Category: depression

Down Day

by Midnight Demon, posted in Bipolar Disorder, blogging, depression, mood disorders, suicide

Down Day

I went to Starbucks early this morning. I was hungry and wanted a latte. I should have rested as my thigh is still sore from the fall the other day but I didn’t want to stay at home all day. I wrote in my journal an update of what has transpired the past month as it has been a month since I last wrote in it. It was the day after I found out my father had a few days to a week to live. A lot has happened since then. After writing, I felt down. I really feel sad about things.

I came home because after writing, it was time to leave to catch the next bus home. Now I am in my room and I just feel this tremendous sadness. Things that I collected from my father’s apartment have been on my bed for the past few weeks. I finally placed them in an envelope so I wouldn’t see them anymore. I had a picture book of photos of my father’s family that I made him one year. I decided to keep it because I made it and it has some of my favorite photos in it. Just makes me sad that most of the people in the book are gone now, including my father.

I have to go out tomorrow and I don’t want to unless I can leave in my PJs. I don’t think I can do that, though I would love to. I will just wear my sweatpants rather than my jeans. I have the weekend to stay at home. And then I will have a busy Monday and Tuesday. I don’t think I am going to see my therapist next week. I will see her the following week. It’s strange not having anything to do with my father. It’s like I suddenly have all this free time again to do whatever I want to do. I have a couple of projects that I need to do in my room. One is clearing off my bed so I can change the sheets. There is one corner of my bed that just accumulates stuff. I don’t know how it happens and every time I change my sheets I swear to myself it won’t happen again. But it does. I don’t get it.

Last night, I stayed up pretty late, like 0330 late. I was watching NetFlix and I just couldn’t sleep after watching an episode of Friends. Then I went on Twitter and there was a guy that played in SG1 and the Beautiful Mind. I figured I would watch that movie as I haven’t watched it in a while. Turns out, you needed to be in the DVD club to get the DVD. I was so pissed. This is the second movie that I wanted to watch but couldn’t because it wasn’t available. I guess NetFlix is fine for TV shows but terrible for DVD. I am not spending an additional $8 a month for this club. I will take my DVD watch it, then cancel the service. If I want a DVD, I will buy it on Amazon.

I finally found out what chapter to read in the “Risk Management with Suicidal Patients” book that I bought several months ago. I plan on reading it this afternoon. I might blog about it later if it’s worthy of writing about. It’s a chapter on the ethical side of standards of care for suicidal patients. It’s something that I haven’t read before. Jobes talks a little about it in his book on Managing Suicidal Risk but I never paid that much attention because I am not a clinician. Yesterday on Twitter, there was a presentation of basically how to avoid malpractice suits. The key concept is, of course, good documentation. That is why I love the SSF (Suicide Status Form). It has all your documentation needs right there. There is no need, in my opinion, for more. The Risk management book has both inpatient and outpatient guidelines by pretty much the same authors. And these authors are the big wigs in the suicidology field.

I need to write a letter of thanks to the Hospice group for all they have done for us the day my father died. I have been meaning to write it for a while now but I had other things to take care of that I just haven’t gotten around to it. I have been meaning to call the grief social worker to talk to her but I don’t know what I did with her card. I’ll talk to my psychiatrist on Monday about talking with her, just to get her input. This has been really hard on me because of my depression issues. It’s hard to tease away the grief from the depression that I always feel.

Post 1755

by Midnight Demon, posted in Bipolar Disorder, blogging, chronic physical pain, depression, mood disorders

Post 1755

Before I left for the hospital, one of my lights blew out. I decided to change both bulbs at the same time so that I could gauge when they needed to be changed next. I didn’t realize how bright two 60 watt green lights would be. They are the ones that are energy efficient so not your typical 60 watt bulbs. I sometimes have to change to my single lamp as the brightness is overwhelming.

I had therapy today. We got caught up with the hospital and where I was. I talked about how triggering the essay I am writing is. I am not sure I will type it up today. I am kind of in a somewhat okay mood and don’t want to feel sad by reading or remembering what happened. I told her about the fall I took yesterday as I am sore today. My left thigh and right knee hurt. I think I might have sprained my right foot but it’s not bothering me like it did last night. I really took a dinger from that step. There should have been a warning there was a step. Usually they paint the step so you have some warning. Nope. Unreal. I am just glad I didn’t break anything or hurt myself. I would have been at the bottom of a stairwell where no one would have seen me.

We talked for a half hour into session and then I thought time was up. I didn’t realize we still had like twenty minutes left. We talked about the grief a little bit and about how I don’t have happy memories of my father. It wasn’t like he made an effort to be a part of my life and I didn’t make an effort to be a part of his. I don’t know who lost more. My therapist said that I will always grieve the loss of a dad that I never had. I think that is why I haven’t cried a good cry since he died. I kind of wish he wanted to buried in the ground just so there would be some closure and maybe some visitation. But all we have are ashes. It’s not the same thing.

I wrote to a friend that I think the increase in sertraline is helping with my depression as I am eating better and have interest in baseball again. Past few days, I have been watching or keeping tabs more with the Sox. I don’t think I told my therapist this. I still am in awe that I watched a complete game (entire 9 innings) this weekend. I also watched 11 innings the following day. Sox won both games. I missed Don and Jerry very much. Jerry was there but the new guy, Dave, doesn’t have the chemistry, yet. I am used to Dave being on the radio. I haven’t listened to the radio since the end of last season. They have a new guy announcing the play by play. I think his name is either Tim or Jim Neverett. I am just glad Joe Castig is still announcing on the radio. I like him.

I am glad I was able to take what I normally take in the morning rather than what the hospital was giving me. I was still sleepy because I woke up at 0500. I had to pee. It took a little while to get back to sleep and then I was done for. I tried taking a nap around 1130 and then panicked thinking I overslept for my appointment with my therapist. I didn’t. I am glad I am waking around 0500 rather than 0300. Those two hours of sleep mean so much. I also went to bed later than I did when I was in the hospital. While I was in, I went to bed before 2300 most nights. It was rare for me to be awake past that hour, even if I took an evening nap. Unlike when I take an evening nap at home, I am up till 0200.

Just came up the stairs from my sister’s apt and my thigh is thanking me severely. On my bad foot, I didn’t realize I stepped on some paint chips. They were stuck to my foot where I can’t feel. I am glad I checked my feet for debris before putting them in my bed. I am just going to rest for the evening as much as possible. Stair climbing and descending hurts too much. I must have really pulled a muscle when I tripped over that step. I don’t have anything to do tomorrow so I can lay low. I should have laid low today but I wanted a mocha so bad. I was feening for Starbucks after a week of not having their coffee or lattes.

Random 344

by Midnight Demon, posted in Bipolar Disorder, chronic physical pain, depression, mood disorders

I took a tumble while leaving the hospital. I scraped my knee but I don’t think I did anything to it. I am sure I am going to be sore tomorrow. While I was in the hospital, my Achilles flared up on me. It seems to be getting worse and the lump isn’t going away. When I see the NP Friday I am going to tell her about it. The pain is so bad that my pain meds aren’t touching it.

I am glad to be home. My mother welcomed me home with “I’m glad I have my roommate back”. Nice, thanks Ma. She is making spareribs and I stole some BBQ sauce from my sister’s apartment. She was going to use ketchup and I wasn’t going to have it. I would have gone to the store and get the sauce if my sister didn’t have any.

I am having a better day today than I did yesterday, other than being in pain. I am really tired as I woke up at 0330 again with birds chirping. I also had to pee and get a pain med because my ankle was smarting. My right was hurting more than my left so I needed something. I am worried that something is wrong with my Achilles. It seems the lump is still the same, it hasn’t changed but now it’s really painful. Soon as I came home I took two pain pills. I might be knocked out but I don’t care. I am home and I have nothing else to do today except eat spareribs.

I am glad I am writing my blog on my laptop. I missed writing on it. When I feel up to it, I am going to type up what I wrote in the hospital about my father’s demise. I think once I have it in a word doc, things might be a little easier because it won’t be so black and white.

I have my appointment with my therapist tomorrow. I really wanted to talk to her at least once this week. I realized over the weekend, this was the first hospitalization that I didn’t write her any letters. I usually write her a couple while inpatient. I hope she won’t be disappointed.

having a bad day

by Midnight Demon, posted in Bipolar Disorder, depression, mood disorders

Been having a bad day full of PTSD symptoms. I keep thinking about the last two hours of my father’s life and how much I miss him. He has been on my mind all day. I so want to call him to check in on him but he is no longer here or there. It’s been difficult to process. I have been trying to write about it but it only starts the movie playing in my head again. It starts with the ambulance ride and ends with his death. Then it starts all over again.

I have been trying not to think about it, to distract, to do some grounding but nothing has been helping today. Even though I am on a psych unit, I feel completely helpless. I took a PRN to calm down as it was giving me anxiety. I haven’t slept and should take a nap but I fear that I will be sleepy by 2100 and then I will wake up again at 0400 or earlier.

I told them my plan that has been cooking in my brain. I am still being discharged tomorrow. I don’t know why I told them. My psychiatrist here is very nice and easy going. It was not that hard to get the plan out of my head with him. I am so tired of fighting the demons. I want to give in. But I think of my family and the loss they just went through and I can’t allow them to go through my loss. It is one thing that keeps me going.

My outside psychiatrist finally emailed me with an appointment. I see her on Monday. I am glad because I was getting worried that I wasn’t going to be able to see her for a while. I see my therapist on Wednesday. I wanted to see her so I kind of planned my own discharge. I am not any “better” but I am more stable than what I have been. I know that I can