Tag Archives: Hope

Nightmares Suck Shit

Posted on by Gertie

I woke up from a nightmare. Anyone who has PTSD know all too well on how much nightmares suck shit. It wasn’t the worst nightmare I have had but it was one of the most difficult nightmares I have had.

I am beyond grateful that Junior is a major support for me. He is always willing to stay up with me if I am unable to go back to sleep after a nightmare. For instance he is up with at this moment in time. He turned on some music which he knows helps me a great deal especially after a nightmare. Now he is warming up some brownies he made for dessert. Junior added chocolate chips to the brownies when he baked them so they would be more chocolatey. He knows how much I love chocolate. He just brought me some milk to go with the brownies. There is nothing like the person who loves you helping you through a difficult moment.

I think I’m going to end this post to cuddle with Junior while listening to music and eating brownies and drinking milk as he supports me after a difficult nightmare. Thank you for reading!!!

Middle of the Night Ramblings

Posted on by Gertie

It’s the middle of the night in my part of the world. I woke up with a stupid nightmare. A nightmare that was a little bit more challenging that the typical PTSD nightmare I usually deal with. The nightmare was that of four babies saying I killed them. Diana, my former therapist, thought that it is my subconscious attempting to deal with the miscarriages of two sets of twins. It makes sense especially since I blame myself for the miscarriages even though the doctors don’t have a clue or a reason for the miscarriage.

Despite still dealing with the grief of two miscarriages of two sets of twins, Junior and I still want to start a family. We aren’t exactly trying to have children but we aren’t using any type of birthday control or protection either. If it happens, it happens. Whether or not we conceive and have biological children we want to adopt at least two children from foster care. We have a lot of love to give and want to share that love with the world.

Okay, on to another subject as I’m not wanting to deal with the grief of miscarrying two sets of twins. So, I’m going to talk about blogging. As I informed you in my last post, I have been blogging for three years now. I was really good at blogging on the regular basis when I first started and when I started working fulltime I didn’t make time to blog and then I became depressed and lost all interest in everything including blogging. Now that I don’t work anymore, I need to make an effort to blog on the regular basis. Most everyone knows that if you blog that blogging on the regular basis is a way to keep your followers reading and to attain new followers. I’m hoping that Junior and Mama Bear will be able to blog from their point of view on my blog at least twice a month each. We all get busy and that’s why they haven’t posted much.

Anyway, that’s enough about the boring topic of blogging. As I switch to yet another topic, I’m not sure how I’m feeling at the moment. I’m not really wanting to deal with the emotions that are popping up currently. I also know if I don’t deal with the emotions and stuff them that’s when unhealthy coping mechanisms pop up.

As my emotions pop up, I realize I need to end this post and try to go back to sleep as I have an appointment with my case manager. Before I go back to bed I plan on coloring first so I can relax. Have good night and peace out!!!

It’s Been Three Years

Posted on by Gertie

Wow!!! It’s hard to believe that it’s been three years since I started blogging. The last three years have just flown. Hell, a lot has happened in the last three years.

When I started this blog I had no clue what I was doing. I still don’t have a clue on what I am doing. It was and still is my goal of this blog to educate those who do not struggle with a mental health condition that those who do live with one can live a productive life and to give hope to those who do live with a mental health condition that recovery is possible. Little did I know when I started blogging on how much it would be helpful to me and my recovery.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that my recovery means the world to me. Blogging has helped me a great deal in many ways especially in regards to my recovery.

As you can tell, I am big into recovery. The reason why I am big into recovery is because as difficult as it is to be in recovery its also that much easier to be in it than it is not to be in it. It’s also a lot more fun. Granted, I may not be bouncing back as quickly as I have in recent years but I’m still in recovery as I am taking care of myself.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you my reader and/or follower. Have a good Hump Day (Wednesday) and Peace Out!!!

Depression Vs. Blogging

Posted on by Gertie

As I sit here struggling to blog, I realize that this ongoing bought of depression is what has been hindering me with blogging.  I realized early on in my blogging days (and I think I’m still pretty green at it) that it actually helps me manage the symptoms of my mental health conditions. With all honesty it came to me as a complete shock to me because I was expecting to help others with their recovery as well as educate those who don’t live with a mental health condition and not necessarily help me along my recovery path.

The recovery path I want to be back on is one that I know what helps me even when I am in a most vulnerable state like I am in now. I don’t like admitting that I am in a vulnerable state. I guess on a plus side of it is, that I want others to see that people are in recovery do go backwards and end up back on their feet again.

I am hoping as I slowly get back on my feet that I will be active in blogging as it helps with my depression symptoms as well as the other symptoms of other mental health conditions I am diagnosed with. Actually, if I want to get back on my feet one of the many ways is to be active in blogging.  Unfortunately, blogging is going to take a lot of effort for me to blog as my depression is still acting up and my concentration isn’t all that great. At the risk of repeating myself for the millionth time, blogging has helped me a great deal with my own recovery which is why I will give every attempt to blog once a week and hopefully have Mama Bear or Junior do a guest piece once a week. I know from experience if I post regularly it keeps people interested even if my depression is acting up. As you read in my previous post my thinking doesn’t always help my emotions and vise versa. That’s why I am wanting to blog more as it helps with processing my thoughts.

As, I end this post please take a moment of silence for those who lost their lives fighting for our freedom. For those of you who regularly read my blog and don’t live in the United States, today is Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a day where remember those who lost their lives fight for our freedom. As you enjoy your time with your friends and family today don’t forget those who made that time with your loved ones possible. Happy Memorial, everyone and Peace Out!!!

Spinning Like a Hamster Wheel

Posted on by Gertie

My mind is spinning like a hamster wheel and my emotions as well as my thinking are most likely the culprits of the hamster wheel spinning.  A spinning hamster wheel is never a good thing for me.  A spinning hamster wheel is usually never a good thing for anyone.

As I mentioned, the culprits of the annoying spinning hamster wheel are my thinking and my emotions. At this point in time I’m thinking that my thinking is effecting my emotions.  This leads me to what I need to help myself to stop the hamster wheel or at least slow it down. I will have to use a combination of both Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) skills and Dialectical Behavior (DBT) skills.

Despite being in a place I don’t want to be in that I am slowing climbing out of, I realize I am far enough in my recovery that I need to use some CBT skills along with my DBT skills. I prefer DBT over CBT but realize there are times when using CBT is just as beneficial as DBT.  I know favoring one over the other isn’t a good idea but I feel like DBT has helped me more in my recovery than  CBT has.  Weather or not what was more helpful to me and my recovery, there are times when using both sets of skills are extremely helpful.

Before I end this post to go and use skills, I realized that blogging about the spinning hamster wheel has slowed it down. So, thank you for reading. If it were for you the reader, I wouldn’t still be blogging. Again, thank you for reading. Happy Memorial Day weekend. Peace Out!!!

I Didn’t Do What I Feared I Might Do

Posted on by Gertie

If you read my last post you know that I feared yelling at both my psychiatric nurse practitioner and new therapist when I went to go see them this past Monday (May 22nd). Well, I didn’t yell or scream and neither of them especially after the news I got.

The news I received was that my psychiatric nurse practitioner will no longer be working for the program I am a part of at the mental health agency I am consumer (client) of. Yet this is another change in my treatment team that I don’t need at this point in time. Yes, it angers me but there is nothing I can do about it. I can however request that since my ARNP is a male and/or is at the location where my therapist is. I will request this when I see my case manager on Thursday. See, when my last ARNP retired I requested a male prescriber because I felt like and still feel like it will be helpful to my recovery especially with PTSD. It would also be nice to not have to go to three different locations of the mental health agency I go to see three different people which is why I would like to see whomever the new prescriber will be at, at the location where my therapist is. I am hoping that they will give me what I request as I have a lot changes as well as a great deal of loss in recent months.

As I’m writing this post, I realize I need to stop for now as I am starting to get angry as well as sad and I don’t want to get into a bad space. I just wanted to let you know how things went last Monday. I hope you al have a good night. Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!! Peace Out!!!

The Fear of What I Might Do

Posted on by Gertie

At this point in time I am angry. I don’t like being angry and grew up told that I was not allowed to be angry. In fact showing any emotion while growing up was extremely frowned upon.

Unfortunately, due to not being able to show emotions growing up, I learned some unhealthy coping mechanisms. Coping mechanisms that are creeping back into my life and am attempting to not let them do so.

Those coping mechanisms are me stuffing my anger to where I do one of two things. I either explode by screaming and yelling which is usually done in a place I feel at least somewhat safe. Safe meaning I know I won’t get hurt because of my unacceptable behavior of screaming and yelling. Or I end up self harming. Something else I don’t want to do.

I tell you this because I fear of what I might do today and its partly because of my own unacceptable behavior of screaming and yelling I had on Friday at the mental health agency I am a client of.  I fear that I’m going to yell at my psychiatric nurse practitioner for a number of reasons I might disclose in a later post. I also fear that I am going to yell at my new therapist for something that is beyond her control and not fair to her. Hell, yelling on my psychiatric nurse practitioner might not be fair to him either.

I tell you this in hopes that if I share with you what I fear I might do that I won’t do it. That fear is yelling at the people who are only trying help me. I’m sharing this in hopes that I can be accountable to someone and that someone is you the reader of my blog. I hope at this moment in time that I’m not asking too much of you my reader.

On a good note, I am quite positive that I won’t act on any potential self harm urges. At this point in time the urges are nothing to be concerned about. I have a safety plan in place as a “just in case” if self harm urges become unmanageable.  So just be aware that I will get help if self harm urges appear to be unmanageable.

I appreciate each one of you who read my blog. I hope each one of you have a good Monday and wonderful work week. Peace Out!!!

I Just Want to Get Back to Doing Well

Posted on by Gertie

It’s the middle of the night where I am at and all I want to do is cry. If you have been reading my blog you know I have struggling a great deal with my depression as well as with grief and loss. Struggling enough to where I felt it was in the best interest of the clients I serve and my recovery to resign from a job I worked endlessly to get and loved with a passion.

Anyone who as ever dealt with a mental health condition knows that there will be times where a relapse in our symptoms occur. Unfortunately, this relapse in my symptoms is lasting a bit longer than expected.  More or less what I am saying is I am not bouncing back as quickly as I have in recent years.

The thing that hasn’t helped matters much is that things haven’t been all that consistent with my therapy. No fault to anyone.  As many of you know Diana suddenly left the agency where I seek mental health services at due to cancer which is still hard on me. So, I was assigned a new therapist who happened to be the direct supervisor of Diana which was quite helpful for me. Then she left to go on to bigger and better things which got me a new therapist.

A therapist that appears to care. She seems like an older, shorter version of Diana with straighter and grayer hair. As far as the sense of humor part of things, I’m not really sure as I’ve only had three sessions with her but she appears to have a caring heart like Diana. Granted my new therapist is not a Social Worker but that is okay because she use to be a nurse which means she has the heart of Social Worker. I realize I shouldn’t be picky on the degree of the therapist just as long as they have a degree in a field to where the person can practice therapy with the right licensure but in my  experience those who have a degree in Social Work seem to work best for me.  So for me my new therapist having a degree in nursing helps a great deal as nurses have some pretty big and caring hearts.

As far as me being up in the middling of the night wanting to cry is that I woke up with a nightmare. A nightmare due to childhood trauma. Any type of trauma sucks shit especially trauma you are still working on in therapy 30 years after it started. I hope that one day I can handle the after affects of the trauma without needing therapy but one can only hope.

For me hope is the only thing I have right now. Hope that I can get back to doing well enough to go back to work. I miss work but then again my recovery is extremely important. It is hope that I must hold on to as I know how doing well feels. It is my hope that I can be back to doing well.

Being well is something I want to get back to and I think attempting get back to sleep is part of getting well. Have a great night all and peace out.

9/11 – 15Years Later

Posted on by Gertie

I realized that today may not be the best days to start my educational pieces on mental illness. I say this because today marks 15 years since the worst terrorist attack  on United States soil since Pear Harbor Day on December 7, 1941.

Everyone in my generation remembers where they were when they heard the news of the  terrorist attacks. I know exactly where I was when I heard the news. I was waiting to board an airplane to New York when myself and fellow passengers saw the second plane hit the  twin towers. Twenty minutes later we were informed that the FAA was halting all air travel in the United States.

Its a sad day for me because I was on my way to New York to be a maid of honor in my one of my best friends wedding. My best friend and her fiance were both firefighters and unfortunately they were both killed when the towers came down. There is not a day that doesn’t go by I don’t remember them. Please take a moment today to remember those lost in the terrorist attacks. Most importantly take the time to thank a first responder for all they do. Peace Out!!

Two Years Since My Career in Mental Health Began

Posted on by Gertie

As I look back over the last two years its hard to wrap my head around that I have been working in the mental health field for two years today. Little did I know two years ago that I would be promoted to Peer Specialist within a year and a half of being hired as a Consumer Aide.

When I started the Consumer Aide position, I thought to myself, “I will be in this position for two years and then start applying for a part time Peer Specialist position.” I just didn’t realize that in the midst of planning out my future I would have a crisis that would leave me in despair. A despair that would leave me thinking about other things and then a major refocus on life. A refocus that got me to apply for my current position as a full time Peer Specialist with my employer. I never would have thought I would be working full time as Peer Specialist or at least at the beginning of my career as a Peer Specialist.

Becoming a Peer Specialist at the agency that ultimately gave me my start in the mental health field is in honor. My employer first gave me my start when I was a volunteer as meal assistant in a housing program and then was I asked is I wanted to volunteer in their main shelter as a coffee counter assistant. I of course jumped at that opportunity not realizing that it would actually get me a paying job within the agency.

I was informed by an employee of the main shelter that there was an opening for the Consumer Aide position I was hesitant to apply for it. Mainly, for the fact that I seemed overqualified for it and I had applied for multiple Peer Specialist positions waiting to see if I would get a job as a Peer. I got a lot of interviews but not any jobs. So I finally gave in and applied of the job as a Consumer Aide. I got the job as a Consumer Aide even though I was overqualified for it. Despite being overqualified for the job I am glad I got it because it helped me get my promotion as a Peer Specialist. If it wasn’t for me already being employed with the agency my supervisor would have gone with someone else.

Long story short, it never hurts to start at job that might be “beneath” you because it can actually give you the start in your career that you need. I was patient and determined to get a job as a Peer Specialist and was humbled many times before I got my job as a Peer Specialist. I am beyond grateful that my previous position as a Consumer Aide is what got me promoted to a Peer Specialist.

I want to thank you for reading. I have to get ready for work now. I hope you all have a nice day. Thank you for reading. Peace Out!!