Tag Archives: Mental Health

Restarting Something Helping Me with My Recovery

Posted on by Gertie

Good Night, World!!! It is nearly midnight in my neck of the world known as Seattle. At the beginning of this years I started going to a twelve-step program that more focused on recovery with changing yourself than exclusively only using the twelve-steps. The twelve-steps is more of a guide and the focus of changing yourself and reparenting yourself is the key to this program. Anyway, I hadn’t been in over six months till tonight and am grateful I went. I am thinking this will be part of my recovery as I need to learn to deal with my inner child and how to reparent myself.

In fact this something I have been starting work on with my relatively new therapist. So, I feel like going to this program and therapy will be have great help in my own recovery. Therapy and the twelve-step program isn’t the only way I need to continue to help with my recovery is going for daily walks twice daily, doing daily mindfulness meditation practice and of course spending time with my beloved cat, Billie Dean. Billie really helps my recovery.

I do not have much more to say 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 do read my blog. If it wasn’t for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. So, again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Almost Midnight & Can’t Sleep

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! It is nearly midnight here in Seattle and I am unable to sleep. I wish I could sleep as I need to be up no later than seven in the morning for work. I would love to get some sleep so I am not a cranky bucket at work or with my clients. I never want to be a cranky bucket with clients and try to not to be. Getting proper sleep helps me not be a cranky bucket at work and helps me be a better peers specialist.

Anyway, I’ve been doing good self care to help me get some sleep. One of the ways I have been doing good self care is some art work. Specifically, I have been coloring. I’ve been coloring most of the evening. I started listening to music when I started coloring tonight. The music helped me become in a more creative mode. Once, I was becoming more creative with my coloring, I decided to switch from music to listening to a podcast about philosophy. Listening to the podcast “Philosophize This” as well as music helps me with my self care as well as my artwork.

Of course my cat, Billie Dean, is a part of my self care plan. He has been “helping” me with coloring. The love I have my cat, Billie is one of the many reasons why I am in recovery and do self care. Taking care of Billie is a form of self care for me.

I do not have much more to say 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 wasn’t for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Check-In

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! This week has been an up and down week. I missed two days of work due to the fact that I wasn’t feeling well. Some of what I feeling was physical stuff while other stuff was mental health stuff.

I am currently at my grandpa’s house doing laundry. My uncle made some dinner that was awesome. Since I am currently at my grandpa’s my cat, Billie Dean is at home alone. Don’t worry I will be home later this evening. I am really missing Billie.

As far as my health, it is getting better. Some of it is because of my mental health and yes, I am getting help with that.

I don’t have much more to say. I do want to thank you for reading for my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

A Little Early to be Up on a Saturday Morning

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is really early on a Saturday morning here in Seattle. Since I am up so early and unable to sleep, I think I will be as productive as possible as I can be right now in this moment of time.

The thinking about the what I am doing it reading about books that can help me with both my professional and preanal lives just like reading a book about philosophy that can help with my professional and personal life.

I also feel like listening to a podcast about philosophy can be helpful in my life as a whole including relationship with friendships. All this stuff has some intersect abilities to it. Something, I would to like to learn more about it.

I fell like as early as it is on a Saturday morning in a middle of a weekend, this will help me build better relationships even the relationships that are not the best relationships.

As far as reading books about relationships and listening to podcast on philosophy will help me become a better person as well as a better cat owner to my cat Billie Dean. Billie is a great way to put philosophy and relationships together.

I do not have much more to say regarding this particular blog post. Thank for reading my blog post. It is greatly appreciated from my end of thing that you the reader that you read my blog. If if wasn’t for you the reader for reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Another Self Care Day from Work

Posted on by Gertie

Good Friday, Evening, World!!! I am taking another self care day from work for my mental health. It was triggered by a therapy session I had this past Tuesday. As much as I wish I wasn’t triggered to where I didn’t need to take time off for mental health reasons, I look at is as a sign of strength. A strength to take care of myself.

Today and yesterday have not been a waste of time in regards to work as I have been reading two books that are completely different but very similar. As a colleague says seeing parallels in books that are so opposite from either is awesome and a great way to learn. I am hoping to post about the intersections of the books into both my profession and personal live which I find fascinating. Reading even though it is both for professional and personal live for me is a form or self care for me.

Another form of self care for me was spending time with my beloved cat Billie Dean. Billie is an amazing 15 pound kitty that loves me unconditionally. I am so grateful that he is in my life. I hope he knows how much I love him back. Despite the weather today in Seattle, I still managed to get in a walk. In fact, I go two walk in today which is a great thing.

I did have a brief check in with my therapist today via the phone. The check in with my therapist was quite helpful and think she is a great fit for me and my recovery. I am grateful to be able to have access to therapy as many people sadly do not have access to therapy.

I do not have much more to discuss in the particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog post. If it wasn’t for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Taking A Sick Day From Work

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! I am taking a sick day from work today. I am taking it off today because one of my disabilities is sadly acting up. I did let my supervisor know via text to her cell phone as well as an email to her work email and a voicemail to her office phone. I just wanted to make sure I covered my ass even though my supervisor is beyond awesome. I admire my supervisor and how well she works with clients. I also did let Human Resources (HR) know that I am out due to my disability. I let HR know it was disability related to also cover my ass. I do plan on letting my supervisor know tomorrow when I am in the office that I was out due to my disability. I do not fear getting fired for calling out sick especially when it comes to my disability. I don’t tell my supervisor the full story about being out due to disability because I don’t want to put her in an awkward situation if people ask her why. My direct supervisor and the HR director are both amazing people.

Since I am taking care of my health today by taking care of my disability, I still plan on doing some reading for work. Both of the books that I am reading help me both professionally and personally. I am really enjoying the books and have started another blog post about these books and how they intersect with my professional and personal life.

The one thing I did do was go to the pharmacy to pick up my medication. Picking up my meds was extremely important because they help with my health issues as well as with my disabilities. So, I am happy that I got my meds.

Since I am hope sick from work I not only will be spending it reading the books I mentioned earlier in this blog post, I am spending the day with my cat, Billie Dean without any interruption. I love my cat so very much. The weather here in Seattle today makes it easy to spend it reading as I hang out with my cat, Billie.

I do not have much more to say 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 do read my blog. If it wasn’t for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

A Post that Might Not Make Much Sense

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! This post might not might makes sense at all but I will have a future blog post that might make this post make more sense that it does. So, long story short, it was recommend to me by my therapist that I read a book call “Impact and Change: A Study of Counseling Relationship” as it will help with my recovery as well as my therapeutic relationship with my own therapist and the clients I would with. Another book that was recommended for me to read was suggested by a colleague. The book is call “Mindfulness for Borderline Personality Disorder.” I have recently started reading these to books and I am learning a great deal about them. They are so very different but there are many parallels in the books. The books have some intersectionality’s in both your personal and professional life when you work in the mental health field while seeking therapy yourself. I am enjoying both of these books so for. I will explain the topics in this paragraph in a later blog posts.

Something that appears to also be connect to the about the above paragraph of my journey of learning about philosophy. I am learning about philosophy but listening to a podcast call “Philosophize This” as well as reading a book called “The Republic and Other Works” by Plato. I am learning a great deal from what I am getting educated on philosophy.

With all this education I feel like I am getting is well worth it. I fell like I am getting educated on all of this by being creative by doing artwork. Specifically, the type of artwork I am doing to help retain what I am learning is coloring. Coloring helps me retain things especially when I am wanting to learn something I am interested in.

Of course, I can’t forget about my cat Billie Dean who appears to enjoy what I am learning for the books I am reading as well as the podcast I am listening to. I even talk to my cat Billie about what I am learning and ask questions to him which I know he will not answer but it’s nice to get the information I learned out even thought I talk to Billie my cat about it.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do what 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 wasn’t for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writer my blog. So, thank you again from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Middle of Day Check-In While Working

Posted on by Gertie

Good Afternoon, World!!! I am taking a few minutes of my time while work to write this particular blog post. I am just taking time to check-in about my day. I have been feeling a little blah but I think it’s because I am tired. Work is going well today. Going by more quickly than I thought it would.

I am working from home today and there are some benefits of working from home. One of those benefits is that I get to be home with my cat, Billie Dean. I love the fact that Billie keep me company when I am working from home. Another benefit of working from home is being able to write a blog post if I want when I have a spare few minutes.

Anyway, I ordered food through Grubhub for my lunch which should arrive at around one o’clock in the afternoon; Seattle time. I ordered a salad with ranch dressing and I am getting strawberry shortcake for dessert. I am looking forward for my lunch today.

I should really end this particular blog post as I have a couple of books that I am reading that will help me with my job as well as my personal life. I just let my work know that it is work related and let them know what the books are and they “approve” that it is work related. I am really enjoying the books that I am reading for “work.”

On that note, I need to end 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 do read my blog. If it wasn’t for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Short Post Before Work

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! I just wanted say a quick hi before I start my work day. I am grateful to have job that I love most days. Anyway, today is going to be a good day. A good day because I am booked with clients as well as having time to read some books that are job related that can also be related to my personal life as well but that is an entirely other post. I love the career that I have.

I told you it would be a short post before work as I do not have much more to say. I do want tot thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you do read my blog. If it wasn’t for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Mixed Emotions Regarding Covid-19 Vaccine

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! I am going to be writing about a topic that is considered controversial or at least it is here in the United States. I’ll be discussing the Covid-19 vaccine and my many emotions around it.

First and fore most, I chose to get the Covid-19 vaccine long before it was “required” of me to get it due to working in the “health” field. I say “health” field because I work in mental health care. On that note the governor of Washington (State) made a mandate the people working in any type of health care setting (including mental health, EMT’s, Paramedics and Firefighters) to be fully vaccinated by a certain date in October which I know has already passed. I understand why the governor put this into effect but I feel like it’s putting people in an ethical and moral bind.

Even though I have the Covid-19 vaccine, I feel like if I was forced to have it for my job, I would hesitate working where I work. But then again, at two previous employers, I was required to show proof of a TB test as well as vaccines for Hepatitis A and B. I started asking myself what the difference is and there really isn’t a difference except for the fact that I was required to have the Hepatitis A and B vaccines to attend public school so it wasn’t a choice as my guardians had me get it.

On that note, I am also a believer in my body, my choice. What I mean by that is that, I should be the one making decisions for my own health. For me, if I am pro-choice regarding abortions then I need to practice what I preach by having people have a choice in getting the Covid-19 vaccine without worrying about loosing their job.

So, I have mixed emotions about the Covid-19 vaccine as I personally want other people to get it to protect those who cannot get it but I also want people to have a choice in what they do for their own health care. I hope that makes sense.

I do not have much more to say 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 wasn’t for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!