It was the 4th of July yesterday and I got distracted. I have an alarm set on my phone to bring in the birdfeeders around dusk. This removes them from harm before the bears come by. Well, between going to my sisters for a picnic supper (outside with mostly social distancing) and setting off a…
Tag: unhealthy thinking styles
13 Questions to Challenge Unhelpful Thinking Styles
This tool is immensely powerful, but using it is not easy. Asking questions to challenge unhelpful thinking styles requires a commitment to act. If you do not do the work to think about the questions, your answer will always be unhelpful. I know, I have skirted around unhelpful thinking for years. Even if I thought…
Why Do I Think in Terms of All or Nothing?
I tell myself I avoid drama, and yet many of my waking hours are spent creating all or nothing situations in my head. I interrupt someone and get a short response. Immediately, my mind goes to the worst possible meaning of that response. They don’t love me. They’re mad at me for something. What did…
Everybody Expects Something of Me, Even the Birds
If I sit on the porch in the morning and don’t put the bird feeders out right away, the birds land on the empty frame and stare at me, waiting to be fed. Now I understand that I am projecting emotions for them when I tell you they are looking at me and saying, “put…
Recent Raccoons and My Depression
I know my depression recovery is not a straight line. And, in the animal kingdom, some species are more active at certain times of the year. This includes raccoons that I see now on my nightly commute home. Having traveled the same back roads for almost a year, there are certain spots where I expect…
Why Am I Afraid to Be Me?
Most days, I must explain to you why I am allowing myself some self-care time. For some reason, I don’t feel like I deserve to have “me time.” I grew up without learning how to look out for myself first. Now that may seem off-base to those closest to me. I have set goals, achieved…
Is It Working Yet? – Doing the Drugs Part IV
It has only been five days. And I just took day five’s medication about 30 minutes ago. I understand that it can be four weeks before my Wellbutrin XL, 150 mg. is doing its job as intended. And I am still taking a smaller portion of my Prozac (now 20mg) to help as I transition….
I’m Overcast This Morning With a 50% Chance of Showers
It is not a gloomy morning. And it is markedly cooler than yesterday, which is not a bad thing. There was enough rain last night that I only needed to water the three pots of petunias on the back-deck railing. Being the smallest pots, they require the most attention on hot days. As you know,…
I’m a Little Nervous This Morning
Why? I’m still not sure what to say to my new Psychiatrist. And the appointment is less than five hours away. Yes, I have made some notes and collected documents. I have my Aetna Insurance card and my drivers license. In the bathroom, I hung a large cloth bag to collect all my current prescription…
“Those Thoughts,” Are They My Suicidal Ideation?
I have been afraid to write about this subject. While people who have suicidal ideation will get it, the vast majority of people do not understand this or are afraid to talk about it. For 43+ years, I was afraid of getting anywhere near the subject. It turns out, I have a major depressive disorder,…
