I discharged from my outpatient program last Friday. I am proud of myself for sticking with it, especially since it was a long program (about 1 1/2 months). I do feel more confident in being able to move forward with my life again outside of program, especially as this week has gone on. There is …
Tag: Depression
Acceptance of Myself
Today we had a discussion on our values. We were given a list of a lot of values that we were to check off as very important, important, or not important to me at this point in my life. The first two I marked as most important, that also go hand in hand for me …
Unhelpful Thinking
In PHP we recently did a session on unhelpful thinking styles. At the end of this post is an image of what the handout sheet they gave us looks like. We also did another session about the inner critic. Both of these were helpful for me because I do struggle a lot with negative self …
Another PHP
I recently retuned to another PHP (partial hospitalization program). I'm not a fan of calling it "partial hospitalization" because I'm not in a hospital. The program is located in a nice facility. I attend the program Monday-Friday from 9:30am-2:30pm. This is the 3rd PHP program that I have attended over the past 5 years. When …
Depression Mixed With Anxiety
The slow climb down into depression begun a few weeks back. I guess I have been feeling a little depressed since late March/April with feeling stuck due to the pandemic. However, since my parents came home in early June the slow depression ramp begun to descend and anxiety has found a way into the mix. …
The Dreaded Question: “And what have you been up to?”
I reached out to a friend from college that I haven't spoken to in years on Facebook. I'm genuinely interested to see what he is up to and how he is doing. And then I remembered that I will have to answer that question too. What have I been up to? I want to say …
Continue reading The Dreaded Question: “And what have you been up to?”
I Am Moving Back to MA
I moved back to Pittsburgh, PA from Massachusetts back in July for a job. (I lived out here from 2012-2017) I moved back to be closer to the female friends I have out here. I moved back because the cost of living is cheaper than in MA. I moved back to be on my own …
Goodbye Birches
Today was my last day at the Birches program at Brattleboro Retreat. It has been two and a half weeks. I am not 100%. I don't think I will ever be at 100%, but I am doing better than I was when I drove into the campus on June 4th. I have to keep reminding …
Poem: “I Bend”
I bend but do not break. I've been lost, but I'm not a loser. I'm a wreck, but I'm not totaled. I'm fractured but not broken. I've failed, but I'm not a failure. I've fallen hard but can get up again. I'm isolated, but still I'm free. I have been destroyed but will rebuild. My …
I Still Have A Lot of Fight in Me
I've been at the Brattleboro Retreat Center since Tuesday. The out patient program called Birches runs Monday - Friday. I'm in the full day program from 9:00am to 3:00pm. I'm also staying over nights there at their "dorms" in the Ripley Building. I was nervous coming up here, but since I've been here I have …
My Life With Mental Illness 