Lived Experience Forum

[LadyCaroline]

Hi @Owlunar  i could feel the pain you described, so familiar. I would offer my hand to hold when you are suffering.  It is great that you have such great insight that is a plus when dealing with symptoms.  And no tool box? Looks like its in progress. Keep going, youll get there.

Much love.

[Owlunar]

Hi @LadyCaroline 

Welcome to the forum - it's really good to see you here - and the people here - well - we really care about each other

I appreciate your post - I cope pretty well really but the pain I have I didn't really write about - I do have anxiety and a tough back-story - but I have chronic spinal pain syndrome and I have been through an interesting part of my life recently

I was seeing a pain specialist in the public system - a really good one for over 20 years - alas - without warning I was seeing someone else and she has let me down badly and I have been going through the process of finding a new specialist in the private system and it ha been pretty stressful. I had a couple of bad days but although I don't have a coping box I do have my stuff - I play the piano and read a lot and I love movies. I like cooking too and I do have good ways of self-soothing, Through the years I have learned to manage really well.

So part of the process of seeing a different specialist meant seeing a psychologist - which happened last week - and she is in the private system too - it went really well - she told me I have a lot of insight and I am resilient - which I sort of knew but it was excellent to have someone actually tell me.

Thanks for posting - having someone offer their hand on bad days is pretty wonderful - I feel really warm inside thinking about it

Dec

[DesertRat]

Self-care for me is making sure I take my half hour lunch break and do not think about work during this break, or at the end of the working day, at home I catch up with mates, go to the cinema, go skating, go to Archery, spend time with family, write in my personal journal I've had since high school, reading, music, drawing on my ipad pro, running my RC buggies and when I really need time out to de-stress I go camping for a few nights..

Self-care is so important in maintaining a work life balance and living life to the fullest. I think society in general needs to place more importance on it and generate much more awareness about how important it is to help stay well.

[Shaz51]

hello @MaddieCat 

@DesertRat, @BlueBay , @Owlunar , @LadyCaroline , @eth 

[Shaz51]

This thread is good @Lee82 , @Former-Member , @NatureLover , @BlueBay , @DesertRat , @Owlunar , @LadyCaroline , @eth 

[Lee82]

Thank you for the tag in this thread @Shaz51 and thank you for the suggestion for a coping box. I suppose I would have walking, listening to music, diamond painting and cuddling my dog Boris in my box. 

[Shaz51]

Oh My kind of dog is Boris @Lee82 

Oh we have a craft thread too @Lee82 , @NatureLover 

Craft Corner 

[Lee82]

He is a Blue English Staffy.. he is only 2 years old. 
@Shaz51 

[Shaz51]

Ohhhh how lovely @Lee82 , love to see a photo of Boris one day xxx

[Lee82]

@Shaz51  my little man!