Monday Afternoon Ramblings

Good Afternoon, World!!! Now that I am home, I can relax. I, overall had a good day. I of course went to art group and had a great time. I enjoyed myself like I usually do in art group.

I am glad I went to art group as well as day treatment because it helped with the isolation and depression. If I didn’t go today, I would have been home by myself not reaching out to others.

Now that I am home, Junior came over and is going to be making spaghetti for dinner. We are going to have a couple of friends come over for dinner. Having people come over is going to be a good thing for me. It is good for me to see friends to help me with the depression and isolation.

I should go help Junior with dinner. Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful day. Peace Out, World!!!

More Ramblings From Me, Gertie

Hello, World!!! The workshop I was suppose to attend got cancelled. I am okay with that as I was able to do something else. I was still able to have lunch with my friend and hang out with her for an hour. It was good company to be with a fellow peer who has a Masters in Social Work. (MSW). My friend thinks I would make a great social worker and would love me to get my education. Hell, I would love me to get my education. My friend and I discussed a great deal on on how Peer Support and Social Work have a lot in common.

Speaking of social work, my therapist is a social worker. We did our fifteen minute check in over the phone today. We discussed the disappointment I had with the workshop being cancelled. We also talked about the joy I had spending time with my friend. Before we ended our conversation we talked about what I was going to do for the weekend. I informed my therapist that I would most likely be working on one of my workbooks. He asked which one and I said probably the three that I am currently working on. I informed him I’ll try to do a chapter in all of them and that one of them is almost done and if I finish before my session with him on Tuesday that I would like to discuss it with him. He likes the idea of discussing the workbooks I do.

I think I am going to do a painting for my friend as she requested me to do one for her. She doesn’t care of what. She is going to be paying me for it which I told her she didn’t need to do so.

After painting, I think I am going to read. I love reading as it helps me a great deal.

Thanks for reading. Happy Friday. Peace Out, World!!!

Nothing But Just a Bunch of Ramblings

Good Afternoon, World!!! As I sit here at my laptop, I am worried about my tax refund. I am worried why it hasn’t been approved yet. I know the IRS is busy right now with all the procrastinators but still I would like to know if my refund got approved. I guess I am just worried about the money aspect right now.

I am getting excited about the work shop I will be attending in a couple of hours. I am happy that I was invited to this workshop via private email. A friend invited me to attend it. It is about the implementation of recovery and peer services, to make sure they are going the way the county wants it to go.

I am not only have lunch with the friend who invited me to the workshop today but I am having dinner with another friend. A friend I have known for nearly 23 years. It is always good to spend time with people. People who care about you.

I have been working on two of my workbooks today. I am feeling slightly accomplished that I have been able to do so. Working on the workbooks has be quite beneficial to me and my recovery. Being able to help myself is an amazing feeling.

Thank you for reading. I hope to blog again this evening. Specifically about the workshop I attended. Have a wonderful weekend. Happy Friday. Peace Out, World!!!

 

Friday Plans

Good Morning, World!!! Happy Friday to all of you. Today, is going a day of learning and growing for me or at least that is what my plan is. Plans that include things I oddly enjoy doing.

First and fore most one of the things I am planning on doing today is listen to educational podcast. Specifically, a podcast on philosophy called Philosophize This. I have fallen in love with this podcast for many reasons. One reason is I am learning things that I never learned in school.

Another thing I am going to be doing today is to work on one of my workbooks. I am not sure which one yet or even if I am going to work on multiple workbooks. I do workbooks  to help myself with my recovery. In fact I think the workbooks have helped me improve my ability to be more self aware.

Later on today I am going to a workshop on the implantation of recovery services in the county I live in. I am looking forward to it and have been since I heard about it last week. One of the folks putting it on is a friend of mine. A friend of mine that will be buying me a “late lunch.” I am not only looking forward to this workshop because of seeing my friend and getting food but I am able to help implement recovery services or at least have a say in it.

Thanks for reading. Peace Out, World!!!

Everyday Inspiration; Day 4: A Story In A Single Image

The joys of childhood come to mind with this images. The joys of childhood friends come to mind as well. As traumatic as my childhood was, I will always have some innocent memories like most people on earth do.

Attempting to Lessen the Depression Symptoms

Good Morning, World or at least what is left of morning. I am feeling slightly better than my last post but I realize it is going to be one of them days I have to pay attention to what is going on symptom wise. Knowing that I am depressed means I need to make sure I do basic self care shit; like eat, take shower; you know that kind of stuff.

Besides focusing on basic self care stuff, I decided to work on one of the workbooks I am working on; The Queer & Transgender Resilience Workbook by Anneliese Singh. The chapter I am working on is having identify other identities we may identify as. An example of that is I am a person with live experience of a mental health diagnosis who is learning about Buddhism.  Working on this work book is challenging in a good way and helping me build up the confidence I want to have in my life.

Another thing I did was talking to my best friend of nearly 30 years. We talked for a couple of hours on the phone. It was a good conversation and am happy that we finally got to talk. She is one really good friend who has stuck by me during the bad times.

Thank you for reading. Peace Out, World!!!

Saturday Morning Depression

Good Morning, World!!! I’ve been awake for several hours now. I am a wee bit depressed. Not sure what is causing it but I sure in the hell know that the crappy weather isn’t helping. I just wish I wasn’t dealing with the depression however it is a reality I have to deal with.

A reality that is having me focus on good self care as well as doing DBT skills. In fact I feel like my DBT skills are self care. Or at least a form of self care. I am needing do some self-soothing skills as well as some distracting skills.

One of the skills, I’ll be doing is drinking tea which is self soothing for me. Another skill I am going to use is read the news paper which is somewhat of a distraction skill for me. I know it seems like a weird combination to do at the same time but it helps me if I start my day out like that.

I am also going to be going to the mall with a friend today. I am not a big mall person but this is an “out of the box” thing my therapist wanted me to come up with. Going to the mall will be challenging for me but it will be helpful for me as well.

Something that I have already done to help with my depression as well as my anxiety is some meditation and mindfulness practices. Since I have been doing the mindfulness and meditation on the regular basis, I have noticed some lessening of the anxiety or least lessening of the intensity of the anxiety.

Thank you for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Early Morning Ramblings

Good Morning, World!!! It is 3:33 in the morning in my neck of the woods. Yes, I realize it is early but at least I got some sleep. I think I got about four hours of sleep. I, did however wake up from a nightmare. A nightmare that scared the shit out of me but thankfully I was able to get the support I needed from a friend.

After talking to my friend, I am now blogging. Pretty much I am blogging about whatever comes to mind at the moment. Hence the reason why my title is what it is.

As mentioned in a previous post, I checked in with my therapist yesterday (Friday). We discussed what I am going to do this weekend. I told him I don’t have much going except cleaning my apartment later on today (Saturday). We discussed a little about what I could for fun over the weekend. I came up with my usual stuff like reading, art and blogging. He encouraged me to do something out of the box for me. So, this is where I get stumped as this means going to the stupid mall or something like that. I informed my therapist that I could call a friend and spend a few hours with them at the mall. Apparently, his first impression of me was correct when he stated “You don’t appear to be a mall type person. Good job with thinking outside of the box with doing something different with a friend.” I told my therapist that he was right that I am not a “mall type person.” He chuckled and we continued to discuss what my weekend plans were. I hope I am not wrong on this but my therapist appears that he is good at what he does. Yeah, he may be a little timid but I think that is his personality.

I think I am going to spend most of the weekend reading. I am hoping to finish my book this weekend. No promises on finishing it but I am getting closer to finishing it. I love reading.

I don’t think I have anything else to ramble on about. Peace Out, World!!!

Nothing Much Exciting To Read

Good Afternoon, World!!! So far today has been an uneventful day. A day full of boredom that thankfully didn’t lead to isolation. As I mentioned in my last post isolation is not a good thing for me. I am grateful that I went to day treatment as I interacted with folks. I went because I have been isolating and Junior is working today.

With all that being said, I am glad I went. I helped make lunch for the folks at treatment and enjoyed cooking. We had chicken stir fry. People appeared to like the food.

I also ended up working on one of my workbooks. The workbook I am working on is my Queer and Transgender Resilience Workbook. It is helping me a great deal with how I view myself as a non-binary, gender fluid, gender queer individual.

I was just finishing up a chapter in my workbook when it was time to do my fifteen minute Friday check-in with my therapist. It ended up being a 45 minute check in as we discussed a little bit about my workbook. We also discussed my med change yesterday and how I felt about it. We also discussed what I was going to do this weekend. We came up with me hanging out with a friend at the stupid mall.

After seeing my therapist, I came home. Now, that I am home I am relaxing before I clean my apartment. I feel like it is getting cluttered again. So I am going to be purging some things. Nobody really like to clean but it is a necessary part of living a life worth living or at least being and an adult.

Thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated al the from drizzly Seattle. Happy Friday and Peace Out, World!!!

Boredom Strikes, Again

Hello, World!!! I am at my mental health center bored half out of my mind. I, technically didn’t have to come in today but decided to do so, so I wouldn’t be isolating. Isolating is not a good thing for me when I am dealing with depression.

As I am sitting here in the computer room of day treatment, blogging I am waiting for my therapist as we have fifteen minute check in’s on Friday. The check in’s can be in person or over the phone. My therapist appears to be invested in my recovery which is good thing. But I don’t know how much he is invested at the moment as our therapeutic relationship just started.

Since I am so bored, I think I am going to schedule some things in to do for next week. Having a regular schedule tends to help me out a great deal. The structure is what I need for my recovery or at least part of my recovery.

Another thing I might do is one of the workbooks I carry around with me. I carry two workbooks with me so when I get bored or am waiting for an appointment, I have something to do.

I better get going and socialize with others as I am here to not isolate. Have are great day and Peace Out, World!!!