Crepeys/Hagsnet - come to the candlelight!

[MrsSchadenfreude]

As the last thread is now full...

Bummer Ruby, happened to me last summer - I tried everything, including offering to do telephone/video interview. They weren't having it.....kind of glad in retrospect, but wasn't at the time.

The Paris swimming pools sound so much more exotic than Peckham Pulse and Brockwell Lido

Just catching up - no time to chat as I have to be up at 6am to wave DS1 off to France for his Y6 school trip (they're staying just outside Boulogne, so not exactly pushing back the frontiers of continental travel).

LOL at your challenging mother, MrsS. Keep taking the tablets.

Okay, I have lost my mojo, my joie de vivre (just for MrsS). So any ideas how I get it back. I have no motivation, and zero interest in anything. Anyone been here? What did you/do you do?

My mojo is so lost I am quite worried. I suspect I should get back to exercise but am utterly, utterly knackered. I am also not completely sure that the end of term will revive me

BTM, I see your Brockwell Lido and raise you the Bridge at Sydenham.

Don't think I've ever had the pleasure of The Bridge, and maybe never will as DC do not need accompanying to swimming any more, yay! Have you tried the newly refurbd ED pool? It's my local

Re: lost mojo's, I'm not sure exercise helps that much - I've been stalwartly doing mine for years, but it usually just leaves me feeling knoackered and needing a ! The HRT does, however, seem to be having a more positive effect, though after far too much to drink on Saturday, I don't think my family would have agreed yesterday

I need to get back to the Shred. Haven't been drinking (makes everything worse, even if it does numb things!). I just have no interest in anything. Dp asked me what I wanted to do and I haven't the foggest and that's depressing!

BD, my lovely, I think there are times when the Bigger Picture just has to be put on hold (like my work ishoos). Get through to the end of this week. Do something nice if possible (I have night out at local Indian restaurant with some nice mothers from school tomorrow). And then we can all recoup and rethink.

Wise words MI. I shall put down big stick I am beating myself with and try to do something produective at work whilst dragging ds to the end of term

BD, clearly your "get up and go" has got up and gone. I think I know how you feel.

I find taking the time to take care of oneself often helps - are you getting enough early nights/relaxing evenings/time alone/proper meals? (delete as applicable).

I did find exercise restored my mojo when I started last Spring, but that was mainly because I was finally facing up to my denial about my ballooning midriff and general lack of fitness, and I found Couch to 5K very motivating, particularly being able to post about my progress on MN.

Having said that, I'm not finding it quite so motivating at the moment; over the last year I've really noticed the increasing effect of my hormones on my general mood, but it was only when my periods started to go haywire that I made the connection. I really am not the person I was two years ago.

If only I could motivate myself to get to the doctor's!!

CV - yes, get and go has definately got up and gone and left no forwarding address. I am trying on the early nights (chronic insomnia not withstanding), and eating and all that. I, too, am not the person I was two years ago either (not that I would want to be as I was in the slough of despond), but may be five/six years ago? I just don't want to plod on like this to the grave IYKWIM. Its not like full on depression (had that) it's just the total lack of motivation and interest. (not helped by dp who is the exact opposite and doesn't have enough hours in the day, or night, to do everything he wants to do)

It's definitely to do with our age - I have been feeling alot like that - no energy or will to do anything, although much better when I am at work as the job is very full-on

But it has improved very recently - too soon to say if it is the HRT, but could be as that is the only change I've made really. However, I have to say I'm not looking forward to our camping hol as much as I usually do (and wishing it was 3 weeks in a 5star in the sun instead), but maybe that's down to the weather?

BD, are you sure it's not mild depression? Obviously you have experience, but there must be degrees of it. Possibly not helped by the hormonal turmoil we all seem to be suffering. Maybe a chat with your GP....?

Well, insomnia makes you feel absolutely drained and kaputt, for starters. I battled on for 5 years, telling myself to get a grip and it would get better soon. It didn't and I finally gave in and went on some meds for it; that made a huge difference to my quality of life. In my case, it was a symptom of clinical anxiety/depression, which was probably a reaction to a bunch of meh stuff but also worsened by hormonal turmoil. Weird old thing, the human mind. :)

Not saying that these things might be the cause for your insomnia, Blackduck, but after my experience, I'd advocate going to the GP sooner rather than later when lack of sleep is grinding you down.

It's a funny old time isn't it? I can't work out what is hormonal (until this thread(s) I'd never even given the menopause a thought but I guess the erratic periods are a clue :) Then there is the personal stuff, a tough four years or so, and it is difficult to separate what is what, and what is causing you to feel a particular way.

Thanks all for the thoughts and advice - will ponder...

Blackduck - a very wise counsellor once said to me that it's almost impossible to separate the hormonal influence from other depressive issues, that you just have to see the two as magnifiers for each other. If you are low, the hormones will make it worse, and if you are ragingly hormonal the other difficult things in your life will increase the mood swings. I found it very useful to think of it as a combination as I used to spend a lot of time trying to work out if I was going mad/sinking into a terrible depression OR did I have raging PMS? It feels easier, somehow, to leave that debate and see it as a touch of both.

On the beauty front, I need to make a list of things to buy from a French pharmacy on my hols. I have La Roche Posthelios down, anything else that brilliant and only available / cheaper in France?

Oooh wilbur, good call - off to France myself next week

RoC is doing a facial sunscreen that looked rather nice when I saw it in Feb.

I am running on near-empty but feel rather better for acknowledging that fact. Can I give a feature on involuntary admission for mental health patients (ie being sectioned) the title 'They're coming to take me away'?

ok, have not posted on this thread for ages but I am so with you on the hormone / lack of mojo thing. Just got my period 15 days after last one started. This is the first time it has ever been THAT irregular.

Yesterday I turned 45.

This really is the beginning of the end, isn't it?

Having a slight weep.

MI - only if you add "ha ha!" to it.

I will have a think about nice things to buy in France, but Bonsoir is probably better at this than me. You might try Bioderma's Crealine Solution Micellaire as a cleanser. I use the one for dry skin. Nuxe tinted moisturiser is also nice.

I had a good sleep last night, with a lie in, and am feeling perkier this morning.

MI - I have two jiffy envelopes for you and if it stops raining, will dash to the post office this afternoon.

Hiya Mitten, don't cry; it's not a good look for the over-40s.

Anyway, you're in good company here, and Happy Birthday for yesterday.

Oh come on, Mitten, dry those wrinkly little eyes!

Come on Mitten, cheer up You're with friends here!

I for one, can't wait to never have to cope with the reds at home again It's just the knackeredness / feeling grumpy / down, etc that's crap!