Mental Illness Sufferers

[Gary david]

20 hours ago, BarbaraTherese said:

What a beautiful and moving story - I have tears in my eyes.  Thank you for sharing your story of Buddy.

God bless you also, Garry  

  Your welcome Barbara. I didnt mean to make you cry. Im sorry. I probably shouldnt have been so descriptive like that. And so it is, we can make one another laugh and also to cry. They are both part of the circle of life.

  God bless you Barbara....

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Gary david said:

  Your welcome Barbara. I didnt mean to make you cry. Im sorry. I probably shouldnt have been so descriptive like that. And so it is, we can make one another laugh and also to cry. They are both part of the circle of life.

  God bless you Barbara....

Hi Gary -  I know you did not mean to make me cry but your story of Buddy was very moving to me.  I have had pets in the past move on and I know what it feels like for me.  My beloved Buddie and Missie (my cat) are both getting on in years and growing old with me.  Tears like smiles and frowns, laughter are all a part of the human condition, the "circle of life" as you said. You were descriptive and that is what I noted too as I read - that it was well written and described, permitting me to enter into your very personal story of Buddy.  That was a real privilege.

It is a real gift to write so as your reader loses their own circumstances for a bit and is enabled to enter into your story in a here and now manner.  

May The Good Lord bless you also

 

[Gary david]

49 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

Hi Gary -  I know you did not mean to make me cry but your story of Buddy was very moving to me.  I have had pets in the past move on and I know what it feels like for me.  My beloved Buddie and Missie (my cat) are both getting on in years and growing old with me.  Tears like smiles and frowns, laughter are all a part of the human condition, the "circle of life" as you said. You were descriptive and that is what I noted too as I read - that it was well written and described, permitting me to enter into your very personal story of Buddy.  That was a real privilege.

It is a real gift to write so as your reader loses their own circumstances for a bit and is enabled to enter into your story in a here and now manner.  

May The Good Lord bless you also

 

Thank you for asking and sending Gods blessing to me. I was thinking about what you said. I just want you to know that I would never had told that story just for the sake to telling it. Something I would never normally do. 

  You also have shared things of the heart as well. You were very descriptive about the state of things a short while ago. It had caused me distress because I had no difficulty at applying those same circumstances against my own life which is why I did send a message. I felt compelled to do something and I felt better at having at least tried . You have always been honest and sincere. These things are felt and not hidden and have been tested and proven with time. So thank you as well for your very consistent  honesty and sincerity.

  God bless Barbara.....

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, Gary david said:

I was thinking about what you said. I just want you to know that I would never had told that story just for the sake to telling it.

Hi again Gary - I can hear what you are saying and we all have our reasons and all is ok, good and productive - providing nothing is sinful.   For me, sometimes in sharing my story for whatever reason,  it can be a cathartic type of exercise for me or some other reason helpful to me -  even just for the sake of expressing myself - it might also be of help to others in some way.  I might never know that it had been helpful, but that is ok.  Our task is to try to "be about The Father's  business", success or failure is not our domain, that is indeed "The Father's business".

Sometimes I can make a distinct misstep and that is ok with me too, my nature is human and fallen.  Jesus has gifted us all with The Holy Spirit and His Spirit of repentance, Confession if necessary, and beginning again.

_________________

 

The following is not directed to you, Gary, another subject entirely and why I ducked into this thread in the first place and then sighted your post.  

The other night having a panic attack, I rang Beyondblue, and she took me through an exercise which calmed me right down and panic passed.  The exercise is to take each of our five senses individually and find three things currently around oneself in the here and now and relating to that sense.  Sometimes there might be only one thing or two and that is ok.

I could feel myself close to psychosis this morning, although not there yet.  I could just feel it hanging around in the background as it were.  For me, that is a very early warning sign, very early - and at times the first.  Early this morning I sat out under my pergola in the half light with coffee and I took myself through the exercise........and now that hanging around has passed.

Identifying one's very personal early warning signs where mental illness is concerned is very important.  Not all early warning signs are the same.  Early warning signs are a time to contact your therapist or to follow whatever instructions you might be given re early warning signs.

I know the exercise has a name, but I have forgotten what it is.

Deo Gratius Laudate Dominum

[Gary david]

16 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

Hi again Gary - I can hear what you are saying and we all have our reasons and all is ok, good and productive - providing nothing is sinful.   For me, sometimes in sharing my story for whatever reason,  it can be a cathartic type of exercise for me or some other reason helpful to me -  even just for the sake of expressing myself - it might also be of help to others in some way.  I might never know that it had been helpful, but that is ok.  Our task is to try to "be about The Father's  business", success or failure is not our domain, that is indeed "The Father's business".

Sometimes I can make a distinct misstep and that is ok with me too, my nature is human and fallen.  Jesus has gifted us all with The Holy Spirit and His Spirit of repentance, Confession if necessary, and beginning again.

_________________

 

The following is not directed to you, Gary, another subject entirely and why I ducked into this thread in the first place and then sighted your post.  

The other night having a panic attack, I rang Beyondblue, and she took me through an exercise which calmed me right down and panic passed.  The exercise is to take each of our five senses individually and find three things currently around oneself in the here and now and relating to that sense.  Sometimes there might be only one thing or two and that is ok.

I could feel myself close to psychosis this morning, although not there yet.  I could just feel it hanging around in the background as it were.  For me, that is a very early warning sign, very early - and at times the first.  Early this morning I sat out under my pergola in the half light with coffee and I took myself through the exercise........and now that hanging around has passed.

Identifying one's very personal early warning signs where mental illness is concerned is very important.  Not all early warning signs are the same.  Early warning signs are a time to contact your therapist or to follow whatever instructions you might be given re early warning signs.

I know the exercise has a name, but I have forgotten what it is.

Deo Gratius Laudate Dominum

Hi Barbra. I had never heard of beyondblue before probably because it is located in australia half a world away, so I looked it up. I am pleased this organization is there to assist you like that. I did read a little about it and there are millions of Australians with anxiety  and depression just in your country alone i wonder if this has always been present in human history to this degree or is something else going on? Well anyways im glad they were able to help you and im glad you reached out as well. No one can help anyone if they are unwilling to help themselves as well.

  Yes life sure can be difficult to say the least. It is full of many wonders and tragedies as well. But I have found and I know you have as well that having God in your life can certainly help you clear many hurdles. He wont help with every single hurdle though untill we catch our feet on the too of a hurdle and fall flat on our face. Then He helps.

  Alright Barbara. Thank you for your sharing a very sensitive and important part of your life.

  God bless you....

[Guest]

It is a shame that Behondblue is only in Australia.  They do really great work.  I think that their website is open to the public generally and internationally, but their helpline is for Australia only.   We are really blest outstandingly in Australia.  Our welfare system is probably about the best in the world.  Our charities are the same.

I have no idea of the anxiety and depression levels of the past.  I do think that modern life is far more stress inducing than in the past and stress can be a major factor in anxiety and depression.  Life today is just so fast, much faster than I recall it when I was younger.  "Future Shock" by Alvin Toffler is a great even important read.  It is a big work, a thick book, and at times a real labour to read for me, but worth it.

6 hours ago, Gary david said:

No one can help anyone if they are unwilling to help themselves as well.

Besides knowing one's early warning signs of mental problems, another important factor is to have a support system.  To acknowledge one has a problem whatever it is and to acknowledge there is help available and to utilize it.

6 hours ago, Gary david said:

He wont help with every single hurdle though untill we catch our feet on the too of a hurdle and fall flat on our face. Then He helps.

Boy oh boy, I had a real giggle at the above.  It reminded me of St Teresa's traditional experience (see below)Scripture tells us that The Lord would never permit more than we can carry:

Quote

"No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it." (First Corinthians Ch 10) 

Identifying early warning signs and setting up a support system are two means by which The Lord provides a way out.  Although we are all unique, God's one-off only, and doubtless means of a "way out to bear it" varies with individuals.  Again, we need to search out what works for oneself and to use it whenever needed.

We can think we have too much to bear.  Thought and reality do not of necessity coincide.

We really do need to utilize our Faith, Scripture and what The Church teaches, our theology, in our journey through life.  They are guides, guards and supports, answers. I think sometimes we want everything now, we sort of live in a culture of now.  We want whatever now.  This is vastly different from living in the now.  The first quality of Love described by St Paul is patience.......not a consistent quality of mine for sure.

______________

https://www.catholicapostolatecenter.org/blog/a-good-sense-of-humor-according-to-teresa-of-avila There is a story about Teresa of Avila that has caused me to laugh in genuine appreciation of her character. According to tradition, Teresa fell off her donkey while journeying to visit one of her convents--causing her to land in the mud and dirty her Carmelite habit. With her quick, fiery Spanish temper, Teresa looked up to heaven and said to God, “If this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you don’t have many.”