last night's appointment
Guess I should have posted about last night.. sorry.. so far so good.. she does believe in food addictions, along with the many other addictions that are out there.
She believes the addiction is the symptom of a deeper cause and deals with behaviors, emotions and cognition. Treating it will be outcome based. She gave me a 5 item list of things to work on before my next appointment
1. food/nutrition-following a routine and menu planning to make it easier for me, at least for
now
2. getting enough rest
3. daily exercise
4. daily affirmation
5. taking time daily for introspection
So, it seems that back to basics thread NEEDS to be my best friend. I already knew this, you all already told me this. Now I need to DO IT.
Getting enough rest... I try, just wake up a million times a night.. maybe doing #4 and 5 will help to sleep better.
#3, I am pretty much doing, just not necessarily daily. I need to add some sort of movement to the other days that I don't go to the gym.
As I talked to her and cried about everything that has happened to me in the past few months, she basically said that it makes perfect sense that I was sitting in her office at that exact moment. All of the stress and grief has just built up and came to a head just in time to meet her.
She is going to help me to work with the advise that Kids Peace is giving me regarding Siehara, as well, so I can better deal with her. She also asked me a question about Siehara that I have thought for months and can't seem to convince the psych she is seeing of... she asked if she was depressed due to everything that has happened lately. I ABSOLUTELY feel that she is.. there are too many warning signs. On Monday, I am going to call Kids Peace and see if we can get an earlier appointment with her psych to see if we can start her on a low dose of an anti-depressant. I sincerely believe it will help her as it has helped me.
She believes the addiction is the symptom of a deeper cause and deals with behaviors, emotions and cognition. Treating it will be outcome based. She gave me a 5 item list of things to work on before my next appointment
1. food/nutrition-following a routine and menu planning to make it easier for me, at least for
now
2. getting enough rest
3. daily exercise
4. daily affirmation
5. taking time daily for introspection
So, it seems that back to basics thread NEEDS to be my best friend. I already knew this, you all already told me this. Now I need to DO IT.
Getting enough rest... I try, just wake up a million times a night.. maybe doing #4 and 5 will help to sleep better.
#3, I am pretty much doing, just not necessarily daily. I need to add some sort of movement to the other days that I don't go to the gym.
As I talked to her and cried about everything that has happened to me in the past few months, she basically said that it makes perfect sense that I was sitting in her office at that exact moment. All of the stress and grief has just built up and came to a head just in time to meet her.
She is going to help me to work with the advise that Kids Peace is giving me regarding Siehara, as well, so I can better deal with her. She also asked me a question about Siehara that I have thought for months and can't seem to convince the psych she is seeing of... she asked if she was depressed due to everything that has happened lately. I ABSOLUTELY feel that she is.. there are too many warning signs. On Monday, I am going to call Kids Peace and see if we can get an earlier appointment with her psych to see if we can start her on a low dose of an anti-depressant. I sincerely believe it will help her as it has helped me.
My tracker
hers 
Wow from one clinician to another she sounds kind and insightful and right on target. When people are in crisis we always start with the basics. Make sure they are getting enough sleep, good nutrition, hydration, excercise, and time to relax. It is almost impossible to solve deeper psychological issues when someone has not mastered the basic things in life. We need a firm foundation to build on. They are so important. I always tell people in crisis go back to the basics. Food water rest and sleep.
I am also a firm believer in writing down what you eat for life. We need this tool. We cannot change what we do not acknowledge and the only way to know is to document. We must do this.
I am proud of you
Lisa
This sounds like great advice for all of us so thanks for sharing. I see a therapist once a month now and it really helps me to have someone to check in with. One of my biggest and forever problems is that I am such a poor sleeper which contributes to some of my not so great habits like being a caffeine addict and wanting to eat to keep me awake during the day (vicious cycle.) I used to take ambien which really helped but it stopped working. I do not want to take anything else so I struggle daily and then the more I worry about it the worse it becomes.
I do hope things improve for you and Siehara so I will wish you the best New Year yet.
Arlene
Good for you! And I'm so glad she is willing to work on EVERYTHING with you, including with Siehara. It sounds great!
I'm sure it will be a struggle at times, but that's partly what this journey is about.
Congratulations on taking this first step!
Let us know if you need anything!
I'm sure it will be a struggle at times, but that's partly what this journey is about.
Congratulations on taking this first step!
Let us know if you need anything!
Instead of complaining that the rosebush has thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses. 
Lisa,
So glad to hear that you have taken this very BIG AND IMPORTANT step for yourself and your daughter. To be honest I don't know how anyone can go through WLS without dealing with the mental health issues that arise. I don't know where I would be right now if not for my antidepressant and my therapist. Try to take it a day at a time. Often times you know that things seem to feel worse before they get better. Here's hoping that 2010 will be a less stressful year in your life. Take care.
Donna
So glad to hear that you have taken this very BIG AND IMPORTANT step for yourself and your daughter. To be honest I don't know how anyone can go through WLS without dealing with the mental health issues that arise. I don't know where I would be right now if not for my antidepressant and my therapist. Try to take it a day at a time. Often times you know that things seem to feel worse before they get better. Here's hoping that 2010 will be a less stressful year in your life. Take care.
Donna
Lisa,
Good for you on several fronts! First, you've found what sounds like a great and understanding clinician to work with. Second, and equally important, you're "going public" - enlisting the support of this great community of friends to help on this part of your journey. I find that being public about my struggles, my food plans, my exercise, etc., all helps me remain continually accountable on the journey. Fear of embarassment is one powerful tool in our arsenal!
By working so publicly like you are, you're not only helping yourself, you're also helping to point the way for people who may not be able or willing to go to a therapist on their own.
As to your plan - there's a couple of things that help me, so i'll toss them out in case they might be "food for thought."
For your #1 - I find that planning at night for the next day's nutrition helps me in a few ways. First, I get my food together for everything other than dinner, and usually have planned dinner, too. Everything's portioned into their containers and put on a shelf in the fridge where I can just grab and go in the morning. No excuses. I also plan the next day's clothing and pack it into my gym bag - trying on the outfit if appropriate. Again - grab and go in the morning, no excuses.
I've found that doing this at night lets me do two things - first the grab and go lets me get out of the house with a minimum of fuss and bother in the morning. Equally important, though, the setting of my "plan" for the next day and taking the time to find "the perfect outfit" for the day's plans lets me go to sleep on a positive note - confident that I CAN and WILL tackle the next day's challenges as to food and appearance, at least.
#2 remains a challenge for me. There are never enough hours in the day for all the things I need to do and want to do. I TRY to get to sleep by 11-ish every night and drag my over-tired butt out of bed by 6:45 the next morning. Doesn't always happen - and even if it does, it's not enough sleep for me.
#3 is one I've done better at (although not this week - still fighting this cold), by simply figuring out what all my excuses were for not doing it. They all pretty much came down to "not having time" or feeling guilty for taking time away from others... so the time that I CAN do it without guilt and without other things taking precedence is before work. I've settled into a routine that seems to work for me. I would LIKE to get to the gym 6 - 7 days a week, but realistically 4 - 5 days works well and is a level of fitness I'm comfortable with right now. That will change over time, I'm sure - but I'm at peace with it for now.
#4 is something I'd love to do. I really enjoy Beth's posting of daily affirmations on FB. I think it could help
#5 is something that would benefit me. I kind of do it a little bit when I post to the daily roll call - it gets me thinking about my day in a different way, rather than simply taking it for granted. I used to meditate - probably should get back to that, too.
Anyway - Sorry - I've done a "steffi" and made this "all about me" (haha - steffi - you've made it all about you without even posting!!!)... but in the hopes that some seeds of what I'm doing might spark something for you.
I'm so proud of you and what you're accomplishing, and the grace that you bring to your journey.
Hugs,
Karen
Good for you on several fronts! First, you've found what sounds like a great and understanding clinician to work with. Second, and equally important, you're "going public" - enlisting the support of this great community of friends to help on this part of your journey. I find that being public about my struggles, my food plans, my exercise, etc., all helps me remain continually accountable on the journey. Fear of embarassment is one powerful tool in our arsenal!
By working so publicly like you are, you're not only helping yourself, you're also helping to point the way for people who may not be able or willing to go to a therapist on their own.
As to your plan - there's a couple of things that help me, so i'll toss them out in case they might be "food for thought."
For your #1 - I find that planning at night for the next day's nutrition helps me in a few ways. First, I get my food together for everything other than dinner, and usually have planned dinner, too. Everything's portioned into their containers and put on a shelf in the fridge where I can just grab and go in the morning. No excuses. I also plan the next day's clothing and pack it into my gym bag - trying on the outfit if appropriate. Again - grab and go in the morning, no excuses.
I've found that doing this at night lets me do two things - first the grab and go lets me get out of the house with a minimum of fuss and bother in the morning. Equally important, though, the setting of my "plan" for the next day and taking the time to find "the perfect outfit" for the day's plans lets me go to sleep on a positive note - confident that I CAN and WILL tackle the next day's challenges as to food and appearance, at least.
#2 remains a challenge for me. There are never enough hours in the day for all the things I need to do and want to do. I TRY to get to sleep by 11-ish every night and drag my over-tired butt out of bed by 6:45 the next morning. Doesn't always happen - and even if it does, it's not enough sleep for me.
#3 is one I've done better at (although not this week - still fighting this cold), by simply figuring out what all my excuses were for not doing it. They all pretty much came down to "not having time" or feeling guilty for taking time away from others... so the time that I CAN do it without guilt and without other things taking precedence is before work. I've settled into a routine that seems to work for me. I would LIKE to get to the gym 6 - 7 days a week, but realistically 4 - 5 days works well and is a level of fitness I'm comfortable with right now. That will change over time, I'm sure - but I'm at peace with it for now.
#4 is something I'd love to do. I really enjoy Beth's posting of daily affirmations on FB. I think it could help
#5 is something that would benefit me. I kind of do it a little bit when I post to the daily roll call - it gets me thinking about my day in a different way, rather than simply taking it for granted. I used to meditate - probably should get back to that, too.
Anyway - Sorry - I've done a "steffi" and made this "all about me" (haha - steffi - you've made it all about you without even posting!!!)... but in the hopes that some seeds of what I'm doing might spark something for you.
I'm so proud of you and what you're accomplishing, and the grace that you bring to your journey.
Hugs,
Karen
Karen, you did not make it all about you. You were sharing what you do or would like to do with the rest of us and that is making it all about all of us. I appreciate the time and thought you put into your response. It also shows that the going public part is going to help more than just me, just like you said.
I have been doing a lot of thinking lately and realize that my stall and my stress really began when my dad got really sick. I thought that I handled his death pretty well, but it seems as if I just bottled up the grief and it is starting to come out now. This is probably due to the time of year. It has just made me realize that yes, I have friends. BUT, I really don't have any family besides Siehara. I have a sister, but we are not close. I still have my step-mom, but it's just not the same. I am very much alone in so many ways and it just makes me want to cry. So, I've been allowing myself time to do just that. As a matter of fact, I am crying just sitting here typing this.
I am so grateful for the friendship of everyone on this board. You have all been such a major part of my journey, more than any of you will ever know. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all that you do for me on a daily basis. I think this is the beginning of tonight's introspection. I am just going to sit here and cry for a bit and just let it out.
I have been doing a lot of thinking lately and realize that my stall and my stress really began when my dad got really sick. I thought that I handled his death pretty well, but it seems as if I just bottled up the grief and it is starting to come out now. This is probably due to the time of year. It has just made me realize that yes, I have friends. BUT, I really don't have any family besides Siehara. I have a sister, but we are not close. I still have my step-mom, but it's just not the same. I am very much alone in so many ways and it just makes me want to cry. So, I've been allowing myself time to do just that. As a matter of fact, I am crying just sitting here typing this.
I am so grateful for the friendship of everyone on this board. You have all been such a major part of my journey, more than any of you will ever know. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all that you do for me on a daily basis. I think this is the beginning of tonight's introspection. I am just going to sit here and cry for a bit and just let it out.
My tracker
hers
Lisa,
Sounds like a pretty major realization, and a very positive one. Bottling up emotions just lets them fester and poison, so letting them out, feeling them, acknowledging them lets the healing start from the inside. I'm sure that the time of year isn't helping, not only with the holidays, but also with the darkness and lack of sunlight - all that is, in itself, depressing.
So cry, let it out, get mad, whatever you need to do. And remember that family is an "accident" - we don't get to choose them, they just "are." Friends are the family we choose and who choose us - we can have as many or as few as we wish and those bonds of friendship can be the most supportive and understanding bonds in our lives.
karen
Sounds like a pretty major realization, and a very positive one. Bottling up emotions just lets them fester and poison, so letting them out, feeling them, acknowledging them lets the healing start from the inside. I'm sure that the time of year isn't helping, not only with the holidays, but also with the darkness and lack of sunlight - all that is, in itself, depressing.
So cry, let it out, get mad, whatever you need to do. And remember that family is an "accident" - we don't get to choose them, they just "are." Friends are the family we choose and who choose us - we can have as many or as few as we wish and those bonds of friendship can be the most supportive and understanding bonds in our lives.
karen
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