Family Drama + PTSD = A Sh!tty Trauma Response

Hello, World!!! I am currently dealing with some shitty and intense trauma response due to family drama and PTSD symptoms. I am pretty sure the family drama with my aunt is what caused the PTSD symptoms and ultimately the trauma response that I had.

This will be a long post due to it being a long story. As I have posted before, my mom died two days before Thanksgiving Day here in the United States. It’s been extremely challenging for me for many reasons. Sadly, I posted an angry and pain filled post on my Facebook wall under my given name which started some family drama. I apologized many times to many people in my life especially my family. I know I hurt many people and most understand and have forgiven me or at least started to forgive me in their own time and own way except one aunt. That one aunt is the person I offered to pay for their train ticket from Seattle to where my mom’s funeral is going to be which is Olympia at the end of this month. I offered to pay for her train ticket due to her having car issues as well as having some financial issues and wanted to be helpful. My aunt lives in the Bremerton area and could easily take the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle and take the train. So, I have to text back and forth with her a handful of times regarding tickets which leads to the drama this evening.

I texted my aunt about the train tickets close to 8:30 this evening Seattle time. She informed me that she doesn’t need me to pay for her tickets and is unsure if she is going to take the train if she does she will pay for her own. She also stated that she doesn’t respond to phone calls or text after 7:30 unless it is urgent. I texted an apology and let her know that I usually text people after 8:00 due to peoples bedtime routines and that I won’t do it again. She then texted me to next her again tonight which I wasn’t going to do nor will I do now that I know her boundaries. Anyway, this aunt then calls me up and screams at me and has mentioned every thing I have done wrong in her eyes that she heard through the “grapevine” or witnessed yet she hasn’t been in my life very much for various reasons. She brought up so painful shit that I experienced which caused some anger in me as well as an anxiety attack or two. I ended up hanging up on her and blocking her phone number temporarily for my own sanity.

Since my aunt caused so much anger I did what my therapist had suggested and wrote out my anger. I wrote my anger and anxiety in my journal I bought myself for Christmas. So, I wrote six pages in my journal regarding my anger and trauma response regarding my aunt calling and screaming at me. After journaling I reached out to some of my natural support system of friends like my therapist suggested in therapy. I reached out to two friends who were happy to talk with me and I am so grateful for their listening ear.

After journaling and talking with two friends I of course cuddled with my cat, Billie and as I am writing this particular blog post Billie my cat is still cuddling with me. I think after I am done with this particular blog post I will color as I love to color.

I know my mom wouldn’t want all this drama after her death or regarding her funeral. I just wish she was still alive. I miss my mom so very much. I hope she knew how much I loved her even though we didn’t get along at times.

I do not have much more to write about or discuss in this particular blog post except to say I am sorry for posting about my family drama and my anger. I do want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Plans

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Volunteer a double shift at PAWS Cat City
  • Read
  • Art (diamond art/painting)

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Volunteer with Alley Cat Project by returning calls and emails
  • Read
  • Art (diamond art/painting)

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Read
  • Art
  • Christmas Eve service with friends
  • Christmas Eve dinner with friends
  • Watch Christmas movies

Wednesday

  • Christmas Midnight Mass
  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Christmas breakfast by myself
  • Go watch the movie Mufasa; The Lion King
  • Christmas Dinner by myself
  • Read
  • Watch Christmas movies

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Volunteer with Alley Cat Project by returning calls and emails
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Read
  • Art (diamond art/painting)

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Volunteer with Alley Cat Project by returning calls and emails
  • Read
  • Art (diamond art/painting)

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Go to the U-District farmers market
  • Read
  • Art (diamond art/painting)
  • Watch movies

Weekly Check-In

Good Evening, World!!! It is Saturday evening and time to do my weekly check-in. Or at least I am starting my weekly check-in back up with you the reader. Before I do my check-in I want to say Blessed Yule and Happy Solstice. Today is the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year. I am looking forward to tomorrow as it starts being lighter longer. Granted only by a minute or two but I am so looking forward to more light.

This past week has not been the easiest of weeks for me. My depression and Complex-PTSD (C-PTSD) have been acting up so badly that I have been dissociating and isolating. Neither which are good for me or anyone for that matter. To add to the depression and PTSD, I am dealing with grief of my mom’s death on Tuesday, November 26th which was two days before Thanksgiving. Sadly, Christmas Day of this year is one day before the one month mark of my mom’s death. I miss her so very much.

Since I have been isolating this past week, I have been hanging out at home with my beloved senior kitty, Billie. Billie has been helping me so much with dissociation and not doing it. I am so grateful for my cat as he has a calming affect on me and helps me keep my head on straight.

Despite being in a dissociated state for most of the week, I do remember watching a lot of movies. Specifically, I have been watching a lot of Christmas and holiday related movies. I watch Christmas movies that are nostalgic to me and many other people in the world.

Besides watching Christmas and holiday related movies, I have been reading. I specifically have been reading a Christmas book. In fact, I read a Christmas book every holiday season. It is a holiday tradition for me and I really look forward to it every year.

I do not have anything else to check-in or write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Struggling In Seattle – Missing My Mom

Hello, World!!! I am currently struggling with the death of my mom. Tomorrow (Tuesday) makes three weeks since my mom died. It has been a very challenging three weeks as the holiday season is in full force and my mom loved Christmas more than anything. I know this might be the hardest holiday season for me as it is just too close to my mom’s favorite holiday is Christmas. I also wonder if next year’s holiday season will be hard as I would have more time to grief. At this point in time I don’t know if this Christmas will be harder than next year but I will do my best to learn ways to cope with the grief of my mom’s death for next Christmas.

The one way I can cope in this is to cuddle up with my cat, Billie and read. The two books that I am reading are Twelve Days of Christmas Horror Volume 1 by Rick Wood as well as Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith. I have only read a couple of chapters from each book but have not enough figures which one I will like best. Now I should cuddle with my cat and read a holiday book I just told you about.

I do not have much more to write about in this particular post. I do want thank my readers for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated that you readers read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog I would not be continuing to write my blog. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Being Sleepless In Seattle Sucks Sh!t

Good Morning, World!!! It is 3:33 in the morning here in Seattle. I am sadly unable to sleep due to insomnia and PTSD. It is more insomnia that is keeping me awake than PTSD which in a way I am grateful for as PTSD sucks.

Since I am unable to sleep I have been doing a diamond art/painting piece as I listen to holiday music. Specifically, I have been listening to Christmas music. The diamond art that I am currently working on is of a Buddha statue with the words “Let That Shit Go.” I chose this particular diamond art/painting as I finished my Christmas diamond art/painting and I figure that it is the end of the year and the New Year almost here that I need to focus on what shit I need to let go and what shit I need to work on. I hope that once I am finished with this particular diamond art/painting that I will put up somewhere in my apartment to where it will be a part of my meditation practice area. I am really enjoying doing diamond art/painting especially as I listen to music.

Another thing I have been doing is cuddling with my cat, Billie as I read a Christmas book. The book I am reading is called Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith. I am enjoying the book greatly. I am not quite a quarter of the way through the book and I hope I finish it by Christmas. If I’m not then that is okay with me. I really enjoy reading especially when I am cuddling with my cat, Billie.

I do not have anything else that I want to write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader reading my blog I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Holiday Traditions

Good Evening, World!!! I would like to inform you of my own personal holiday traditions as it was suggested to me to start my own early on in my mental health recovery. The reason why it was suggested to me is because of some of the unrealistic holiday traditions that were placed on me by my family. No disrespect to my family as I love them very much but creating my own holiday traditions have helped me cope with my family as well helped me cope with my PTSD and depression.

When it was suggested to me by my therapist at the time early on in my mental health recovery the only thing I could think of regarding traditions for myself was comic books. Specifically two comic books that focused on Christmas. In fact the comic books I am speaking of are Christmas with the Superhero’s volume one and two by DC comics.

Over the years I have added to my holiday traditions. I have included the typical traditions of watching movies and listening to music. I have also included with the help of friends of the Jewish faith of spending a night or two or three celebrating Hanukkah with my friends who celebrate it. I am grateful that I can help celebrate Hanukkah with my friends who celebrate it. Besides watching holiday movies, listening to holiday music and spending two or three nights celebrating Hanukkah, I have included the following traditions to my list: reading holiday focused books, doing holiday or wintery focused jigsaw puzzles, doing holiday focused logic puzzles, doing Christmas dot to dot, and doing artwork focused on holidays or wintery scenes which includes coloring and diamond art/painting.

Now that I informed you of what I do for my own holiday traditions, it is challenging to know how my family traditions will change this year and next year due to my mom passing away two days before Thanksgiving. I say this year and next year as this year it is so fresh. I know I will keep some of the Christmas traditions my mom instilled upon me. As far as my dad’s side of the family they will still celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve as one of my uncle’s birthday is on Christmas and celebrate his birthday on Christmas.

I do not have anything else to write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out and Happy Holidays, World!!!

My Second Finished Diamond Art/Painting

Good Morning, World!!! Like I mentioned in a post that I posted last night that I would post a picture of my second finished diamond art/painting. In fact the diamond art/painting is one that I started the day after my mom died which was the day before Thanksgiving. Part of the reason I started this particular diamond art/painting when I did was due to the fact that I finished the first one the day my mom sadly died. The other part of the reason I started this particular diamond art/painting is because it is the holidays and it is a holiday diamond art/painting and something I wanted to add to my holiday traditions. In fact I finished this particular diamond art/painting in a week which was a lot less time than the first one. Of course this one wasn’t as intensive as the last one. So, here is the picture of my second finished diamond art/painting:

This is my second finished diamond art/painting. It is of a cat that is dressed in holiday and Christmas decor.

I really hope you like my Christmas cat diamond art/painting. I added captions to the picture for my readers that are sight impaired or blind. I really do enjoy doing diamond art/painting. I plan to continue to do diamond art/painting for a long time.

I do not have anything else to write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

The Holiday Traditions I am Creating for Myself

Happy in the middling of the night from Seattle for those of use who are unable to sleep especially when a cat decides to sit on your lap and will not move for the life of him. I do love my Billie boy though. I am so in love with my cat Billie.

For many people in American culture, spending time with family and/or friends indulging with food and spending too much on unnecessary family drama. Yes, I am guilty of continuously playing this role but my family isn’t getting any yound and despite how dysfunctional they are, I still love them.

On that note I had a therapist that suggested I start my own traditions which I did with some push back. I started by reading A Superhereo Christmas comic books volume one and two and doing wintry and/holiday jigsaw puzzles. I then tart reading holiday books which helps with my tradition. Now I am doing Christmas Dot to Dot ro adults and NO they are NOT X Rated. I am also starting a new tradition this year by doing a Christmas logic problem. Oh lets not forget the artwork of coloring. I love the coloring part of the holidays.

A Life Update

Good Morning, World!!! It has been quite a while since I updated you on my life which hasn’t been going to well which is mainly due to my job. I am on thin ice at work and I know I haven’t been meeting expectations of my job and take full responsibility for what I have not met those expectations. I also know that I have not been given the disability accommodations I much needed for work that have been known since my first day on the job with human resources full support up until returning from my first medical leave due to a traumatic event. I am such thin ice that I can be fired which is why I put in my resignation. I am resigning at a later date than I was planning on doing primarily due making sure I have money to pay my rent for the month of January as I am on another medical leave and want to make sure I have the money to pay rent and other bills. Yes, not resigning later than I had planned, I need to make sure I finish much needed things at work as well being able to say goodbye to clients and colleagues. My planned last day on my job will be my one year anniversary date of starting this job. I just hope I don’t get fired by my planned last day on the job.

Since I am resigning from my job I am hoping that Social Security will not stop my partial disability payments. I also hope I can get my full disability benefits back once I am no longer working. I am really worried about money. I am hoping I can get some form of employment so I don’t have worry about money.

Part of the reason I am so worried about money is credit card debt. But the main reason why I am worried is because my cat is still at the very beginning stages of kidney disease for the last couple of years and has vet visits every six months to keep any eye on his health. My cat Billie means the world to me and I love him so very much.

Now that it is the holiday season, I have a way to not be split between both sides of my family as I have to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas day which means I can wait till after my last day at my employer to have a celebration with my dads side one day and my moms side another day. Plus, I can also continue with my own Holiday traditions as well as start new ones. The ones I already have for myself is to do a winter type and/or a Christmas jigsaw puzzle, read both volumes of A Superheros Christmas, read a fiction Christmas book and color a Christmas picture poster or two. My two new holiday traditions this holiday season are to do Christmas logic problems which they do have books to do which sorta surprised me and a Christmas adult dot to dot. No, the dot to dot is NOT by any means X rated. The dot to dot is more advanced than the dot to dots we did as kids.

Well, I do not have much more to write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!

Long Time, No Blog

Hello, World!!! Long time, no blog. It has been a while since I blogged and a great deal has happened. Lets start with the beginning of this month. I had my birthday and overall it was a good one. It is hard to believe that I am forty-four years old. I never imagined that I would still be alive in my mid-forties because I thought I would die by suicide. I am beyond grateful to have found recovery and continue to be in active long term recovery.

Speaking of recovery, lets talk about one thing that has helped me throughout my recovery and life; music. I received an Amy Grant concert ticket for Christmas. The concert happened on March 14th and I absolutely had the time of my life. The concert was sold out and was located at the Admiral Theater in Bremerton, Washington. I took the day of and the day after the concert off. I even stayed in a hotel the night of the Amy Grant concert. On that note, after the concert I waited by Amy Grant’s buses to get an autograph and/or picture but sadly I didn’t. I didn’t because I was too shocked by the fact Amy Grant talked with me for about ten minutes and asked to give me a belated birthday hug and of course I said hi. Not sure how the subject of birthdays came up but it did. I am just shocked as hell that I received a hug from Amy Grant. As much as I am beyond stoked about attending the Amy Grant concert and getting a hug from her, I am thrilled that my work let me take two days off for it.

Now that I am on the subject of work, I am still loving and enjoying work. The team I am on is awesome and my colleagues rock. Of course I have some tough days but I am grateful to have a job that I love as well as enjoy. I just don’t like being away from home so long because I miss my cat when I am at work and my cat misses me.

Since we are now on the subject of my cat, Billie lets talk about him. Billie is doing well. He is still a cuddle bug and loves to tell me how is day was when I come home from anywhere especially work. I love my cat so much.

I do not have much more to say. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not continue to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!