of a bbq will help you....

As you have already said there will be plenty of people there with whom you can talk ...spend time with...not needing to be concerned about your sister...

Perhaps you are also choosing to allow yourself to cry more now.....becoming more familiar with the feelings presenting themselves....resisting less and letting them flow still within your control....holding panic attacks at bay...your fur baby there to ground you...

I cannot wait to read about the next subject that you choose...not that we have anywhere near finished with this one...

I am loving your enthusiasm Dec....

pay it forward type of reaction happening as I am enthused by reading your thought processes...

no need to rush to reply..

you have had much happening in the last few weeks...

Hi @Sophia1

Yes - I let the interupting person get it both barrels - not really my style - wow - she really got under my skin.

I was rude though and I am making an issue now that the people who run the agency and the council - I don't think it was my place to let this person know how bad her manners were and maybe I would have been more tactful had I not just heard about my uncle and other issues some of which seem less serious now - and tonight none of it seems as serious - perhaps after throwing it all up in the air let the pieces fall as they will - cause that's what happens

But it was not my place and if I am put into that position I know - no one pushes me around - I act - I speak - I have my rights and insist on them and this may not have made me popular at various times in my life but I don't feel as bad as I would if I let it all go - that would really give me a downer

And Sophia - Decadian or Dec - or whatever - I play some games as Puddytat - a rose by any other name will smell as sweet.

I first enlisted as Decadian but started signing off as Dec and when I had to open a new account because my connections became glitchy I needed a new everything - so I use the monika Dec now - it is a lot easier to type

It's hot and humid tonight - and I feel a lot better - when I am not here I am either busy or there is something wrong with my internet connection but when I am overwhelmed I find it hard to be useful - I have been ringing Life-Line a few times lately and they have been helpful - this is what they are here for - I have been very lucky with them

Dec

Yes @Owlunar

You and I sound alike in some ways...

I am a firm believe in giving feedback....for change to happen...not to get a person into trouble...for management to do their job...

Positive feedback is imperative...I do take the time to provide it...

When you have so much on your plate....chronic pain....the support sent to alleviate some of these symptoms to help you have a better quality of life fails....yes you are human and enough is enough...

Forgiving ourselves can be the hardest task when we are suffering..

Lifeline has been a go to place for me more frequently...

I take that option now instead of popping a prn...

Recognising at some times it is actually self-care to use a prn when not taking consistently..

I am leaving hugs with people today

Oh yes @Sophia1 - hugs are the best - here's a super-hug for Melbourne Cup Day where it might just be run in heavy rain

super-hugs rock

I have slept a long time over night - possibly the medication the doctor gave me yesterday helped - the headache I had for days has gone - I just feel better

We are alike - I like positive feedback too - I think you are right on the ball with my intention for the driver I had who couldn't stop talking - I did not want to be rude, I didn't want to tell her anything - esp not her faults - perhaps no one has never told her this and knowing could be hard for her but

This was not my responsibility

It's amazing how much better it all seems today

Ringing Life-Line is a better option than taking a prn - and I don't have that kind of medication but my BP Medication is sometimes prescribed for anxiety and until all these things turned up at once I hadn't rung Life-Line for months - but they are there and encourage people to use the service and I find it's really helpful.

I went to sleep in my chair last night and woke up for brekky and dozed off again - I feel better -

It doesn't even matter that it's pouring with rain on my favourite public holiday - this is a good thing

Yes - we are alike in many ways Sophia

Dec

@utopia @Razzle and @Sophia1 @Owlunar

It is difficult with panic attacks. Mine were worst in the supermarket, but seem to have dissappeared as I began to deal with underlying suicidal stuff and gradually get a mental health care team.

I also was very worried when I had a total meltdown on the road near my local shopping centre 3 years ago, but I no longer worry about that now, SO I guess that is improvement. Last time in supermarket some guy kept making jokes as we met up in different queues and I laughed so something is changing ...

@Appleblossom That’s interesting about the panic attacks disappearing while dealing with underlying suicidal stuff. I’ve had no relief from my anxiety for months, it has been constant, then it came in waves ending in panic attack, like you the worst have been in the supermarket.

These past few days have been really shitty and suicidal thoughts have crossed my mind often. And I’ve only just realised after reading your post that the anxiety has stopped.

Saturday morning I bumped into one of the members of the group assault, so you can imagine my anxiety was off the charts. Add into that an argument with my husband that started Friday (and is still going) and lots of other little things making everything seem huge, and ending it started to cross my mind. My anxiety has stopped.

EDIT: I’m safe at the moment, have no thought of following through

That's definitely a big improvement @Appleblossom

Hi @utopia@Razzle@Appleblossom@Sophia1@outlander@BlueBay

The next subject could be PANIC ATTACKS cause it seems to have come to the surface and last night the topic on Insight was about anxiety attacks and how appropriate!!

Recently I haven't had any - perhaps I have grown out of them - good news - it's possible that they will pass but I did have a few public melt-downs in the past - they are embarrassing to think about - being public - I just have to remind myself that I was not in a good place then and came apart very easily - I do know what it's like and my reflections might help - I don't know

Last night people spoke about mindfulness and meditation etc - having a panic attack behind the wheel of a car isn't the place for meditation and of course we don't think about stopping the car - or I didn't - but we are not alone - it happens and what do we do

Actually - I am throwing that question out open to everyone - what do YOU do in the moment of being the public centre of attention you don't want? I certainly did not like being fussed over and asked if there was anyone who could pick me up. I'm trying to remember but my memory sort of ends with my being alone somewhere and no idea how I settled myself

I just organise a trip interstate and get on the plane and love the whole flight and I think sometimes I just go somewhere as an excuse to fly - my last trip was the longest I had been on and it was interesting that the lady next to me was having a panic attack and breathing heavily and when I touched her hand to ask if she was alright she grab hold of me and I let her squeeze my hand and afterwards she said she was sorry about squashing my hand but said she felt better because it seemed I really cared and I did care - and maybe we just need someone to care and have a calming presence

But we can't get that canned and carry it with us in a little bottle - imagine breathing up an effective aroma-therapy - surely that's available - vanilla calms me down

My dentist knows about dental phobia - I get it pre-extraction - scary - I get totally out of control and tell the worst jokes that get better as life continues in that room with all those instruments - Hi Razzle - I see you are here already

Back to Insight - I hope to see a re-run of last night's episode because they talked about a different kind of therapy to help people with anxiety attacks. It's called ACT - I think that's Admission Confirming Therapy but I am not sure - and that because CBT has beeb proven to be successful in the majority of cases Medicare insists on CBT being used rather that ACT - does anyone know more about that than I do? Plenty of people I think

So - it's up to other people now - this thread is for all of you to say you piece about how the issues I bring up to discuss - I have no plans to do anything at all about it - but you never know - this is a very safe forum and no one gives anyone a hard time here

So I asked some questions - let's here what you think

Dec