Relapse! Coping, Symptoms and Tips.

[Darksky]

How are you Fishman? Not letting the buggers grind you down I hope

just dried off ( it's piddling down outside) Got a bag of Tyrrells and a can of cider, waiting for BGT and that's me done for the evening. Hope everyone has a good one

[YoullNeverWalkAlone]

Hi carnation and to all your lovely friends here, how are you today, a bit better I hope. Horrible weather here just non stop rain all weekend which doesn’t do much for lifting your mood. I want to get out in the garden to start getting it tidy for winter and maybe getting one last cut of the lawn, but impossible at moment. Hope you are ok. Lots of love xx

[Quinn1]

I wish it would rain down here,so dry. There are several cities and towns almost out of water,poor Mother Earth.

Just popped in too say Howdy Carnation

[Carnation]

You'llNeverWalkAlone, it's the same here on the weather front. I'm not missing out on anything because I'm having another in bed day. Even though I slept a full 9 hours last night. I managed to get the garden spruced for the winter and as for the grass, it resemble a hay like burnt to the ground look.
Thank you for asking. I felt a little better yesterday, still have a long way to go though. But only had one mild panic attack yesterday as opposed to the three I had the day before. Hope you are doing ok too. x

[Carnation]

Hi Quinn, yes, I bet its hot there at the moment.
We didn't get much rain throughout the summer here.
Hope you are ok too. x

[Carnation]

Darksky, did you enjoy BGT last night?
Although I hardly ever agree on the results.
I couldn't bear to watch the knife man and covered my eyes. It wasn't the best weeks performances, but quite entertaining. Hope you enjoyed your cider. x

[Darksky]

Yes it wasn't the best week really. The chap with the knife was good entertainment. We were looking for the button he pressed to make the blade retract. Couldn't see it but he sure had one

for me I don't think you can beat Stavros Flatley. They are funny, foot tapping, good honest entertainment. I love them.

Vile here again today, just cooked the roast lamb and cleaned a bit. I may do the Christmas cake this week.

And yes, I always enjoy cider. Not a big drinker but I do like cider

[Carnation]

Oh no Darksky, not you as well, we just don't get Stavros Flatley.

Im managing to get better sleep, 8 hours last night and 9 hours the night before. I'm lounging in bed til the afternoon and I honestly don't even feel guilty about it.
There's one snag with doing nothing. The mind races in all sorts of directions. It just won't shut up!
I'm even thinking about my late mum and dad and getting upset about it all again.
So I play my affirmations, must be 2 hours worth over the day. I find it very calming.
I had a mild panic attack yesterday and the day before and both in the kitchen, what is it about the kitchen?
I told Mr C and he just went "erm".
I haven't managed to get in the garden due to the latest storm, but might manage it today.
I'm also starting to read Claire Weekes 'Self-help for Nerves'. Mr C wants to pop out today and of course I am nervous about it. Nothing too taxing, but you know how it is. I can't say I feel any better in myself yet, maybe a bit calmer. Depression still there and I think that hasn't helped and maybe fuelling the anxiety.
Just have to let time do it's thing.

[Darksky]

Yes me as well I'm afraid, I love them! Hope they go on to win the whole thing but I don't think they will.

the kitchen is just a trigger place for you. I remember you having to prep the veg in another room. Once you feel bad in a particular place, it gets into your head and then it comes on when you go there again. Keep on going in there though.

Good luck this afternoon. I think it's important you do nip out every so often. Otherwise it will become harder and harder.

Nine hours sleep, sounds like bliss, I can't remember the last time I slept through the night. It's not anxiety based it's just how I sleep. Fortunately when I wake I turn over and go back to sleep. There is a benefit to it though. If I wake up and it's still dark, it's bliss knowing I can just go back to sleep and not have to get up.

[DustingMyselfOff]

Ahhhhh yes, the trials and tribulations of quality sleep. I've been all over the map with that one. In the past I could fall asleep anywhere, anytime, as long as I was sitting. Even with people around - sometimes embarrassing! And then I spent years being too exhausted to sleep (if there is such a thing) and my doc even wanted to give me sleeping pills (which I, of course, didn't take). So I lived on cat naps throughout the night, where I would fall into a light sleep for an hour or two, then wake up to toss and turn for an hour, and catch another cat nap. I don't think those are helpful at all because when it was time to get up, I was exhausted as if I hadn't slept at all. When I retired 6 months ago, I couldn't sleep at all! I would go to bed and literally lay awake for 3-4 hours before I would slightly drift off, but the slightest noise would wake me up and I'd be wide awake again. This has been going on for practically the entire 6 months of retirement. But having started a part-time job (been more like full time this week while I'm training) I am back to falling asleep anywhere, anytime. As soon as I hit the couch at night to relax, I am asleep. If I crawl up to bed, I am out again within 3 minutes.

So I guess not only do we go through different sleep cycles in our lives for whatever reason (age, hormones, stress levels) but it also takes what it needs as far as how much we exerted ourselves. During the non-working period, I wasn't doing enough during the day to warrant a quality sleep at night. Now that I'm moving and working most of the day, I am blissfully exhausted when it's time to settle in for the night. What's the key? I guess listen to our bodies and "accept". I hate tossing and turning for hours, so perhaps next time that happens, I will give it 30 minutes, and then get up and read or watch TV. It feels like torture trying to sleep when your body isn't cooperating.

Anxiety triggers: it still amazes me how deeply bedded they are yet how quickly they can surface at the slightest nudge. And it doesn't seem to matter how long you've been feeling calm, because I have been doing well with my anxiety for a few months now and yet when I was checking for new posts on here, I saw a few words about "fainting" and instantly my body felt physical anxiety symptoms. Just reading the words "dizzy" or "faint" anywhere in writing sends a shockwave through me. Yes, time is supposed to be the answer and the healer for everything, but geez, I wonder if I have enough years in me left to heal from the years of anxiety and damage!