Tag Archives: Recovery

Sunday Evening Ramblings

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! I still have a mild headache from the concussion and the fire alarm going off due to it being maliciously being pulled by a neighbor. Despite still having a mild headache, I have doing things to help keep my mind distracted. I have been doing everything from recovery related workbooks to continuing education courses to some math. Yes, I said math. I been doing all this with my cat, Billie on my lap. Oh, how I love my cat, Billie.

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!!!

Middle of the Night Struggles

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is one seventeen in the morning here in Seattle and I am struggling. I am struggling with the lack of sleep. The lack of sleep is due to insomnia and PTSD. The lack of sleep is also causing me to struggle more with my PTSD and some increased depression symptoms. Both the depression and PTSD is causing some anxiety and anger. Neither emotion is an emotion I like to deal with. Hell, I try my best to avoid both emotions.

On the note of emotions, I have been using the coping skills in the Emotional Regulation module of Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT). These skills are very helpful for me especially right now. In fact, all the DBT skill in all four modules are helpful for me. As I do my DBT skills I remember that when I made an active choice to be in active mental health recovery it was when I decided to be in an intensive outpatient DBT program and that gives me hope that things will get better, and this too will pass.

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!!!

Thinking About Things; Yes, It’s A Scary Thought

Posted on by Gertie

Good Afternoon, World!!! I have been thinking about things and yes, I know that is a scary thought. I have been thinking about ways to improve myself and become a better person. There are many ways a person can improve themselves and I will do my best to use what I have to do that.

One of the ways, I am planning on improving myself is doing math. Yes, I said math. The reason why math is because I barely passed basic math in high school and that was decades ago. I just want to relearn what I forgot and learn what wasn’t taught to me. I know it may seem odd for me to relearn what I forgot and learn what I was not taught but I don’t care if others find it odd as math is something we need in our daily lives.

Another way I plan on improving myself is learning Spanish. I plan on learning Spanish through Duolingo and possibly a workbook. I have people in my life that I can practice with which is a really good thing to make sure I am speaking Spanish correctly. It is always a good thing to know how to speak another language other than your native language.

As far as self-improvement goes this is an easy choice for me to choose. Of course, I am continue going to therapy and do daily mindfulness meditation practice. I will also continue to do recovery related workbooks to help build on my coping skills as well as help build on my resiliency as a part of my recovery. For me doing working on workbooks helps me stay in recovery mode as well as helps in between sessions with my therapist.

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!!!

Still No Sleep for Me

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is five forty in the morning here in Seattle and I still have not slept which royally sucks. I really wish I could sleep. Sleep is important to a person’s physical health as well as a person’s mental health and hope I get some sleep, so it does not start affecting my health or wellbeing.

Not only am dealing with no sleep due to insomnia and PTSD, but I am also dealing with some depression symptoms. Just like I mentioned in my last post I have been working on some workbooks to help me with the symptoms of my mental health challenges. Learning new coping skills and building on the coping skills that I have learned throughout the years in my recovery only helps me even more in my recovery journey. As tired as I am, I am grateful that I have the time to learn new coping skills through the recovery related workbooks that I am doing.

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!!!

PTSD + Insomnia = No Sleep

Posted on by Gertie

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!!!

Evening Ramblings

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! It has been an afternoon and evening of keeping my mind busy. Busy with various activities that can keep the brain sharp and busy. I actually started and finished a logic puzzle or problem or whatever you want to call it. I am very proud of myself for completing a logic puzzle and hope that I can do at least one a week. Logic problems can be a bit challenging which is why I am giving myself a week to do one and that I am surprised that I completed one in one day.

I also have done a handful of sudoku puzzles. I love doing sudoku puzzles and I do at least two a day. Today, I did eleven sudoku puzzles which a lot of them and I feel accomplished doing that many of them. I like the fact that sudoku puzzles keep my mind sharp and help me stay focused.

I also worked on two recovery related workbooks. Workbooks that I am learning new things about myself and recovery as well as new skills to help myself. I also hope to being able to purchase an extra workbook of both of the workbooks I worked on today so, I can have group around them when I get a job as a peer specialist. I am the type of person who will do a workbook before creating a group around it as I want to make sure I know what I am talking about as well as making sure that it could be helpful. Anyway, that two workbooks I worked on have been helpful for me and I know one of them was helpful for a friend as it was suggested by her for me to do the one she did.

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!!!

Afternoon Ramblings

Posted on by Gertie

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!!!

Dealing With My Anger

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World (again)!!! This is my third blog post in a matter of a four and a half hour time period. If you read my last blog post, you know why I am so freaking angry. After my last blog post, I tried to go to sleep but sadly my anger got in the way of me sleeping.

Since anger got in the way of me sleeping, I decided to journal about my anger. Journaling or writing about my anger is quite helpful for me and my mental health recovery journey. The reason journaling is about my anger is helpful for my recovery journey, it is because I tend to stuff my anger. When I stuff my anger, it tends to boil, and I end up emotionally exploding on people or I end up self-harming. Thankfully, I have not self-harmed in so long that I don’t remember that last time I did it which is good thing. Sadly, I have emotionally exploded and on people that I love and care about. So, journaling about my anger is form of harm reduction for me. Journaling about anger is a form of harm reduction for me because it allows me to not stuff my emotions as well as to emotionally explode on paper and not with people. Not emotionally exploding on people is a good thing.

After being done with emotionally exploding on paper I decided to do some artwork. The type of artwork I decided to do was diamond art/painting. It is the same diamond art/painting that I have been working on for the last few days which is the tuxedo cat in a tree. Doing diamond art/painting is a long process that teaches patience to people who don’t have any and is very enjoyable to do. I really love doing diamond art/painting because it is fun and is teaching me patience.

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

Not So Exciting Friday Plans

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is almost six thirty in the morning here in Seattle. Sadly, I did not sleep very well last night. I wish I wasn’t struggling so much with sleep. Sleep is essential for good health, both physical and mental health which is why I wish I could sleep especially since I am not feeling well. I am sadly dealing with a stupid cold.

Since I am not feeling very well today, I am going to take it easy. I am not sure what exactly what I will do today but I know cuddling with my cat, Billie will be one of thing that I will most definitely do today. Hell, cuddling with my cat, Billie is something I do on the daily basis, and I am so grateful that Billie is such cuddle bug.

Speaking of cats, I will be doing a shift with Alley Cat Project later this morning. I am on the incoming calls team. The thing the incoming call team does is return phone calls to people who have called, emailed or an online submission. Most of the time the calls returned are regarding stray and feral cats in need of some kind of help and the incoming calls team then puts the person in touch with the appropriate person to help.

Another thing I plan on doing today is continuing to do continuing education course regarding my chosen career path of being a peer support specialist. I hope the course I start today is something that I can use in a job or at least in my personal life. I am not sure what course I will start today but I will figure that out later.

Besides working on continuing education courses, I plan on working on a workbook or two that is related to improving myself and/or recovery related to the mental health challenges I deal with. Self-improvement is key to a person’s recovery no matter the type of recovery a person is in. I enjoy working on my self-improvement and recovery by working on recovery related workbooks as I find them quite helpful especially in between sessions with my therapist.

Today is not going to be all work and no play as everyone needs something fun or enjoyable to do. One of the enjoyable things I plan on doing at some point today is some form art. I am not quite sure what type of artwork that I will do but it will either be color or diamond art/painting or maybe both but of course not at the same time.

I do not have anything else to discuss or 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, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

A Day of Learning

Posted on by Gertie

Good Afternoon, World!!! It is a few minutes after three o’clock in the afternoon here in Seattle. I haven’t really done very much of anything due to not feeling well which means I have not left my apartment. I haven’t left my apartment as I don’t want to give other people in my apartment building or anybody else my cold. On a plus note at least my take home Covid test are all coming back negative which makes me so freaking happy.

Since I haven’t really left my apartment today due to not feeling well, I have been trying to stay productive with various educational opportunities and some personal growth opportunities as well as some training opportunities. I really enjoy being able to have learning and training opportunities as I enjoy being able to learn. As personal growth opportunities go, it can be quite challenging at times but well worth it in the long run.

Sadly, the training I was hoping to start and finish today, I could not do, due to a technical glitch that is not on my end. The training I was hoping to accomplish today is one for PAWS Cat City. It will allow me to learn more about cat behavior as well as being able to work with some cats who may be bit more socialization for various reasons. It is my hope that by the end of next year (2026) I can complete the various levels of training to be able to work with some of the sassier cats. On that note I am not sure if I have to wait a certain amount of time to take the next “level” of training and I am okay if I have to wait so I can get more hands-on experience after doing the online training.

Speaking of training, I did a continuing education course regarding my career path of being a peer specialist. I am not too sure about the course that I have been doing but I am learning something. Some of it is applicable to being a peer specialist and sadly I feel like the particular course I am taking is missing some vital information. I am hoping that when I finish the course that the vital information is discussed.

As far as the personal growth opportunity goes, I am doing a workbook for queer people who identify as trans or nonbinary, but I do know queer folks who do not identify as trans or nonbinary. The workbook’s focus is to build resiliency in your identity. Building resiliency can also be a part of other areas of life. The section I did today was quite challenging for me and I know it will ultimately help with accepting myself as well help me with my mental health recovery. I am grateful I have workbooks to do to help me improve myself.

I do not have anything else to discuss or write about in the particular blog post. I do want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated on my end 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!!!