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Your Personal Journey!

for 13 år siden 0 +0 / -0 55

Hi,

Nice to read your story goofy!!

Like you, I am also work in progress. Actually I am starting to think I will be work in progress for the rest of my life, but that is not necessarly bad :)

I've been on the program only for a few months (started back in Jan 2011) but the change has been outstanding if I may say so myself! :)

Although I must admit my situation is 'easy' - my issues were mostly negative thinking, or what I know recognise as cognitive distortions, and poor lifestyle habits: high carb diet, no exercise, poor sleeping habits, etc.

I think its been little (or big) changes here and there, but I feel much better these days. There is still some negative thinking/stinking thinking but is WAY less than a few months ago!! That has been the major change I'd say. I went from believing that things were never ever going to get better for me, to having hope and suddenly realising that things are ALREADY better!

On top of that, my lifestyle is much healthier these days, I am now following a low carb eating style (high carbs and sugar spikes were contributing to my mood swings and depression that was related to food alergies), I exercise regularly (heck, I even got a biceps now! lol), I go to bed and wake up at the same time every day (I have noticed a huge difference from this), I have a good, healthy breakfast every morning (used to skip breakfast very often), and I try to avoid working during evenings and weekends unless is completely necessary. I also got a full health check up to rule out any physical diseases that could be contributing to depression and found out I had dangerously low vitamin D levels (which is directly linked to depression) so now I am trying to spend a little bit more time outdoors.

So everything has helped for sure, but is a huge relief to not be victim of the cognitive distortions anymore, I still get them, a lot, but now I am able to get myself out of the negative thinking circle much more faster...

Life is looking good and for the first time I feel hopeful again and I am even making some plans for the future... scary but exciting!!

I am truly grateful for this program, I am not exaggerating when I say it has changed my life, and I encourage everyone to follow the lessons and do the homework, this program works!!

Bless you all,

for 13 år siden 0 +0 / -0 1044

Josie, You might've known I'd be first. lol

Well, I consider myself a work in progress but have made great strides since 2004. I found myself unable to continue to do my job and applied for disability retirement at age 44. I was on FMLA. As a single parent I didn't have any other means of support so my employer let me work part-time (enough to cover the bills) until the disability retirement was approved. The work slowly shifted from me to others and when the retirement started I had already been in bed except the hours I "worked" per day. I pretty much stayed in bed for two years after that. Only going when "forced" to go my parents or son. I started seeing the pdoc in 2004 but the depression started before that. I would go see the gp and say I need something, then decide I didn't need it, then go back and this flip flopped for 3-4 years prior to 2004. I quit the doctoral program because of the depression and it was spiraling downward without my consciousness of it.

In 2006 my mother passed away, that event was sort of a catalyst to get me out of bed. I felt my father needed me to help him get through the paperwork that accompanies death and he needed me to teach him how to cook, etc. I might add here, my child was an adult and was being sworn in as an attorney the day I learned my disability retirement was approved. So the worst of the worst he wasn't around for much as he worked away from here.

In 2007 I started back to work. Getting out and helping dad, then doing other things like meeting new people and hanging out drinking coffee at a local restaurant got me going, then meeting a friend with whom talked and talked to me and we worked some together on his farm. It wasn't a dating relationship but a friendship with someone who could relate. In 2007, I went to work part-time in a paid environment but not as a counselor. My focus, concentration and memory are still an issue to date (also why I haven't finished that 12 hours of the doctoral program). My pdoc agreed to two days a week initially and I slowly made my way up to a full-time job. I started seeing a therapist through my employer ( a mental health facility and alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility). I also prior to that had found here. I worked the sessions, heeded the advice and came here many times a day. lol don't search by "goofy", you'll find numerous posts. I think at one point I topped the # in posts. That's not bragging, that how much I used this site to assist me in getting better. I've had my ups and downs since then. My father passed away in 2008. I quit working at the Center at went to work landscaping for a year - I loved it! However, my dizziness (Meniere's Disease) reared it's ugly head and I'm no longer able to do that. I went back to work for the Center full-time.

As a result of this program I am more aware of me and who I am today. Accepting of me, and have some self-esteem and self-efficacy to keep me progressing.

Wow, that was rambling but I think you'll get the jest of my "work in progress". I still use the sessions some, revisit and made a new commitment recently to come back at least once a week. I need the reassurance and camaraderie from people who understand and can relate. Hats off to those who post!!!!!