As I work through the issues and triggers around my anxiety and spend time in therapy, areas of my life are being scrutinized and turned over. My therapist recently asked me “what do you do to relax, do you know how to relax?” I thought hard for a few minutes and the only reply I […]
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It’s no secret that I’m in therapy. I’ve been in and out of it but went back a few months ago. It’s hard work and not my favourite thing but it is helpful. My therapist is not all nice and pat on the head either. She is in fact incredibly tough and expects me to […]
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What made you “have anxiety?” I have always been a “more anxious” person. As far back as I can remember I know I had feelings of anxiety that seemed to be not normal. I used to worry about my family dying, I worried about getting sick, things on the news would make me terribly anxious. […]
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Worry. It’s what I do. We make jokes about it. We call me the “worrier” and the husband the “calm one” and we say that I do all the worrying, he does all the calm coping. But it goes beyond that. I know it’s hard for people to understand. Anxiety for me, is triggered by […]
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I think, in fact I know, that people believe that someone with mental health issues, dealing with something like anxiety, depression or other long term mental health diagnosis, are weak, and broken. I have had people say it to me. I have had people imply that, not so subtly. The way people react and treat […]
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This is the first time I have voiced the sentence “winter is bad for my mental health” aloud. “Winter is bad for my mental health”. I have thought it for the longest time, but then dismissed that thought as silly, hippy talk. Too much Doctor Googling and not enough common sense. But in therapy we […]
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“You are only human” My therapist said that to me last week. “You have set yourself such a high standard that now it’s hard for you to admit that you have parts of you that make you vulnerable, and need to be looked after” “You push yourself so hard, you give yourself no grace, and […]
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The long winded title for this post should be “just because I have a mental health diagnosis, doesn’t mean I don’t know my own mind and what is or isn’t good for it”. I often think that people with mental health issues like anxiety and depression, once they have come to terms with that and […]
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There comes a point when you are having a mental health crisis where you reach the bottom of the ride. I tend to describe my anxiety like a fairground ride. You have your uphill climb, which is hard work, but you have no choice. Then you have the slow but gentle ride along a flat […]
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This week is my last week of therapy before Christmas. I am not excited about my session but I am ok with going and last week was helpful, if not a fair bit painful. This is a brief post this week, but people have asked me what anxiety makes me do, how it manifests in […]
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