Category: blogging

a useless therapy session

by Midnight Demon, posted in blogging, chronic physical pain

I had a pretty exhausting but good day. I had a little hypomania for most of the day but that seems to have dissipated now. I have not crashed yet but I know it is coming on. I am dreading it. Given that I already have suicidal tendencies in the forefront of my mind, it is going to be hard to get away from this crash, depending on how bad it is. I was euphoric for nearly a day and a half, the longest I have ever been in such a long, long time. But I think a migraine interfered with it since I have taken my migraine med I have been feeling calmer and the racing thoughts have stopped.

I am listening to the ball game because I cannot stand watching the game while Dennis Eckersley is announcing. So I am listening rather than watching. I like listening to Joe Castiglione. He has a calming radio announcers voice.

I gave my therapist the blog that I wrote the other night, before my euphoria. It is so weird that I wrote so darkly and then felt the complete opposite within 12 hours. I met with her today as I had my sister’s car. We did not go into overtime. This week I am meeting with her four times. I know that might seem excessive but given my mood swings, it will be good. My thoughts were all over the place while I was talking. I didn’t know exactly what to talk about as she didn’t do her homework of reading the Managing suicidal risk forward that I told her to. I didn’t even see the book on her desk when I came into her office so I know she didn’t read it. I forget now why I wanted her to read it other the fact Shneidman praises Dr. Jobes work. I was kind of hoping that she would pull out an SSF (suicide status form) but my mind was going a hundred directions at once. I don’t remember half of what we did talk about other than me feeling like superman. She wanted permission to talk to my psychiatrist, which I consented. I don’t know what she will say. She thought that since I was euphoric I would give up my idea of being suicidal but I was too giddy to say yes to that. Maybe I was feeling good because I know there is an end to my pain. Wouldn’t be the first time I felt ok after making the decision to end my life. But I also wonder if I felt good because the pain I have been feeling is finally gone for the time being. I did tweak my ankle today just stepped wrong while looking for something in my room. We talked about my pain meds being a factor but for it to last more than a day, I find that highly unlikely. I know the pain med might still be floating in my system but I doubt it would have lasted till now.

I tried to stay focused with the letter/blog. I know I talked about how I got four more followers to make it 190 right now. I am pretty proud of my blog. I know that I touch people with it. And I do get some bloggers that provide feedback. I got a comment today about what I am writing, whether I am trying to reach out to people and I am not. I am just writing to express my feelings. I am not writing for sympathy.

As I got to see my therapist today, I got to see my big teddy bear, Johnny. I miss him. He is just a HUGE cuddly teddy bear. I love him since the day he entered my life 12 years ago. I got him as a gift when I had my first back surgery. He is so big that he couldn’t fit in the bed with me. I had to put him in a chair next to me. I told him today that he would have to take care of my therapist when I am gone. My therapist didn’t like hearing this but I have been telling her for years this.

We did talk about my writing my book. I told her that I would just put my stuff on dropbox for my friend to publish. I then had to explain what dropbox was as my therapist is technologically inept. I really don’t think my book will ever get published. But from what I gather from writers is that you just have to keep writing in order for that to happen. I still want to get a good publisher like scholar or some kind of press but I am not sure I can ever hit the big leagues. I know there are some self publishing companies but I don’t really have the dough to make that happen. And I doubt I would make the best sellers list. I know my blog is successful but I don’t think my life will make the big leagues in the book world. Most people have gone electronic anyways.

I feel like I need another cup of Java I am so tired but I have been up since six this morning. It is now eight thirty in the evening. I just took my night time meds. But I can’t go to sleep just yet because I am listening to the game.

I am starting to feel like shit mentally. I am wondering if I should go back to the hospital but that just always gives me more problems than it is worth sometimes. I don’t really get the help that I need there, depending where I go. Mostly you are counseled by the nursing staff and they are ultimately make the decision on whether or not you can go, not the attending psychiatrist. You are lucky to see the attending more than 10 minutes. And that is not enough time to do any sort of assessment. They basically just ask you questions, are you safe, are you going to hurt yourself and if they questions are no for three days, they send you free. They don’t care what brought you in the hospital. Soon as you are in, your insurance company wants to set you free.

accountability

by Midnight Demon, posted in blogging

Just had my morning coffee, Blue Java. I made it a little bit too strong as I don’t have the right scoop anymore. I don’t know what my mother did with it, but I can’t find it. Now I feel energized. I wrote two pages in my book. I felt I could write more but I needed a break from what I was writing. It stirred up a lot of emotions from last year. I can’t believe it’s been a year now that I have been out of work. I still feel the sting every time I talk about it.

A friend of mine wanted me to write a blog about friendships and being there for people. I have to say that since my departure from my job there have been people there for me but now they have withered away. I don’t talk to my former coworkers anymore, even the ones that I had gotten really close to. I guess you can say that my friends have moved away from me. I get calls every now and then but that is it. After saying hello and how are you doing there really isn’t much to talk about.

My friend was in need of talking to someone and when she dialed a few friends they weren’t available and that hurt her. I don’t blame her. I know what it is like to want to talk to someone and not have anyone to call. Least she has someone to call but when they don’t answer, that just feels like a slap in the face.

I have one friend that I can count on day or night to call up and talk to no matter what time it is. And so far he has not disappointed me. I sometimes text him first to see if he is available and he usually texts me back if he isn’t or calls me if he is. I love him and value his friendship more than anything.

But how is it that people say they are going to be there for you and then not follow through? I don’t get that. I think people say it just to be friendly and hope that no one ever calls them on it. That is just hurtful. If you are not going to be available for that important call, then don’t bother saying you are always there for them because you are not. In a suicidal crisis, that is the worst thing you can do. But my friend wasn’t suicidal. She just needed to talk to some one and no one was there for her. This makes me sad. She is a good person and I know she has some really good friends and all but how good is it if they don’t return phone calls or answer them. I know with caller ID people can just ignore phone calls now. They see who is calling and just decide they don’t want to talk to that person right now. Or maybe they are too busy to pick up the phone because they are in the middle of something. But couldn’t they just say that rather than ignore the call? I think that would be better but most people don’t think that way anymore. I know people have their lives to attend to. I just think it is sucky when you want to talk to someone and no one is there to pick up the phone.

psychache and therapy

by Midnight Demon, posted in blogging, chronic physical pain

Woke up this morning in pain again. I couldn’t stand it. I tried getting in touch with my therapist to have a session to deal with this pain. But couldn’t get in touch with her till after I took my really strong pain pills. I had to break the cycle as it’s been almost ten days now that I have had this pain and nothing seems to be calming it down. I know once the weather decides to stay at a normal temp I will be happy. My brother in law just put in the A/C so my room should be 50 degrees in another hour or so. I hate being this miserable. I really wanted my Isla Flores today but I couldn’t go out because the really strong pain meds put me out and I would be stupid all day. I slept till about an hour before my therapy appt. My therapist finally texted me a time we could meet.

I wish I could say that it went well but it just left me feeling depressed and hopeless. We did a psychache scale and it was 50 something, which is high but not as high as she was expecting. The whole thing just bummed me out because I know I am in dire straights and she knows I am going to kill myself in a few months. She is trying to lessen the ache to lessen the suicide/press. But I don’t think you can do that without first dealing with my physical pain which is the cause of all of this. I can’t help but think that if I didn’t have chronic physical pain, I would be somehow ok and might want to live. I might actually use my brain to get a grant to get back to school. I am just eight classes short of my degree. That is two semesters full time. I probably won’t be able to go full time because it will cause major psych issues but I can go at least half time. I will beat doing nothing all day. But I rather just focus on my death.

I want to die because it is my only option right now. I can’t think straight with this pain and I know you shouldn’t kill yourself when you are suicidal but I am not per se suicidal. I am just thinking about ending my life and planning a means towards that ends. I feel rational about this. Nothing about this feels wrong. Sure I can go on living in misery but I am choosing not to. I know my family will not understand. No family would. But I am tired of being in pain. I am tired of the endless, sleepless nights of agony I feel every single night. The burning. The stabbing. The zaps. I can’t take it anymore. Just knowing that I have a plan gives me comfort in that I won’t have to suffer anymore.

I told my therapist today that I will have to hurt her. She refuses to stop treating me. I can’t make her go away. I have tried to give her an out so she doesn’t have to be around me when I do this but she refuses. Today she was talking about some therapist that believes in psychache as resilience. I really have no idea what she was talking about and neither did my therapist. She gave me her name but I don’t remember it. I think it would be interesting to see her but I don’t have time. Then my therapist says that she wants me to see a consultant again. I don’t know what he will want to do other than tell me he doesn’t want me to die. She asked me today if she could talk with my psychiatrist and I said sure. There is nothing you two can do to stop me from my plans. If I don’t do it in a few months I will do it on my original date. I have until then to change my mind. But the way things are going, I don’t think I can change my mind. I just took another strong pain pill, my second of the day. Maybe two will work this time and tomorrow I can get my Isla Flores. I have not been out of the house all weekend. I think tomorrow will be a good time to get out.

Ramblings 41

by Midnight Demon, posted in blogging

I have not been feeling well the past few days. I have been in pain that has been unbearable and it has been unbearably hot. I still don’t have my A/C in as the temps are supposed to drop over the next few days. I cannot wait till it does because I hate to sweat.

I sent my chapter on my psychiatrist yesterday and got a response today. She loved it. I feel humbled by that as I thought there would be something she would want to change or take out and she just liked it as is. This is the book that I am writing. I wanted to show her what I was writing in case I had some things wrong or something and she liked it. She has been a major support of mine. I can’t tell you how much she has supported my writing. I remember when I my poster got accepted for my first poster session for the American Association of Suicidology. She wanted to be there but was there in spirit. She liked my writing then and really likes my blogs. I think I have learned a lot from her more than she realizes. But then we are going on twenty years of knowing one another.

I still don’t understand why my foot is bothering me today. I didn’t do anything except watch tv. I had my foot up most of the time. I just don’t get it.

Today was to start the pill but I am still bleeding so I am debating on it. I might hold off another week. I kind of am afraid of using the patch because I am afraid with the heat I will sweat it off and then what am I going to do? I know this sounds brilliant just having to use a patch for week than take a pill every day but with the heat wave on, I am a little cautious. I just hope I don’t have an allergic reaction with it or something. That the other thing that I am worried about. I got sensitive skin. I just don’t want the adhesive to hurt me. I hope that it also comes off easily.

Don’t know if I mentioned this, but my therapist pissed me off about psychache scales and such. I tried taking one yesterday but I am in so much physical pain, it was next to impossible to sort out my emotional pain from my physical. I couldn’t believe I was caught in the conundrum. I thought it would be an easy assessment as I was not feeling any psychache but the questions were specific and I just couldn’t separate how I was feeling physically with how I was doing emotionally. I found it very frustrating. I had to leave it half undone. So then this got me thinking that maybe I should read Managing Suicide Risk to get some insight into how to separate my thoughts from how my physically I am feeling but I couldn’t get into it. It’s not like it was technical or anything, I just didn’t have the brain power with this heat. Even now all I want to do is sleep. My Sox game is being delayed due to the weather.

I haven’t been eating much the past few days. I have had no appetite since this heat wave started. I haven’t lost any weight though, which is weird. I guess I am eating enough for my daily requirements. Today all I had was a bowl of mac and cheese and an ice cream sandwich. I didn’t feel like eating anything else. I have been drinking a lot of fluids though. I had at least 3 big glasses of lemonade/ice tea. I figure I have to keep hydrated even if it means going to the bathroom more.