Remember to take a break

You know ... I am participating in NaBloPoMo which is one post every day for 30 days. I am actually very proud of myself. I decided that despite my decision to join the movement ... I felt the need to be offline for a few days. Instead of feeling compelled to get on my computer and blog ... I stayed off!

This brings me to a quick question ....


What are you still doing in your life just because you feel like you need to? For me, it is being on social media and responding to emails. It isn't until after I take a vacation that I remember how much I love NOT being on the computer all the time. Life goes on and while my stats drop, my overall mood improves.

I challenge you to write in my comments something you do because you are worried about what will happen if you don't. THEN, take the leap to STOP and see what happens! Call it a mental health break ... that's what I do.

Suicide Awareness Day

Today, September 10th, is National Suicide Awareness Day. This is my 2nd Annual post about suicide awareness. While I suffer from Bi-Polar Disorder, I am one of the lucky that do not have suicidal tendencies. However, somewhere in the world, someone dies of suicide every 40 seconds. That is 90 people every hour, 2160 people every day, or just under 800,000 people every year.

It's been rough

You ever have those days where you don't want to talk to people because you have absolutely nothing nice to say? Yup, it has been one of those weeks. I have had one of those weeks where almost everything either annoys me or I am just not "not feeling it."

However, with it being Mother's Day, I am pulling out of my funk long enough to write a post.

Still working on conquering fear

So, my writing prompt today was this picture. I have to start this with the acknowledgement that I have a LONG way to go with conquering my fear.

I think that one of my biggest goals this year is to be able to work through my anxieties. I don't know how successful I will be, but I need to at least make small steps. I have developed serious anxieties through the trials and tribulations I have gone through. Being honest, I am being treated for social anxiety and General Anxiety Disorder. I have things that help me through my anxiety. If anyone else is having problems with anxiety, you are not alone! It is not imaginary. However, I am also learning that you do not have to live with it ruling over you.

First, we need to define the difference between worrying and anxiety disorder. I am going to define it as my therapist stated to me. For the longest time, I was convinced I was just a worry wort and needed to get over it. I am learning, however, that I have anxieties that are disrupting my ability to live a normal, healthy life. GAD is better shown as:

 

Friends: One of my biggest sources of support with my struggles are with my friends. I have a couple very close friends that I can talk to. It is really awesome to have people in my life that I know I can just vent to and they understand. They are the ones that know me well enough to know that parties are such a HUGE deal for me. As I have stated before, I love to plan parties but I have a great tendency of cancelling when the date comes. If I can find an out, I will take it. Thankfully, I have friends that understand this and make sure that I feel comfortable and can talk about things.

Self-Soothing: Another method that I have used to deal with my anxiety is with self-soothing methods. From the time a person is born, they find ways to soothe their anxieties. Infants nurse or cling close to their parents, toddlers will find a favorite blanket or stuffed animal, and children will begin to learn how to deal with changes. Through experiences that happen through life, your ability to handle everything will change. You develop fears based on things that scared you in the past. I am beginning to learn methods of self-soothing that will help me deal with the fear and anxiety of the unknown. One is to sleep. I am starting to sleep on things and try not to panic immediate. The other is being okay with crying. It sounds childish, but sometimes with a good cry, I just feel better. You can also use meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, and exercises.

So, with all that said, I am still growing and learning. I do seek therapy and am looking at re-starting Cognitive Behavior Therapy where they will work on calming my anxieties. I am also on medication. I wish I could give you more advice to dealing with anxiety, or state that it is a game, but I can't. I really enjoy being out of the house, but it isn't as easy as just jumping in the car and going. If someone tells you that they have trouble getting out and doing things, don't assume they are lazy. I leave my comfort zone for my children. It takes a LOT of work, but I know how much it makes them happy to do things. You are not alone and it is not something to be ashamed of. I am looking forward to continuing to grow and break some of the barriers I have built in my life.

Taking Back the Control - Discredit the Myths

I am a Type A person. I do not like to get behind on my work, and I will often take on more than I probably can handle. Okay, so not probably ...definitely cannot handle without rearranging my life. I hate when things are out of my control. I will have anxiety attacks and become irritable. I do not have the ability to see things clearly, and I feel everything is a personal attack. I am sure that many others have felt this way as well. I have felt that I was personally attacked over the last year, and I hate it. I hate my gut questioning every look, every question, every whisper. I got an email letting me know about a free webinar that was going to take place this week. Even better is the fact that the videos are available after the call so I can watch them at my leisure. Watching the Mom Is In Control Telesummit, I had my ah ha moment. 

Look at the two of us ...

Christmas Eve is only a day away. This day last year brought heartache, as we celebrated it with only one of our four children. So, today's prompt from the Blog Dare, really spoke to me.

What doesn't kill you ....

The statement "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger," is EXTREMELY true. My family has been put through the fire over the last year and I think our family has come out way ahead. We sat back and noticed that over the last couple weeks, we have just found our rhythm. While we still have occasional problems with the special needs, things are improving.

Talking Serious Right Now

USC’s MSW Programs Blog Day.

*may contain hard to read information*

I like to keep my blog uplifting and down to Earth. Unfortunately, there are life events that do not always allow that to happen. Everyone knows the past year has been extremely tough on my family and I am very thankful for my husband. He was there beside me every step of the way.

Let's back up a bit.