One More Step

Comments and inquiries to share with others. (Questions for Staff can be posted below.)
samcat
Posts: 224
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:19 pm

Post by samcat » Mon Jun 14, 2010 3:03 pm

Thanks Man of Music. I am coping, but I sure do miss her!!

Yeah for you--you are doing great on eliminating your caffeine and sugar and I know you'll kick the salt habit too.

samcat
Posts: 224
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:19 pm

Post by samcat » Mon Jun 14, 2010 3:12 pm

Thanks Claudette. I appreciate your kind wishes. I like your attitude and need to also accept the body symptoms more instead of trying to fight them off.

SeaRunner
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2009 1:06 am

Post by SeaRunner » Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:22 pm

Claudette -

Thanks for sharing your story. It's always helpful to find the commonalities between all of us so we can better relate. I'm sorry that you can't teach anymore. I don't want to take away from your acceptance, but it's always possible that you'll recover and be able to teach again. You don't have to plan on it, but why rule it out?

I think that there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing the program as many times as you like. You're reinforcing good habits. I guess you could consider it "working out" for phobics - it keeps you in shape!

I have to disagree with what the coaching staff told you. I think that anxiety and depression are often life long conditions. But if we keep our skills in tune, we can keep them from being the center of our lives. We can even get to the point where they're basically eliminated. But we will always be prone to them so it's a good idea to keep doing all the positive things we've learned like the relaxation techniques, positive thinking, realistic expectations, and so on. It's when we start to forget about how to deal with stressors that we get back into trouble.

I'm not saying that we can't recover, I'm just saying that we have to make permanent changes in our thoughts and behaviors. Let's compare it to taking antibiotics for an infection. If you start feeling better and then stop taking the entire prescribed amount, the infection is likely to return. But if you follow through and take them all as prescribed, the infection is typically eliminated. Make sense?

The body symptoms are tough. I go between the body symptoms and the obsessive and negative thinking as to which is worst for me. Perhaps when they happen together is the worst, LOL! Like you said, they always pass and we always survive. I have to remind myself of that every time.

Jamie
"Common things occur commonly. Uncommon things don't. Therefore, when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." -- C.J. Peters

SeaRunner
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2009 1:06 am

Post by SeaRunner » Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:25 pm

ManOfMusic -

Sounds like you're doing very well with all your dietary changes. It also sounds like you know yourself well enough to know how to beat your cravings. With all that, I'm sure you're make your goals. Wow, no caffeine, sugar, or salt. You'll be in great shape in no time, especially with your walks. You may not need WW after all!

Jamie
"Common things occur commonly. Uncommon things don't. Therefore, when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." -- C.J. Peters

SeaRunner
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2009 1:06 am

Post by SeaRunner » Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:33 pm

I didn't make it into the office today, but I'm feeling better now. The medication I was taking was only a temporary thing to get me through the worst of my depression while I ramped up on a different maintenance medication. I'm off the temporary stuff and feeling much more back to normal - the good way. I expect I'll be able to get back into work tomorrow.

By Saturday I was awake enough to get out and exercise. I biked about 24 miles on Saturday. I was tired on Sunday from the long bike ride, but I was able to run about 3 miles that evening. I biked again tonight but cut my ride in about half due to some bad weather. So I'm getting my exercise in.

I've not been so good about doing relaxation regularly, but I'm still making an effort. It's always difficult for me being that I'm so tired all the time that I just fall asleep. But I usually get in some relaxation time right before bed to help calm my mind.

So my weight is staying the same right now at about 180. It usually takes me a week or two of consistent exercise before I start dropping so I'm not worried. We'll see what the next week brings.

Cheers to all,
Jamie
"Common things occur commonly. Uncommon things don't. Therefore, when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." -- C.J. Peters

martha sadler
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2010 1:47 pm

Post by martha sadler » Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:29 am

:cool: Good for you SeaRunner . I hope you can contiue to feel good and meet your goals. My goals are to get off my meds. and to get better about my depression in the winter time and anxiety. Have a good Day.

SeaRunner
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2009 1:06 am

Post by SeaRunner » Tue Jun 15, 2010 1:22 pm

Martha -

Thanks for the kind and encouraging words. I know if I keep trying that eventually I'm going to reach the finish line. I believe we can all do it. And, yes, I will have a good day!

Those are very big goals you've chosen. Do you have some intermediate steps or goals to strive for to reach your final destination? It's amazing how much easier it is if you break your larger objectives down into smaller more manageable pieces. It also lets you celebrate your successes more often and reinforces your resolve to continue.

Have a good day too,
Jamie
"Common things occur commonly. Uncommon things don't. Therefore, when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." -- C.J. Peters

SeaRunner
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2009 1:06 am

Post by SeaRunner » Tue Jun 15, 2010 7:40 pm

Today was another "learning experience.". I didn't make it into work but I did get out for several hours to practice driving. Even when I'm not feeling great I still try to get out of the house and accomplish something. As my therapist refers to it, I was "planting flags". It wasn't so long ago that I would have just stayed home all day so I definitely can see the progress. Plus the distances I'm driving alone have increased dramatically.

I did get some relaxation and exercise in today as well. I was a bit more tired today so I ran 2 miles and walked the last mile. Of course it started raining while as I was in the middle of my run, but it actually felt kind of cleansing. I just let the rain take all my worries and anxiety with it as it ran off my brow.

So how is everyone else doing? Well, I hope.

Jamie
"Common things occur commonly. Uncommon things don't. Therefore, when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." -- C.J. Peters

Claudette
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 2:46 pm

Post by Claudette » Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:55 am

Hi everyone, hope things are going well.

ManOfMusic,
Welcome back. Wow, no caffeine, no sugar, no salt! I wish you the best with your goal settings. We are rooting for you and remember you are "human" so it's normal to let go sometimes. We just pick ourselves back up and go for it again. Last night I ate a bunch of chips before going to bed and woke up feeling anxious and wiped. Oh well, live and learn. Ahhhhh.

Martha,
We would all probably like to eventually get off our medication and not have these bouts of depression, especially during the winter, let alone any other time of the year, but like the program suggests, live in the precious, present moment. Setting goals are important as long as we don't obsess over them. I have definitely been guilty of that. Every baby step of using our skills will lead us to our goals. We must beleive that. All the best in your precious present moments.

Jamie-SeaRunner
I am going to share what I will repeat to myself daily (and it's coming from YOU-thanks)
1. "Keep our sills in tune so that we can keep anxiety and depression from being the center of our lives." Man, I like that.
2."We can even get to the point where anxiety and dpression are basically elimimated." It sounds so hopeful and really helpful to hear.
3."...make permanent changes in our thoughts and behavioura." You bet.
4.Most importanttly..."Learning to deal with stressors." I think we once used to, but we lost it somewhere along the way.

Well put Jamie. Your job might not be a classroom teacher but you certainly are a teacher at heart.
You're right, it's changing our behaviour, our attitudes about ourselves, others and our everyday situations. Sounds easy doesn't it? lol And this is why we're here, to support one another. It's a human part of our healing. I will always be grateful to Lucinda Bassett and everyone else in the program who have come forward to share their experiences and to give us hope, that we too, can live healthier lives.

I'm very happy to hear that you are feeling better with the temporary meds. You sure are working out a lot with cycling and running/walking. Wow, good for you! I do the treadmill almost everyday for at least 30 minutes. It's great to sweat. It's hard to beleive that last November, I was terrified of exercising, let alone going on a treadmill.

I am still working on:
Relaxation CD, not obssessing ever my body feelings and catching myself being negative. One step at a time.

Let's keep the hope in our journey to wellness. Cheers, Claudette.

Claudette
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 2:46 pm

Post by Claudette » Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:02 am

Jamie,
You might already know this but there's a "Driving CD" from StressCenter(I beleive it's 10 bucks) that really puts driving and any other fears into perspective. It really helped me. Cheers, Claudette.

Post Reply

Return to “General Comments/Inquiries about”