if you feel those winter blues, move to our Village, spread the news!

[ThatVikRinA22]

new thread folks.....im losing track but i think this might be our 7th!

all welcome. old and new. This is a supportive place for anyone suffering with any type of mental health issue.

im on Sertraline (ADs) and have been since last December. I had 6 months off work with depression and anxiety and the ladies on these threads kept me going.

Feel free to post, to comment, to ask questions, or just to lurk and feel less alone.
everyone in the village is lovely.

[SnowyMouse]

All sounds good LollipopViolet Time to switch off the screens.

[NancysGarden]

Fantastic achievement Lollipop I am also doing weight watchers since May and have lost exactly 2 st. I have 7 pounds more to loose, although I don't fancy my chances at chrstismas!

[LollipopViolet]

Gah, I have the job centre tomorrow for my new claimant interview.

Really hope I get a nice adviser who will let me ignore the sectors that I really don't want to or can't work in.

I just need a nice shift based job while I do my TA training :)

[SnowyMouse]

I lost 2 stone but have put a stone back on Congrats on your weight losses.

I hope you get a nice adviser too, LollipopViolet

[ColouringInQueen]

Hi everyone
Well done nancy and lollipop on loosing weight and hope your interview went ok.

snowy its hard isn't it. I have put on the weight I lost in the summer

Well college finished couple of weeks ago so I am trying to paint at home. I'm finding it so difficult though, can't quite get focused, miss the high college tables and class banter, not to mention tutor advice! Need to try and get stuck in for a couple of hours. Disappointing I was all enthusiastic this morning after coming in from a walk and now I'm just feeling very flat and unmotivated. Think I will have lunch and try once more after that.

[SnowyMouse]

It is hard CIQ

Good luck with the painting I know what you mean about it being different by yourself. Give it a go after lunch.

My CPN is seeing me next Friday, she doesn't seem to be having much of a Christmas!

[ColouringInQueen]

Wow she doesn't! Right off to find some food.... thanks x

[SnowyMouse]

How'd it go, CIQ?

[DumDum32]

Hey all I'm up at stupid hour :( Dad is doing well, care package in place (someone comes 3 times a day). Mum care packaged the same & mine once a day. Had a fall in the bath yesterday & have damaged my shoulder I think - gotta get it x-Ray'd! I feel a bit better then yesterday I think!

Well done to nancy & lollipop for losing weight. Hope interview went well also these advisor can b right pain the backside sometimes.

ciq hope it goes ok with the painting. Once ur use to it on ur own it'll b ok.

snowy don't fret over weight gain I've realised it's not under my control anymore the meds are to blame & well we can't stop the meds can we.

Hugs to all x

[ColouringInQueen]

Thanks dumdum and snowy. Dumdum glad to hear the care packages are sorted and you're doing a bit better today. Sorry about your shoulder though!

Not a great painting result to be honest, but mainly cos I found it really difficult to get into at home and then when I did I was rushing. Need to put it somewhere I can't see it cos its still drying and every time I look at it I look in case I'm happy with it!!!! But am trying to remind myself, that it's all good practise, and like you say, will get used to painting at home.... just is a bit lonely... Had a lovely eve out with my sister though

Just in from a mammoth supermarket shop. Have to have a coffee before I can summon up the energy to put it all away. Shops v busy too.

The kids break up early. I am glad its the Christmas hols but I am a bit apprehensive about having everyone at home all day every day...

[SnowyMouse]

That's good to hear, DD32

Well done on the painting and the shop, it must have been very busy. Take it one step at a time, CIQ Are they old enough to play by themselves?

[ColouringInQueen]

Thanks snowy yes they are. This afternoons been nice, went out and posted some letters, put up all our Christmas cards on Christmas ribbon that comes out each year... But I am going to have to try and pace myself - doing nice Christmassy things with kids, getting housework and cooking done, and getting ready for Christmas day and Boxing day... Do feel a bit fragile (tho late night last night with my sis is a part of that!)

How are things with you today?

[SnowyMouse]

Pacing yourself sounds like a good plan I'm soso thanks, took citalopram for the first time today and I feel odd.

[LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA]

welcome to the citalopram bus snowy :) This is my AD and i felt pretty odd when i first started taking it, you'll know im sure that it can take a few days/week or two to settle down but now i don't think i get any side effects at all from it.

[SnowyMouse]

Thanks, LEM That's reassuring. I'm wondering if I should start with 10mg rather than 20mg...

[LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA]

They started me on 10mg this time, but was straight onto 20mg the first time - i found it harder to jump from 10 to 20 than to start straight on the 20mg tbh, although we will all react differently. 10mg is a sub-therapuetic dose though so if it were me i'd stick with the 20mg if you feel odd but not horrendous. I was on 40mg at one point, that did zonk me out a bit - i would have walked in front of a bus without a second thought (not because i felt suicidal but because i had no fear!)

[SnowyMouse]

Thanks for telling me your experiences, LEM Perhaps I should try to persevere. It's tricky because I need to be with it Monday, contemplating skipping my tablets the night before.

[LollipopViolet]

Adviser lady was actually OK - I have to go back to my Work Programme place who are lovely, and just go and sign on at the Job Centre - who were not so great. Woohoo!

I have had to lift the restrictions I had on my last jobseekers agreement regarding when I could work - apparently as buses start at 5am, I can start work very early as "If you can get a bus to X town, you can get anywhere."

Booked my yearly eye test for Monday afternoon, hopefully all is still good. Lovely optician is going to write me a letter explaining all my eye conditions and what impacts it has on daily life, so that I have something to show employers, and job centre people - hopefully she'll also list jobs that are totally unsuitable so I don't get pushed to apply for them.

One of my friends has a new job after Christmas - back in teaching :) Very happy for her.

One of my other friends is also knitting me a sparkly turquoise hat to match my turquoise skating stuff - yay!

Only bad thing about eye test is lovely optician wants to do my pressures for the first time and I'm a bit scared!

[SnowyMouse]

I'm glad the adviser was ok, LollipopViolet Shame about the restrictions being lifted though.

Good luck with the eye test on Monday, is that where they puff air onto your eye?

[LollipopViolet]

It is Snowy I've never had it done before so I'm a bit nervous!

[TheSparklyPussycat]

They don't puff air into your eye anymore (or at least mine doesn't). When this started being part of my eye tests, I used to ask to get it done early in the test to get it over with! But with any luck yours may have the thing mine uses now - you feel nothing, apparently a tiny ball is fired at your eye and they tell the pressure by the bounce. I only know all this cos I asked :)

[LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA]

Nooo don't skip your tablets snowy, will make it worse and certainly wont make a difference as they have a half life of five days so would still be effecting

[LollipopViolet]

See, my optician has shown me her little air machine (used it on my hand to show me it's not too horrible) so I know that's what she'll do.

One of the Dancing on Ice stars is at my rink tomorrow, and I can't go as I've got the hairdressers at 3, but if she's early, it could be anywhere from 2, and the bus I'd get home is 2.10.

I might just risk it, she can do my gran's hair first if I'm not back!

[LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA]

link to new thread here