I'm really unwell

[Snowie]

That sounds good @Arizona 

I hope the phone consultation goes ok for you. 

[AussieRecharger]

Hey @Arizona 

What makes you feel safe?  I love a good cup of tea, but I like to sit outside and listen to the magpies sing.  What do you like to do when you have your cup of tea?

What's your pug's name?

[Last-Lament]

Hi @Arizona  I am so sorry you are feeling so low. It's so difficult to even remember to eat or drink when that low, I know, been there, still go there some days too, but it's mostly better now.

My only suggestions are similar to others, do what you can to make your surroundings as pleasant to the eye and your own aesthetics as you can - not always possible to do in one go, but perhaps start with your tea cup, or the place you like to sit to have your cuppa. I have a small treat with my tea, I will buy or make some treaty biscuits/ cake (buy when I didn't have the wherewithall to make) and I allow myself just 1 with my tea, so it remains a treat for that time.

I need sunlight too, I know this about myself, so I might have my cuppa in the sunlight, whereever that might be shining into the house. 

It's taken me double figure years to find the most effective ways to nurture myself AND to keep doing it, because one forgets from time to time, or falls back into those old patterns of not feeling worth the effort. 

I read somewhere about the music you like ot listen to ... I have recently been listening to Pentatonix and Heilung. Pentatonix's Hallelujah brings me to tears everytime I watch that video. Heilung is a Viking style of throat singing group, some of their works are very visceral and the sounds of animal howling (made by the band members) can literally make the hair on the back of the neck stand on end. 

I hope you are feeling  a bit better today, Frida. 

[wellwellwellnez]

You'rea good egg, Frida. Be as kind to yourself as you are to others and you'll do alright for sure. Maybe amazing, because you really are the exact kind and sensitive that you describe. It's powerful and its beautiful.

[Abner]

One of my most effective coping mechanism is my passion for cats.  I've had 5 cats, and currently have 2, and I love learning new things about cats.  Do you know that cats have 2 noses, one above their mouth and one called a Jensen's cavity in the hard palate inside their mouths?  And cats only meow to humans and that's because they understand some of our language and are trying to speak to us.  I suspect dogs are doing the same when vocalise to us.

[Arizona]

Hi @wellwellwellnez@Abner @Last-Lament @AussieRecharger @Snowie @Former-Member @Historylover @Clawde @Appleblossom @Swansong @Peri 

Thank you very much for your supports and kind replies. They have been very helpful. I need to have a shower now and make something to eat, but I will come back and reply soon.

[Arizona]

Hi @Abner 

That's a very good description: "moving through treacle". It used to be like that for me when I just had depression but, now that I have depression and anxiety at the same time, it's more like being paralysed with fear. 

Yes, I know what you mean about your cats' happiness making you feel better. It makes me happy to see my Pug happy. Like when I take him to the park and he runs off-lead, and I can tell from his body language that he is so exhuberantly happy.

And yes, with the cats' meow it's exactly like that with dogs. Dogs only bark because of their relationship with humans. Wolves in the wild don't bark at all.

[Arizona]

Hi @Swansong 

Thank you very much for the hug 🤗

[Arizona]

Thank you @wellwellwellnez 

That's very kind of you 😊

[Arizona]

I have an appointment on Monday with a nurse at my local community mental health service. I wasn't going to go, after speaking to the guy from the triage team (who was horrible to me), but I have decided to go because she just called me and she was nice. I'm willing to deal with people who are nice.