Tag Archives: Therapist

Weekly Check-In

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! Overall, this week has been an okay week with some challenges. Challenges that suck at times but I am grateful for the support I have from other people in my life including my therapist. In fact one of the things I did this week was see my therapist for our regular appointment as well as a phone check in. Both of the phone check ins as well as my regular appointment with my therapist went well. My regular appointment is normally an hour but we were able to do an hour and a half due to my therapist’s next appointment cancelling. It was a hard session but I am so grateful for being able to receive mental health treatment as well as have an amazing therapist.

As far as volunteering is going, it is going great. I volunteered my regular shift on Sunday as well as doing two additional shifts. One on Wednesday after my session with my therapist and earlier this evening. The extra shift I did this evening was unexpected and I am grateful that I live near PAWS Cat City and was available to help out. I love volunteering at PAWS Cat City.

Another thing I did this week was hang out with some friends I have not seen in years. They are here in the Seattle area for vacation and it was good to see them. We had some awesome meals at local restaurants here in Seattle that my friends were impressed with. My friends are now camping and I will see them before they head back home to California. I am always happy to see old friends.

I do not have much more to talk about 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 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

Posted on by Gertie

Sunday

  • Mindfulness Meditation practice through the Calm App.
  • Morning walk
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Spend the day with my partner, Junior
  • Dinner at Red Robin with friends and Junior

Monday

  • Mindfulness Meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House
  • Movies with friends and Junior

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness Meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House
  • Attend an in person queer group
  • Read
  • Art (color and/or rock painting)

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness Meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend a virtual group
  • Lunch with my partner, Junior at Red Robin
  • Read
  • Art (color and/or rock painting)
  • Attend a virtual 12 step meeting

Thursday

  • Mindfulness Meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend a virtual group
  • Read
  • Art (color and/or rock painting)
  • Time with Junior

Friday

  • Mindfulness Meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House
  • Attend virtual appointment with therapist
  • Dinner at Red Robin with Junior and friends
  • Movies with Junior and friends

Saturday

  • Mindfulness Meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Go to the U-District Farmer’s Market
  • Read
  • Art (Color and/or rock painting)
  • Dinner with friends

Tough Couple of Nights

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is just barely after five o’clock in the morning here in Seattle. It’s been a tough couple nights due to suddenly remembering something horrific from my childhood a couple of nights ago. On the good note about this is when I remembered, Junior was with me and then the next day which was yesterday, I had therapy.

Therapy is not meant to be easy but yesterday was tough but my therapist was compassionate and empathetic as always. She listened and gave me some suggestions to help take care of myself. My therapist makes talking about tough shit safe to talk about even when it feels unsafe due to PTSD symptoms.

Due to those PTSD symptoms, I had a couple of challenging nights and lack of sleep. Junior helped me Wednesday but was unable to help last night (Thursday) due to working. Sadly, he is unavailable today and tonight due to work as well. He is a firefighter and works twenty-four hour shifts and is doing an overtime shift today. Anyway, last night I had the help of a couple of friends via phone as well as my cat, Billie. I am grateful for my natural support system.

I do not have anything else to write about 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 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!!!

Slightly Struggling

Posted on by Gertie

Good Afternoon!!! I am slightly struggling once again despite keeping myself busy. Busy with various things and activities that have been quite helpful this time around. I just wish I was not struggling at the moment as struggling sucks shit.

If you read my last post, you are then aware that I woke up way too freaking early. I am tired as hell and I am seriously thinking about taking a nap. A nap that might not be a good idea as it could prevent me from sleeping tonight which I really do want to sleep tonight.

As I mentioned above I have been keeping myself busy with various things. One of those things was having an unscheduled in person appointment with my therapist. The appointment went well. In fact I admire my therapist a great deal, for many reasons.

After seeing my therapist, I went to the pharmacy to pick up my medicine. I picked up nine prescriptions. Four of those prescriptions are for psych reasons to help with my mental health diagnosis. The other five are for my physical health. One of those five meds is an antibiotic for a bladder which could be one of the reasons why I am slightly struggling.

There is also another reason why I am slightly struggling which is quite normal for me and many others living in Seattle this time of year is the weather. The weather is yucky at the moment but I have seen it much worse here in Seattle. Due to the weather being yucky today and yesterday, I have been using my happy light (or happy lamp) to help with my depression. I also have seasonal affective depressive disorder which is also known as SADD.

Another thing I have been doing to keep myself busy is attending online twelve step meetings. Twelve step meetings which I have found quite helpful for myself. I am so grateful that I started going back to these twelve step meetings.

I also have been doing a great deal of art work. Specifically, I have been coloring a small poster I bought from Stuff2Color.com. I love to buy coloring posters from Stuff2Color because they are very detailed and keep me busy for hours on end. While I colored, I listened to music on Spotify. I have had my recovery play list playing in the background to help me focus on my recovery.

One of the other things I have done to keep myself busy is read. I have been reading Pet Cemetery by Stephen King. Right now I am on a horror book kick. Partly because it is Halloween time and partly because of the weather. As I read my cat, Billie, was laying in my lap. I love my cat so very much.

I do not have anything else to write about 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 was not 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!!!

A Rough Morning

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! I am having a rough morning. A rough enough morning that I called my therapist who surprisingly answered her phone. She is able to squeeze me in for an in person appointment later this morning.

My therapist agrees with me that the lack of sleep and the current yucky weather that having a session today will be beneficial for me. I usually see my therapist every other week and it is done virtually so it will be nice to have an in person appointment with her today. My therapist is a sweetheart and works very hard to help me especially the last two and a half months after the recent trauma.

I don’t have much more to write in this particular 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

Hello, World!!! It is Saturday evening and I am starting to do my weekly check-ins again. I just want to keep you the reader as engaged as possible. I know it sounds silly especially since I just talk about my boring life.

So, this week I went back to work after being gone for about a month due to medical reasons. Well technically I was on leave due to a trauma. A trauma that hit me to my core that sadly triggered some severe PTSD symptoms from past traumas. Traumas that I personally don’t really want to deal with especially things I thought I already dealt with.

Enough with discussing trauma and back to discussing work. Being back to work is a bit weird. I am happy to be back to work but it just feels weird. I love my job and am grateful to be back and only had to take my extra break once.

Part of my work week I spent two days at the Peer Pathways Conference. It was a huge growing experience for me. Hell, it was a growing experience for many in attendance for many folks who attended the conference this year. It was also great to meet in person again. I did have some sensory overload during the conference however I enjoyed myself.

I also had a session with my therapist which was hard but hard in a good way. My therapist is awesome and appreciated what she has to say. I also had an appointment with my psychiatric nurse practitioner. We of discussed meds and one of them was increased to help with my PTSD symptoms.

It wouldn’t be a weekly check-in without discussing my awesome cat, Billie. I love my cat and am grateful to have him in my life. It is hard to think about life without him. He is a very good and loving kitty.

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

A Busy Day (Off) Ahead

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning and Happy Friday, World!!! Today is my day off and I have a busy day ahead. My day started off by feeding my cat, Billie some wet food as he has dry food is free fed. I then went for a walk. As I walked I listened to music. When I got home from my walk, I did a mindfulness meditation practice. Now, I am sitting at my computer with my cat Billie in my lap as I write this blog post about to tell you how busy my day off is going to be.

You just heard how my day started, now let me tell you how busy my day is going to be. I will be volunteering at PAWS Cat City from 10:00am to 1:00pm today. I love volunteering at Cat City. I love being able to play with all the cats as well as helping cats find the perfect furrever home and helping people find a cat to join the family.

I, then come home and have two virtual appointments with my mental health treatment team. My first appointment is at 2:00pm with my psychiatric nurse practitioner for a med review for my psych meds. I do not think anything will change med wise except for getting refills. My next appointment is at 3:00pm with my therapist. My therapist and I will be discussing various things that I need to work on as well as coping skills. I look forward to meeting with my mental health treatment team.

After my appointments with my mental health team, I am planning on spending time with my cat, Billie who I consider family. I know there are some people out there in the world that do not consider pets as family but I do. Billie, is family and I am grateful for his unconditional love.

I do not have much to talk about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog post. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Happy Friday and Peace Out, World!!!

My Meds Aren’t Working

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, Word!!! My medication is not working. Friend and family are saying that it appear that I am on drugs when I am not on drugs. MY meds aren’t working like they are suppose to. My friends and family think I am using drugs when in reality my meds are not working properly. The last thing I want is people thinking I am on drugs.

On that note, I let my doctor, therapist and psychiatrist know vie email and phone call. I know that is a bit much but I just wanted to make sure they were made aware of it. Plus my meds are making me funny and they should know about that. I hope they get back to me soon.

Yesterday Was Not a Good Day

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World or at least it is three twenty one in the morning in Seattle. Yesterday (Tuesday) was not a good day for me. I ended up in the hospital twice in the Emergency Room due to being suicidal. First time I went in it was four something in morning and was discharged. Thankfully I got home just in time for my psychiatric nurse practitioner called me for our phone appointment, She put me on Ativan which was a good thing.

Being home was not a good thing so I called my therapist who is fairly new to me and appears to be a great therapist. I also called one of the supervisors who happens to be my therapist supervisor. I called the both and left them both an email. The supervisor suggested to go back to the hospital so I did. But the first thing I did was have my grandpa and uncle pick up Billie with his supplies to take to grandpa. My uncle and grandpa dropped me back at the same hospital I was earlier.

On that note they had already did shift change and the social worker on duty was surprised to see me as I’m not going to the Emergency Room for mental health in over four years. Partly glad it was her and partly wish she wasn’t her. She pointed out some stuff I needed to hear which let me come back home. I’m glad she helped me make that decision as I fear if I ended back in a psych ward I most likely would have retreated to old behavior.

As of right now I can’t sleep for unknown reasons so I took an Ativan to help with my anxiety since Billie my cat is with my grandpa and uncle. I know Billie is in good hands but I sure do miss the little dude. Well not so little as he is fifteen and a half pounds. He could loos a few pounds just like I do.

I do not have much to say in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Monday Blues

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! I am having the case of the Monday blues. I can blame it on the typical weather here in Seattle. I can blame it on my messy ass apartment. I can blame it on my right knee being in pain. Hell, I can blame it on everything I just mentioned which is part of why I am partly depressed.

Not only am experiencing depression from what I just mentioned, I am experiencing it from my actual diagnosis of depression. Sadly, I can also contribute the depression the anxiety that I have been having. The increased anxiety and depression is partly because I was physically attacked by a neighbor a few weeks ago.

When I got attacked I didn’t call the police first because I thought going to the emergency room first was the most important thing I could do so I did. Sadly, I am still in pain in my right knee. Specifically, my right is the knee that is bone on bone arthritis which sucks shit when it got injured while being physically attack.

The attack finally caught up to me both physically and mentally. I took today off due to the depression and anxiety while being in knee pain. That is why I am taking tomorrow off due to going to the doctor’s office to get my knee checked out by my doctor. I will also be seeing my therapist like I always do on Tuesdays.

As much as I wish I worked today and can work tomorrow but I need to focus on myself so I can help my clients. If I’m not doing well physically or mentally, how can I be have help to the clients I serve.

On that note, my cat Billie Dean is helping me so much. Billie is helping a great deal with both my anxiety and depression. Billie’s unconditional love for me is amazing and helps me love other people. Pets can also help with depression and anxiety and help with the healing process of health issues.

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, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!