The things I find out through my blog and other thoughts

The things I find out through my blog and other thoughts

I know the internet has free content, for the most part. Any one can take anything from it. Pictures, articles, blogs, and the like. Today I found out that my New York Times article was republished through a suicide prevention network. http://tspn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/CYHM-17.pdf. I am no longer anonymous in my writing like I thought I was. I wrote to the network to tell them although I am flattered by being on their cover of this issue, I am also dismayed they did so without my knowledge, consent, or permission. I mean, they could have sent me a tweet or tried to contact me through my blog or something. I shouldn’t have had to find out through my own blog that this was published. It just pisses me off.

I am feeling better after I had my nap but now I can’t sleep because I napped. My stomach is still kind of queasy. I was kind of looking for a snack so I had three Oreos thins. I wanted more but didn’t want to push my luck. I feel ok but I am still kind of hungry. I am not going to eat because I don’t know what will happen. I didn’t take my night time dose of Zoloft because I want to see how I fair. If I don’t get sick after I eat an evening meal, then I know it’s the Zoloft making me sick again. I am going to take it easy tomorrow and try not to eat so much at once, even though I really didn’t. I just had a sub and some fries. I shouldn’t have eaten it because I wasn’t hungry to begin with. But I hadn’t eaten anything since 0900 so I had to eat something. I am going to eat the same things I had today tomorrow and see if I get sick. If I don’t, then I know it’s the Zoloft. If I do, then I know it’s what I am eating.

I got my pens today. For some reason, I was very excited about receiving them. I guess I am happy that I have them because one of my pens ran out of ink the other night. I had to replace the ink with the pen I just bought because I didn’t have refills. I plan on buying them on my next Amazon order. I should be banned from ordering on Amazon. You can get pretty much anything and everything. I just got like 6 items and it’s almost 100 bucks. Granted one of the items is a $50 book, but still. I can really go to town when I am on the website and I am bored. I usually save the items for later. I hope that my food processor and new watch isn’t caught in the storms that are affecting the Midwest. I am supposed to get them on Monday and I hope that I do.

Mohammad Ali passed away tonight. Seems 2016 is taking a lot of good people. I am glad that my father, though he wasn’t the best of people, is not alone. I never wrote up the story. Maybe I will after I finish this blog. I am wide awake anyways. It will give me something to do. I just hope that it doesn’t cause me to have PTSD symptoms.

Was having a good day…

Was having a good day…

The day started out okay. I got up, checked my email and stuff on my phone and wanted to get a coffee. So I went to Starbucks with my new psych book. I got the new cold brewed coffee with sweet cream. It was very good. I had two doughnuts because I was kind of hungry and today was National Doughnut Day. I read about 12 pages of the book before I couldn’t read anymore. By this time it was close to the next bus leaving for home. I decided to get something at CVS before heading to the bus stop. They had meatballs on sale so I got a bag and figured I would make sauce when I got home. I was feeling pretty good.

I got home and I don’t know what happened. My ankle crapped out on me soon after undressing and getting into my PJs. Forget about making the sauce. I wasn’t going to tax myself seeing that I was already in pain and would have to stand for at least 3 hours while the sauce cooked. I would be sitting down and getting up like every 15-20 minutes but still, it would be a lot of work for a small batch of sauce when my ankle was telling me fuck you.

So I took my pain meds and decided to back up my files on my laptop as I think I need a new cooling fan. My laptop is making a high pitched whine like an airplane taking off when it starts and stops. If I didn’t have to take everything apart to replace it, I would do it myself. But it’s too complicated for me and I rather have a professional do it. Which means, I will be out close to $300 next month to have it fixed. I need to ship it to Dell. I trust their work more than anyone else’s.

I wasn’t really hungry for lunch but felt like I should eat something as I hadn’t had a huge breakfast. So I ordered a pastrami sub and fries. Now I wish I hadn’t. I feel so damn sick because I ate too much at once. I couldn’t stop eating the fries. My stomach is doing flip flops. I just took a Zofran to keep the contents of my stomach in my stomach. I really don’t feel well. I probably should have stay out as I was fine while out and about. It was a nice day today too. Not too hot or cold. The sad part is, I think I will feel better if I do puke. But I hate puking as I am fearful my back will go out on me.

I don’t know why I feel so sick. This is the third day that I have eaten a meal and then felt bloated and nauseated. I hope the Zoloft isn’t to blame for this. Think I will skip tonight’s dose and see how I feel tomorrow.

Rambling Thoughts at 0200

Rambling thoughts at 0200

I just got off the phone with a childhood friend. She is out in California so as usual, she forgets about the time difference. She is funny. I love her so much, but not in anyway other than friendship. We have been friends since the 6th grade.

For some reason, I just can’t sleep tonight, despite taking medication for sleep. I just took an Ativan so I am hoping to be asleep within the hour. I am very tired but restless. My brain keeps firing away with thoughts. I have a huge pile of stuff at the foot of my bed opposite where I sleep that I have to go through so I can change my sheets this weekend. I was going to change my sheets last weekend but my back went out on me. It’s feeling better now, a little bit. Least it was until I had a horrific sneeze that knocked it out again. I think that is part of the reason I am still awake. My back is aching and I just can’t seem to relax to sleep.

While I was talking with my friend, I talked about the death of my father. It brought up memories of that day. I told her it was a terrible thing to see a parent die like that, no matter what your relationship was with him. I told her I have PTSD and that I was in the hospital because I was semi-suicidal. She was concerned a little bit. It was the first time I told her the truth about my depression. I also told her that by the time she sees me in October, I will have my name changed officially and legally. I am really excited about this. I just hope there isn’t a waiting period to have my name changed.

I feel like I am in a holding pattern. I want to sleep but my thoughts are keeping me up. I just don’t know what to do with myself. I am trying to relax and empty my mind but that is easier said than done. Breathing exercises always make me dizzy. I am so sleepy that I feel sick to my stomach. I feel like I should do something, like write up the story that I have but I am afraid if I do, I really won’t sleep tonight because I will be filled with memories and it’s wicked late.

Earlier tonight, I was on an app called Reddit. I have no idea what it is or what it does. I responded to a few things and then on the 3rd or 4th thing I was commenting on, the thing timed me out, saying I did too much and you have 7 minutes to reply again. WTH. So I wait the 7 minutes, finished typing my comment, posted it, and then I got out of the app. Stupid thing. I still have no idea what the hell the thing is for or what it is about. If someone that is reading this knows, please enlighten me!

Today is my Uncle Sam’s birthday. He passed away almost ten years ago. I miss him every day. He was a great man. I don’t know if he would have accepted me for who I am but I know that he loved me. If my father is in heaven, I am sure that he is arguing with him right now over something stupid. And my uncle is saying “for crying out loud” and for “christ’s sake”. Those were his famous sayings when he was frazzled.

I hope I get some sleep tonight. It’s going to be a long day if I don’t. I really want to go back to Starbucks later today to try the new Cold Brew coffee they have with vanilla sweet cream. It sounds tasty. I think I can get it free with my Stars reward so I don’t have to pay for it. Then I can read or write. I finally got my new psych book that I want to read to refresh my memory on things. It also has stuff on the DSM V. I am so out of date that I still have books with the DSM III-R. A lot has changed with the DSM. Some things are the same, but I have to relearn everything again. I haven’t bought the DSM V because it’s kind of expensive and I don’t really need it. If I ever become a clinician, I am sure there will be another version of it out.

Speaking of books, I was thinking of getting the Associated Press Stylebook for my editing purposes. It will cost me around $35 for the latest version. I was talking with my writing friend and she says it a good book to have so when I get paid next, it will be the first thing I buy. I am not close to editing my book but it will be nice to read over. I might be able to improve my writing style. I have bought a writing reference book. It’s buried in the pile of shit that is on my bed that I need to clear off to change my sheets. I have at least three books buried there. Every time I clear it, I tell myself not to accumulate stuff again, but I do. It’s gradual and doesn’t happen over night. I will clear it off and get this book. I want to read the section that deals with punctuation, like semi-colons and stuff. I don’t use them because technically, I don’t know if I am using them correctly or not or know really when to use them. I also would like to know how to use the dash. I have seen people use them and it makes me jealous because I don’t know when to use them. I am just a novice writer.

Purpose

Purpose

Everyone needs a purpose in life. It is what drives us. But sometimes when we are very depressed and feeling worthless, our purpose might not be so clear cut. We often think while depressed, that people will be better off without us, that we don’t matter. This may lead us to become suicidal. And then our true purpose is lost to us. All we think about is death because we have no purpose to go on living. It’s especially precarious after we lost the ones we love due to illness, divorce or if we lost our job. What does it mean to go on after so much loss?

In therapy, therapists often try to give us a life worth living. But what does that mean if we have no purpose for being? It often hurts too much to go on living. Sometimes there are protective factors that keep us here, like family, friends, or children we love and wouldn’t want to hurt with our death. It’s difficult to balance this when you feel so damn low and want to end the pain so badly. It tears at you night and day to go on living in this pain.

My sense of purpose is construed. Others can see that I have one but most times, I don’t see it in myself. It’s hard going on without something to keep me going. I often wonder why I am here. I should be dead three times over, yet I still exist. I am tired of just existing. There is so much I want to do yet I am hindered due to my disabilities. I am often frustrated and suicidal, not a good combo. My depressions are severe and debilitating. My chronic physical pain is as well. I can’t work anymore. I don’t have any friends that are close by that I talk to on a regular basis. I have my online friends, without whom, I think I would feel totally alone, trapped in my room. My therapist and psychiatrist think I am a writer. But since my father’s illness and subsequent death, I have not written much. I had this blog to keep me going, as a challenge to myself to write something every day. Sometimes, I would write two to three times a day. But it’s hard work. Some days it is easier to write than others.

My blog gives me a purpose you can say. I write and get feedback. Most times I don’t but I know the readership is there because I am a stats freak. I watch my numbers go up every day. Sometimes it’s the same blog that gets read several times, and that is ok. My purpose has been fulfilled if it helps someone to understand what it is like living with chronic depression, suicidality, and physical pain.