Need some emotional support today

I'm fighting an urge to run and hide or revert back to some old eating habits today.

Not sure where to begin so in a nutshell it's like this: middle of the night phone calls the past 2 nights.

Monday night was at 3 a.m. from my youngest son calling to tell me he'd called the fire department because the shed beside the house was fully engulfed in flames. HUH?!?! there was no electricity going to that shed nor was there anything flammable stored there.

Last Night's call was really  at 5:30ish this morning from next door neighbor. My 84 year old aunt ahd walked into their kitchen and began shouting for me and my Mom. (My Mom hasn't lived there since 2005). She told them that she was starving and that she couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. I do all of her grocery shopping and on the nights I cook I make sure to take meals to her. Well I got her back home and settled back down and while I was looking around I found the empty container that I'd taken chowder to her in last night. It was empty and sitting ont he floor under the table - she'd fed it to her dog. I've been telling my Mom (who has the Power of Attorney and legal such stuff) for the past few months that my Aunt was slipping. "Oh no - she's fine!!!"  Needless to say I called my Mom and told her to handle it - TODAY.

So the middle of the night phone calls have got my nerves on end. Comfort food sounds mighty tempting right about now. It doesn't help that we're short staffed at work so I couldn't take the day off. The insurance adjuster is coming to look at the charred remains of where my shed once stood as well.

thanks for reading - I just needed to sort it all out. And reading back through it - dang it sounds like a really good soap opera plot. I really don't want or need the drama.

- Iris

Stay Strong.  You can do it.  I am sorry you are having so much stress. 

Good grief girl, you need a massage to release some of that stress!  Hang in there, and fight that urge to eat the wrong things.... you can do it!

Alice

((((Iris)))),

I'm so sorry to hear that you've had a couple of pretty difficult days. I'm so glad to hear that no one was injured in the fire and that 'all' that was destroyed was the shed and it's contents. I'm sure it was very unsettling though. While disturbing, it was probably a good thing that your Aunt ended up on your neighbors doorstep; while your mother wasn't able or willing to hear you when you let her know that her sister was declining, I'm sure that this event has put a light on an issue that requires her to acknowledge and deal with her sisters declining health. Sometimes, it seems to take something 'jarring' to get us to really acknowledge something unpleasant and this way it's being raised as an issue with a neutral third party involved instead of 'just' your observation. I hope that it all resolves as gently as possible. In the meantime, the fact that you are aware that you are wanting to comfort eat has you ahead of the game. Awareness is more than half the battle. The fact that you have to be at the office today might be a blessing in disguise because you may not be as likely to have open access to foods that may be calling your name. I find that when I'm struggling with stressors like this it really helps to banish whatever comfort foods are in the house... yep, they do seem to creep back in and when all is well, I can handle it, but when under significant stress... well, I can easily develop hand and mouth disease if you know what I mean. 

Hang in there sweetie!

 

Iris,
 I am sorry for all you are going through. Please have faith that things will get better.
I know how it is to want to eat when things aren't going well. Try not to revert to old habits. Instead start new habits. Pick something you like to do, reading, walking, a hobby or meditation,a bubble bath, etc and do this when you are stressed.
If you over eat, the stressful situations will still be there and you will feel worse from the guilt.
Take care of you.
Jackie

Thanks girls. I've decided to take the one day at a time approach and once I had a really good solid nights' sleep thing don't seem as bleak.

Its amazing the difference a good nights sleep can make!!  Take a little extra time out of the day just for you. Relax, take a walk, kick your feet up with a good book or some music just to chill out some.  Hang in there! 

Yikes!  I am sorry you are having so much going on.  Stress is so hard to deal with.  Just stay strong and know you'll feel even worse if you "feed" it.

Kelly

Iris, it is so easy to use food to ease our stress....I have been slipping a little bit myself, lately.  My sister's been in the hospital for 2 weeks now, and it's a 2 hour drive each way....so being on the road, worrying about her when I'm not there...it seems like we always reach out for our old friend, food....just hang in there and drink water, chew gum or suck on a SF butterscotch....and (((HUGS))) to you.