Tag Archives: Recovery

Midnight Ramblings

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! I have trouble comprehending why I have such a difficult time at night. Not just with sleep but with the symptoms of anxiety and depression. I am struggling a little bit with depression and anxiety relating to PTSD. Dealing with symptoms this time of night when your natural supports are unavailable for whatever reason can be difficult and challenging for me.

As challenging as it is for me right now, I know what I can do to help myself. I can turn to my coping skills. Coping skills that have helped me a great deal throughout my recovery. Coping skills that will continue to help me even in this moment in time.

One of the things I will do is color. As any type of art has helped me a great deal. In fact I’ll probably end doing some collaging as well because it helps me put words to my emotions.

Another thing I will be doing is a mindfulness and meditation practice as this helps quiet my mind. It puts me in a better head space. A head space that is at least in neutral gear.

Thanks for reading. Peace Out, World!!!

Thursday Evening Ramblings

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! Today, has been a relatively good day despite dealing with anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression that hasn’t been as bad as it has in recent days and weeks. I owe that to the sunny weather here in Seattle. Sunny weather always helps with the symptoms of my mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Art also has helped with my anxiety and depression lifting. For example creating my coping skills box was an awesome art project for me. Having a specific art project to focus appears to be of help to me even though doing any art is helpful.

Something I think I am going to do after blogging is reading. As I have mentioned before I enjoy reading. Reading has been helpful for me as well to reduce the symptoms of my depression and anxiety.

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

 

Sunny In Seattle

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! I am sitting here at my laptop staring out my front room window and it is going to be a beautiful day here in Seattle. Sunny days in Seattle are one of the reasons I love Seattle so much. Many people who live in Seattle like to claim it is rainy a dreary more often than it is because we are extremely protective of our city. It is a beautiful city especially when it is sunny outside.

I am pretty sure with it being sunny outside it is going to be of help to my depression symptoms. Symptoms that appear that will not go away. I know eventually that my depression symptoms will subside in time.

One way I have been combating my depression is going walks twice daily. Walking twice daily has helped my depression a great deal. Yes, I walk when the weather is yucky outside. Walking not only helps with my depression symptoms, it also helps with my anxiety symptoms a great deal.

Art has also been helping a lot with both my depression and anxiety symptoms. Doing art helps me express my emotions when I am unable to verbalize it. It may not appear to you that I have trouble verbalizing my emotions but I do and that is why art is so important to me.

Reading has also helped a great deal with the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Reading helps me get out of my head and forget my issues in a healthy way for a moment or two. It helps because being able to forget for a few moments gets me in a better mind set.

Thank you for reading. It is very much appreciated from my end of things. Have a great day everyone.  You’re awesome!!! Peace Out, World!!!

Everyday Inspiration; Day 3: One-Word Inspiration

Posted on by Gertie

Choice

Life is all about choices. Choices that make us who we are today. Some of the choices we have made in life were not all that wise while other choices were wise. I’ve chosen the word choice for my assignment because it is a reminder of the choice’s I have made and will continue to make. We all have choices.

Choices I make today will effect me later on in life. That is why I am attempting to make wise decisions in my life. For example my therapist gave me a “homework assignment” to make a coping skills box and to write a one page paper on how it made me feel making it and why I put what I put in it. I’ve made the box and put some coping items in the box but haven’t written the paper yet. I will write the paper. I am making the choice to do my therapy homework as I know it will help me in the future. A future with hope.

Loving My Coping Skills Box

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! I am sitting here at my laptop slightly depressed. I can’t blame the weather on my depression today as it is sunny outside. It’s a wee bit chilly but beautiful day.

As my depression acts up this is when I use my coping skills to make sure it doesn’t get worse or at least give it a try that it doesn’t get worse. In fact I used my coping skills box to help myself. One of the skills I used was Sudoku. I also did some cross-stitching and feeling like I am making some progress with it.

After I am done blogging, I am going to go and read. I’ll probably go to the local park and read. There is something special about reading outside. Reading appears to be helping me a great deal lately. Maybe it is because things are starting to get better that I am able to concentrate on reading.

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

 

Everyday Inspiration; Day 2: Write a List

Posted on by Gertie

 

Things I’ve Learned…

  • To play the flute
  • Recovery is non-linear
  • To laugh at myself when life gets tough
  • Books are usually better than the movie
  • Some movies based a superhero’s suck shit
  • Recovery is difficult but sure in the hell a lot more fun
  • Music soothes the soul
  • Reading is a lot more fun that television
  • Going for walks reduces anxiety for me
  • I’m stronger than I think I am

Therapy + Comics = Good Session

Posted on by Gertie

Good Afternoon, World!!! I realize I already told you little about my session today with my therapist in my last post (https://gertiesjourney.com/2018/04/17/thankfully-not-hospitalized/) but I would like to share a little more about it as I think it helped my therapist build a rapport with me. Besides talking about my parents and their addictions we discussed comics. We discussed comics because I wore a Wonder Woman t-shirt and hat today. I told my therapist that I collect Wonder Woman comics and then we ended up talking about comic book universes. My therapist is more into Marvel and I am more into DC even though we both like a little of both universes. My therapist asked if reading comics was in my crisis plan and something I do end stead of self harming and I said yes to both. We discussed how comics have played a major role in my recovery and he assigned me to read one comic book a day as part of some homework. Another part of my homework he wants me to create a coping skills tool box out of a shoe box even though I more or less have my backpack full of coping skills I use. He even gave me a shoe box to start it. He is having me do this because he knows I enjoy doing art and to help me think about my coping skills. He also wants me to write a page on how making the coping skills box made me feel and what my experience was making it.

I am grateful that my new therapist is coming up with creative ways to help me help myself. I may not like having therapy homework but I am grateful to have it as it gives me an opportunity to grow and continue with my recovery.

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

Thankfully, Not Hospitalized

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! There was an hour or two where I thought I could be hospitalized due to hitting a brick wall with my hand and thankfully it is NOT going to happen. Everyone was in agreement with me that the hospital would not be beneficial to me this time around. So, with everyone in agreement, I am not going to be admitted to the hospital.

My therapist and I discussed my self harm actions this morning and did what is called a chain analysis. If you’re familiar with Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) then you know what I am talking about. It is hard for me to describe what one is but it is extremely helpful. My therapist and I also discussed my family. Specifically, my parents and their addictions to drug and alcohol. My dad is in active recovery while my mom is not in recovery whatsoever. We talked about how I learned from their mistakes and chose not to drink or use drugs. I told my therapist that I don’t need more issues on top of the ones I already have.

I’ll write more later. I am just really tired and in pain from hitting a brick wall. Thank you so very much for reading. It is very much appreciated. Peace Out, World!!!

Bored Half Out of My Mind, Waiting

Posted on by Gertie

Good Afternoon, World!!! I am bored have out of my mind as my therapist wants me to hang out in day treatment. He wants me to hang out in drop in as he converses with his supervisor on whether or not I need to be hospitalized for my self harm actions. I don’t think I need to be hospitalized as I was recently in the hospital. He doesn’t think I need to be hospitalized either but since he is relatively new he wants to make sure he is doing what he is best for me.

I think after I am done blogging, I’ll read. I am realizing that reading is helping with pain management  of my hand. Reading has been quite helpful for me in a number of areas for me. I am grateful that I have overcome the issues I had with reading when I was a child as I love reading.

I think I am going to go now as my hand is in pain. I’ll post more about my hand later. Thanks for reading. Peace Out, World!!!

Monday Night Ramblings

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! I’m sitting here thinking to myself how I can can more readers. The only thing I can think of is to do another WordPress course. I am going to do one I have already done before as it was somewhat easy for me yet it gets me the readership I want. Maybe when I do Finding Your Everyday Inspiration I can use different tags as that will help me gain more readers. I’ve been blogging for nearly four years and I don’t have as many followers as I would like. Part of me is okay with this while the other part is not. It means I am not reaching as many people as I want.

My anxiety is acting up tonight which isn’t very helpful for me when my depression is acting up. I’m not sure why it is acting up but is. That is why I decided to read. It helped with the anxiety for a while. I think reading has helped me a great deal the last few weeks and I am grateful for that.

I am still figuring out ways to supplement my income. One way I am doing it is with the advertisements I have here on my blog. I’m thinking of other ways to earn money as well until I am able to go back to work. Not sure how else to it but thinking of ways.

Thank you for listening to my ramblings. Peace Out, World!!!