YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Bookend 1 of 2:

Friends, I took a mental health day today.

I am wracked by neurotic anxiety, and no less than authority than Carl Jung says:

“Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering.”

My anxiety is high, probably an 8 of 10.

I don’t have a plan quite yet of how to mitigate this, since for now all I can do is (1) post here and (2) breathe.

Take care, Oak

manuel_moe_g wrote: ↑March 21st, 2023, 6:25 am Take care, Oak

Thank you, Manuel Moe, for your encouragement. It was a little bit of sunshine this morning.

Bookend 1.5 of 2:

Friends, I have arrested my mental spiral:

1. I ate (HALT).
2. I resumed my prescribed Buspar (after a few days of missing a few doses here and there).
3. I was honest with myself about why I had this spiral: I went to a new fitness class last night. It went great, and I was warmly welcomed. However, I realized just how far I have to go. I’ve come a long way, no doubt, regarding fitness. And now I realize how far I have to go.

As author WH Auden said: “All we are not stares back at what we are.”

On a little lighter news, I’m participating in a charming research study regarding fitness. It has daily “missions”, which give me a concrete list of actions to take.

Going forward

The good news is that I recognized I was in a spiral, accepted that fact, pulled back on my expectations for myself today, and continue to hold on.

Also, I’m making beans and rice from a suggestion from my research study! I’ll let y’all know how it turns out

"I went to a new fitness class last night. It went great, and I was warmly welcomed. However, I realized just how far I have to go. I’ve come a long way, no doubt, regarding fitness. And now I realize how far I have to go.

[...]

On a little lighter news, I’m participating in a charming research study regarding fitness. It has daily “missions”, which give me a concrete list of actions to take."

Outstanding!

Please be self-compassionate. The world is hard enough, I hate to think of my friend's mind actively hurting my friend.

manuel_moe_g wrote: ↑March 21st, 2023, 2:01 pm Please be self-compassionate. The world is hard enough, I hate to think of my friend's mind actively hurting my friend.

Manuel Moe, great to hear from you. And thank you for the encouragement/advice: I effected it, and cooled my brain a little.

Bookend 2 of 2:

Friends!

I made it through okay.

It was something like a 24-hour flu of the soul.