Tag: psychological pain

ceiling fan

by Midnight Demon, posted in blogging, Chronic pain, chronic physical pain, CRPS, depression, mood disorders

Ceiling fan

It is really cold with the wind and it is coming in through my AC so I have my ceiling fan off. I should dust it while it isn’t in use. It’s got some serious dust bunnies on the blades, but only on one side of the blade. Weird. I want to clear off the things on my bureau too. Just throw them in a box and I will go through it later. I also need to empty my bedside trash can. It is filled. I have to find the trash bag that I had. It has become buried under some clothes due to an avalanche fall of one of my bins. I just can’t deal so left it like it is.

I had therapy today. I wish it helped but all it did was frustrate me more and all we agreed on was getting a bat and beating a pillow up. We talked about how my mother is treating me with the transgender. I told her I wanted to go into hiding. She said that would be a bad idea. She understood how much I was hurting. I told her I wanted to cry but there were no tears. I won’t be seeing her a second time this week. She doesn’t have any openings. I said that was fine. I am not in dire straits. I wills see her next week.

I didn’t brush my teeth this morning because the post nasal drip was bad. I was gagging up a storm. Once it settles down, I will brush. It has been working out better in the afternoon than morning. I still need to shave my head again. I have been trying to keep my hair as short as possible. I found out today while I was combing it that it isn’t even on top like I want it to be. I just asked my cousin who is a hair dresser if this is ok or not. Now I can’t decide if I want to grow it out or cut it to be all one length. My barber is very good but I don’t think he is great with scissors. He is very good with clippers. I like him a lot so I will stay with him. No one else will touch my hair.

I had two cups of coffee today and I am still tired. I want to nap so bad. I have been up since five this morning because I had to pee. It was hard getting back to sleep. I wanted to stay up but my therapy appointment was at 11 and I knew I would start to feel drowsy around that time. I sent a message to my psychiatrist about why I am tired and he hasn’t responded. I don’t think he will because I was kind of flip in my message.

I finally brought a notepad to my bed “office” area so I will write the essays I want to write. I think it will be better written out than typed. Less distraction. I wish I could do it in a coffee shop. I so miss going to Starbucks for coffee and writing. I feel trapped sometimes because I have no where else to go. I could go food shopping. I think I will go to the butcher shop today to get a steak. And maybe some burgers.

A Day of Misgendering

by Midnight Demon, posted in blogging, Chronic pain, chronic physical pain, CRPS, depression, mood disorders

A Day of Misgendering

Yesterday my mother’s occupational therapist kept misgendering me as well as my sister who called me sister instead of brother. My mother’s blood pressure was low and so I had to stay with her while going through with her doctors on what to do about it. My mother was not a good patient as she didn’t want to stay still. I told her she had to stay sitting or laying down and she said she doesn’t take orders from her daughter. I said I am not your daughter and she replied then whatever you are. I said oh really and she was indignant as she said yes, whatever you are. I felt so hurt. I wanted to cry but I couldn’t. She became more stable as the day progressed and I was glad we didn’t have to take her to the hospital. But the damage was done to my heart. I don’t think I can forgive her for this.

With all the care that my mother required and with me walking all over the house, my back flared up. I had groceries delivered and that just made things worse. I some how managed though. I think my back being flared up is messing with my bladder. I have been having trouble urinating all week. My urologist finally got back to me and if I haven’t gone in 8+ hours I need to cath. So now I got to keep track of my voids again. I have no idea if I am emptying completely or not. I made an appointment for urodynamic testing in a couple of weeks.

Because I had to take care of my disrespectful mother, I had to cancel therapy. I hated doing it because I really wanted to talk to my therapist about the misgendering. I was pretty angry and hurt about this. I kept having to say that I am my mother’s son and it just wasn’t registering. I felt pretty hopeless about being a transgender around my family. I thought my sisters would get that I am their brother because I set them memes about how a brother loves their sister. I guess it didn’t click.

I need to shave and shower today. My hair is getting to be manageable again, though the top is too long and needs to be cut. I didn’t realize how long it was until I started shaving my head and it went up like a mohawk. I want to go out today. It is really nice outside and warm. I want to get a steak and maybe I can grill it as my sister has the BBQ on her porch. I wouldn’t mind getting some steak tips either. My mother’s PT is coming in a little while so I might do it after he leaves.

Sunday Blog 07032021

by Midnight Demon, posted in blogging, Chronic pain, chronic physical pain, CRPS, depression, mood disorders

Sunday Blog 07032021

I am sitting in my kitchen while the floor guys work on my stairs and floors. The smell is awful. It is cold outside so I won’t open a window just yet. My shoulder is tingly this morning. I put heat on it and that settled it down some. Now it is back to tingly. I don’t know why it tingles and just in one spot. I wish I brought clothes down so I could take a shower. I won’t be able to go up to my room at least until tonight. Going to be another long day of sitting. I wanted to go to the grocery store today but I got my roller bag in my room. The porch is blocked off so I can’t get the reusable bags. Sucks. I won’t be able to go to the grocery store anyways as I don’t have jeans on. I just have my PJs. I don’t have access to my room because the stairs are still wet. I think the guys are done now. I can’t imagine it taking too long to put down another coat of poly.

I am going to try and write today. I am writing an essay I hope to be 1000 words about being in therapy for thirty years. I just hope I can stay on topic. I wish I had my notebook it would be easier to write. Then I could type it all up. I find that I write better that way than writing off the word document.

I am having a second cup of coffee because I am so tired. Yesterday I had two cups too, though I didn’t finish the second cup. I had to go downstairs for a sweatshirt because I can’t go upstairs to get mine. I am wearing my brother in law’s and it is nice and roomy. I also brought up a scarf as the window is behind me and bothers my neck. It is cold today. I have to open the windows and door to let the smell of the poly go out.

I am listening to Mary Chapin Carpenter’s One Night Lonely album. I was finally able to get it off of dropbox and put the music on my phone. It took several attempts for my stupid MP3 player to recognize it. I love this acoustic album. She always wanted one and I am glad she finally got it with all her great songs. There are 26 songs so it is about two hours and ten minutes or so long. It was a wonderful evening. I fell asleep the first time I heard it because it was so soothing and relaxing. I had to listen to it again. A few days after the concert the songs were available for purchase. I bought them right away. I love her music so much.

My sister made chicken cacciatore for dinner. It was really good. I had some soup before I went downstairs to eat so I am pretty full right now. My mother liked it. It was a good family meal. I feel so tired right now. I want to check on the floor to see if it is tacky or not so I can go upstairs to my room. I think it will be good in a couple of hours so I am trying to be patient. I did check and the floor and stairs aren’t tacky so I can go up them. Thank god. I need my bed. I am so tired from sitting in a chair all day. I got heat on my neck and shoulders right now. My neck pain is starting to act up again. I need to do my meds for the week and then lay down. I need to rest my neck as I have been sitting straight all day.

trauma and recovery and therapy

by Midnight Demon, posted in blogging, Chronic pain, chronic physical pain, CRPS, depression, mood disorders

Trauma and recovery

From Trauma and Recovery, Judith Herman

I have been reading the book Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman and it has been helpful to see where my trauma has hindered so much of my life. Last night I was reading a chapter about how the client should feel empowered through therapy and only then can they heal. I feel that I am being hindered in my therapy with my therapist because she has her own ideas of what is helpful that doesn’t include my input. I am finding it very difficult to stay connected to her because I am being stifled so to speak. I often don’t feel validated in therapy. I feel like she only gives it as a last resort to things that I say. I am going to ask her tomorrow why she has trouble validating what I am going through. I often feel that she is listening to me and then her saying “ok” doesn’t validate my experience. Just means that she heard what I said. I really don’t want to have to go find another therapist but she is pushing me too much. The last session I had with her she said the depression is making me not want to bother and I need to bother, in regards to calling a chronic pain support group. It made me feel bad because she doesn’t get how severely limiting my depression can be in reaching out for new support. I can’t just put the “bother” aside and do things. That isn’t how things work.

I know I gripe about therapy a lot on my blog but it is how I process what goes on and how I am feeling. Things that happen in therapy stay with me and I go over it to try and deal with it. I have a lot of trauma to sort through and it is still affecting my ability to deal with stuff. My depression is severe and I often think about ending my life. I have been in therapy for nearly thirty years. I think the only thing it has done is keep me alive. I have been hospitalized more times than I can count. I have learned things but sometimes those things don’t come up when I am in a crisis or feeling really bad. This is why I don’t find DBT helpful because when you are in the heat of the moment you aren’t going to reach for a piece of paper or manual for help.

I get so frustrated in therapy because I feel like I am not heard. Right now the therapist is of the opinion that she is the expert and that I should listen to her. I honestly don’t like this. I feel like this is patriarchy. It burns me to no end when I think of what she said when I was at my most vulnerable. I don’t know how to bring this up. Even as I was trying to cancel session she was of the opinion it wasn’t a good idea. That maybe so but don’t I have a right to cancel when I feel like it? She said we should at least check in because of the level of my depression is so severe. So I agreed on that point. I will have a check in with her tomorrow. I don’t know if I will talk about her idea that her being my clinician is best for me. The paternalization needs to stop.