Weekly Plans

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Artwork (color and/or diamond art/painting)
  • Read

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Work
  • Artwork (color and/or diamond art/painting)
  • Read

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Work
  • Artwork (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)
  • Read

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • In person appointment with psychiatric nurse practitioner
  • In person appointment with therapist
  • Belated birthday lunch with partner
  • Telemedicine appointment with nutritionist
  • Artwork (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)
  • Read

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Work
  • Artwork (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)
  • Read

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • In person kidney stone doctor appointment for follow up for hospitalization a few weeks ago
  • Laundry
  • Artwork (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)
  • Read

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Artwork (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)
  • Read
  • Do as little as possible

Up Too Late Reading Due to C-PTSD

Good Morning, World!!! It just after two o’clock in the morning Seattle time and sleep is not happening at the moment. The reason why sleep is not happening at the moment is due to C-PTSD symptoms. Due to the severity of my C-PTSD symptoms I am reading a horror book. The current horror book I am reading is The Graceview Patient, by Caitlin Starling. So far, I am immensely enjoying the book.

I tend to read horror books in the evening to help reduce the amount of C-PTSD related nightmares. Nightmares related to horror books I read are easier to cope with than nightmares related to C-PTSD. That is why I am currently reading a horror book, so when I do attempt to go to sleep it might not be so challenging to do so. Having C-PTSD sucks shit.

I do not have anything else to discuss or share or to write about in this particular blog post except to say it is time to cuddle with my cat, Billie and continue to read. 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!!!

Lunch Time Ramblings

Good Afternoon, World!!! I really didn’t have anything to worry about regarding pay. Yes, my vacation time is gone as of this Thursday, and I had to use my personal holiday and most of my vacation time for missing last week due to health issues, at least I get to attend the first day of Emerald City Comic Con. I’m just relieved I get paid for last week and this Thursday and that everything worked out in my favor.

I’m also excited about tomorrow as I start co-facilitating a group. Specifically, I will be co-facilitating a CBTp group. I am not able to be the main facilitator due to the fact that I do have the degree or licensure to do so, and I am okay with that as I am able to bring the peer perspective to the clients I help. I will be co-facilitating with a colleague on my team as well as another colleague who works on a different team. I am really looking forward doing this group.

I do not have anything else to discuss or share or to write about in this particular blog post except to say it is now time to go get my lunch and eat it. 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!!!

Brief Health Update

Good Afternoon, World!!! I just wanted to give you brief health update. Nothing major but just wanted to update you the reader about my health. Overall, my health is good. On that note, I ended up needing to get a stint put in from my left kidney to my bladder due “one extremely oversized kidney stone” that was blocking everything in the left kidney. Due to the blockage, I ended up with a kidney infection. The doctor informed me that procedure to put in the stint went well but took longer than expected due to scarring I have due severe childhood trauma. I did inform the medical team of the scaring, but they “didn’t realize the severity of it” which I guess, I kind of understand. I got the stint last Monday (February 23rd) and it is still causing a lot of physical discomfort.

Also, my C-PTSD symptoms have increased due to the stint being placed and being told “the scarring was more severe than the team realized.” I don’t know why it put me in a tailspin, but it did. I have been taking care of my mental health as I don’t want to end up suicidal or have self-harm urges. My mental health recovery means the world to me especially since it is requirement for my job and job description.

Speaking of jobs. I had to miss work last week because for the procedure. I missed last Monday and Tuesday because I was in the hospital due to the procedure. I missed last Thursday due to recuperating from the surgery both physically and mental health wise. I only work twenty hours a week which means I work three days a week which are Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. I work two six-hour days and one eight hour day. I love my job so very much and sadly will most likely have to use some vacation time for what I missed but I’m okay with that.

I do not have anything else to discuss or share or to write about in this particular blog post except to say it is now time to cuddle with my cat, Billie. 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!!!

Brief Blog Before Going to Volunteer

Good Morning, World!!! Right now, I am dealing with some depression and PTSD symptoms which majorly sucks. I just want to stay home and do absolutely nothing. The thing is if I do then I will be stuck in my own head which isn’t very helpful at all. I can easily just call out from volunteering at PAWS Cat City but I am not going to do that because, I don’t want to be stuck in my own head, and I really do enjoy volunteering. Plus, I love cats. I am just happy that I have volunteering today as well as going out to dinner later to Red Robin with my partner and some of our friends. It also looks like it is going to be another beautiful day here in Seattle weather wise. I love today’s Seattle weather. Now time to give my own cat some loving before volunteering.

I do not have anything else to discuss or share or to write about in this particular blog post except that I need to volunteer with a bunch of cats and PAWS Cat City. 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!!!

PTSD + Insomnia = No Sleep

Good Morning, World!!! It is two thirty-four in the morning here in Seattle. I am sadly unable to sleep. I am unable to due to PTSD and insomnia which sucks but it is something that I have dealt with in the past. As much as it sucks, I am also realizing that I am fighting some depression symptoms which makes the no sleep thing with PTSD and insomnia suckier than it should be.

Since I am dealing with little sleep due to insomnia and PTSD as well as dealing with increased depression symptoms, I have decided to do some recovery related workbooks. Workbooks that are helping me learn new skills as well as helping me build more resiliency in my life. I am glad that I do workbooks to help myself with my recovery as the skills I learn helps build on what I have already learned in my recovery. For me my recovery is one of the most important things in my life.

I do not have anything else to discuss or share or to write about in this particular blog post except that I wish I could sleep and didn’t have to deal with insomnia, depression and PTSD. 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!!!

Afternoon Ramblings

Good Afternoon, World!!! I have some good news regarding the job interview I had yesterday. I was emailed this morning asking to give references and I, of course, emailed my references and now it is the waiting game to see if I got the job. I really would like this job especially since I think it will be a good fit for me, my recovery and will help with building resiliency in myself.

Speaking of resiliency, I am doing a recovery related workbook on resiliency. Part of recovery with a mental health challenge is building resiliency and able to continue to be resilient no matter what life throws at you. Trust me when I say life has thrown me a lot of shit the last few months especially with the fact that both parents died within two months of each other. Resiliency is something everyone has and can build on.

I am just grateful that my resiliency and my recovery with a mental health challenge is why I am getting back into the workforce. A workforce that is part of my career choice as being a peer support specialist. A peer specialist is someone who is recovery from a substance use disorder (SUD) and/or a mental health challenge. A peer specialist offers hope to people they are helping along their recovery journey.

I do not have anything else to discuss or share or 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!!!

Daily Prompt; What Topics Do You Like To Discuss?

Daily writing prompt
What topics do you like to discuss?

The topics I like to discuss are cats, mental health challenges and recovery. I love talking about cats because I have one myself and volunteering with cats at two different animal welfare nonprofit organizations. I love cats and love talking about them.

The other topic I like to discuss is mental health challenges and recovery. People without mental health challenges tend to think that those of us who have them are not productive members of society. I also like to discuss mental health and recovery because I am in recovery and I have worked in the mental health field.

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 through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Attend a hybrid 12 step meeting
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend an online 12 step meeting
  • Volunteer with Alley Cat Project by returning calls and emails.
  • Attend a second online 12 step meeting
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend an online 12 step meeting
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Attend an online orientation to volunteer at the Seattle Aquarium
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend an online 12 step meeting
  • Appointment with my therapist
  • Lunch with my partner and some close friends at Red Robin
  • Attend a second online 12 step meeting
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend an online 12 step meeting
  • Volunteer with Alley Cat Project by returning calls and emails
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning Walk
  • Attend an online 12 step meeting
  • Volunteer with Alley Cat Project by returning calls and emails
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Dinner with my partner at Red Robin
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning Walk
  • U-District Farmer Market with one of my closest friends
  • Attend an online 12 step meeting
  • Lunch with a high school friend at Red Robin
  • Attend a second online 12 step meeting
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)