BLACK DOG 9

Hello Spring and welcome .

The Black Dog Thread is for support ,sharing and understanding anxiety, depression, phobias etc. All who post here will understand how you feel.

You have a mental health team ? May I ask how long you have
been taking Valium , do you take a recommended daily dose or take one when you have a panic attack,

It was agreed when Black Dog started that sharing telephone numbers was not advised sorry.

Have you contacted your local MIND, ? and the Samaritans take calls 24 hours daily.

Do talk here whenever you want , we all understand x

THANKYOU annibach
I was actually given antidepressants jan 2020. Because I have a fear of taking meds of all sorts & though only taking Valium in dire emergency, found that I was becoming tolerant & potentially addicted to them. So, Still have supply of Valium. My big problem atm is I’ve decided to withdraw from the antidepressants (very slowly) as I was very numb in feelings and had developed a tremor which on some days meant I could even hold a cup of tea in one hand. Just feeling a bit hopeless atm

Hi spring a bit busy at the moment so I will be back later. Just wanted to welcome you and as Annie says you have come to the right place to find people who understand. We all support each other on this thread.
Back to catch up later x

Spring please speak to your GP about your decision to slowly come off the anti depressants, he / she may advise different anti depressants, I am surprised you have been
prescribed Valium , I thought it had been taken off prescription drugs. It is very addictive.

Please speak to a GP my love , sort out your medication and keep talking to us x

Annie I was watching my morning service from Canterbury today and immediately thought of you. The opening scene was of snowdrops. I have put a link below so you can see them. If you watch the whole thing you will also hear the Dean read how Pooh met Tigger for the first time and a poem about doormice ?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnQtQAQvwIw
Nonnie kind of you to be concerned about friends splitting up but I think if things get to that stage there is little you could do to help. No one quite knows what goes on in others relationships. Best you can do is to be there to listen if needed. Sorry the situation has upset you though.
Glad you are getting out in the garden. Make the most of a warmer day.
Spring good to hear you are in regular contact with your family by face time.
Panic attacks are awful but they won’t kill you. However much you hate the hot sweats, heart pounding it will go away. 6 hours is a long time though.
When you say you are cutting down on the antidepressants, is this under guidance from you GP or MHT? Like Annie says, I would discuss this with your GP. I too find the Valium strange. I didn’t realise you could still get it. Perhaps you need a medication review with a view to changing to something that suits you better.
All of us on this thread have been through panic attacks and understand so don’t feel alone. You are no the only one.
Take care all. x

Hello Spring welcome to this lovely caring group...
Hello everyone else hope you all all ok.
Have a peaceful evening all ?

Good afternoon all.
Hi Annie - hope you are ok today and snow free x
Hi Petra- so nice of you to help with the iPad problem. I am in awe of anyone who is very knowledgeable about computers. I just muddle along but do tend to panic very quickly if I think I have made a mistake. My OH is much more relaxed about the whole thing And my stepson is a Whizz thank goodness.
Nonnie- good to have you back. Glad your family are well and good news about your DH. Try not to worry too much about your friends troubles I,m sure they know that you are there if they need a chat. Hope you enjoyed your time in the garden.
Hello Spring- nice to meet you. Sorry you have such debilitating panic attacks . I think it would be a good idea to speak with your GP and see if they can prescribe you something different.
Doodle- hope you,re ok . Every day now I look out for snowdrops but no luck so far. Much nicer day today for walking- yesterday the puddles were so big they had ducks on them!!
Sending love to all in BDGx

Scaredycat. No snow in Mid Wales I am relived to say, I too
muddle along with computers but when things go wrong I blame the computer/ iPad ! ! !

Doodle I listened to the service, thank you so much, I so
understand why you listen everyday. Three things I must say ,
think some know how I love Pooh , even have Tigger on a nightie .

Psalm 91, ‘ v 11 and 12, I say these every time I walk around the
bungalow because of my fear of falling .

And Snowdrops x

Annie I’m so glad you liked it. I have listened to the Dean every day since March lockdown. I love his interest in life, his knowledge of a variety of things. On the Canterbury Cathedral website there are many videos of the Dean reading stories, like visual audio books. All sorts of stories. I love listening to his voice and I love his manner.
Joce how have you been today.
Scaredycat I loved your comment about puddles being so big they had ducks on them. We once went to a model village that had a small “village pond”” in it. There were two ducks in that too. ?
Hope everyone is ok x

Annie I've always had an issue with 'should', I think its because I have too much of the mum gene. Nurturing seems to be my thing. Also never had anyone to help me so probably over compensating.

Hi Spring welcome. Please go back to your GP. I wonder if you gave the antidepressants long enough to work through the side effects? If one doesn't work there are others you can try. Your GP can't help you unless you explain how you are feeling. The one I'm on gave me tremors which took months to stop but I decided the side effects were not worse than the depression. Nearly all meds have side effects of some kind so we all have to work out whether the meds are better with side effects or not.

Thanks all for the kind words. I'm glad I got out and did the front garden yesterday as we are forecast storms today.

I got stuck on a knitting pattern, just couldn't see where I was going wrong, the more I looked the more I thought the pattern was wrong. At Christmas, one of the neighbours I only know to say hello to dropped off a knitted penguin for the tree so I knocked on her door for help and had a lovely conversation during which she sorted out my problem. Obvious once she said what it was. I mention this because I think that so often we have to make the first move to get to know people who probably want to know us too.

hello my friends hope everyone is ok. Sorry I haven't been on for a while but DH is in hospital with sepsis. Hes been incredibly poorly and we didn't think he was doing to make it. He is improving but every couple of days he has a setback. my beautiful binks is still doing well xxx

Nanny I’m so sorry to hear about your DH. Mine was in hospital with sepsis in October. Hopefully the antibiotics will make a difference and I hope he will be on the mend soon.
Glad Binks is still keeping you company.
Nonnie how lovely to have a chat with your neighbour. Not only did it help you but I bet it cheered her up too. Glad you’ve got your knitting sorted.
Annie how have you been today?
Hope all the BDG are ok. Take care all x

Evening all x Sorry to hear that a lot of you or your DH have been poorly. There’s seems to be quite a lot of this sepsis, not too sure how that comes about. Are you all going to these Mass Vaccination Centres or is anybody waiting for the jab to be available at your local practice? Hope all poorly people are soon on the mend. Take care all x

Oh Nanny so sorry to read this, it is a dreadful thing to catch, hope he gets well soon.

BlueSky our vaccinations are being done by our GP practice combined with 4/5 others and are well ahead of the national picture. DH was called, though only in his 70s and I drove him down because we had heard of parking issues. While I was waiting in the car he messaged me about all the no shows and wasted Pfizer vaccine. I suggested he offer me to use some of it. The secretary, who seemed to be organising everything, thought it was a great idea and arranged it so now we have both had our first one. The volunteers were quite upset about the number of no shows and no system to prevent waste. There has been quite a lot on SM about wasted vaccine. One of the other local surgeries hasn't vaccinated any of their patients yet. This time the NHS weak admin worked in our favour.

Fortunately I had my NHS number, not sure what they would have done if I hadn't.

Been to two hospitals and one medical centre in the last couple of weeks so counting off the days since I could have caught the virus, one down 2 to go. Clearly I don't have enough to think about as I have even sorted my button jars!

Horrible wet, grey day today.

Good afternoon all.
Nanny - so sorry your DH has been so poorly. I do hope he starts to improve and feel better soon. Glad Binks is being a good boy.
Nonnie- glad you went to see your neighbour. I expect she was very pleased to see you and help you too.
Very glad too that you got your Vaccine . What a good job your DH messaged you! It’s awful that any is wasted ,you would think they would have contingency plans if that happens.
Bluesky- I ,like Nonnie, had my jab in a place where several GP practices were combining with others. It was very busy I hadn’t seen so many people in one place for months!!!
Annie - hope you are ok . Is your iPad still playing up?
Doodle,Bluesky , Lavender,Rafichagran, Chrissy and all in BDG have a good evening and peaceful sleepx

Bluesky DH and I haven’t been offered the jab yet but we will not be going to a mass vaccination centre unless it’s very local. Sepsis it seems, can come on quite quickly. If not treated promptly it can be very dangerous. I think it is some kind of violent reaction to an infection.
Nonnie so good to hear you have both had your first vaccination. I can’t believe so many people are not turning up. So wasteful of resources.
Scaredycat good you have had your vaccination too. I hope that makes you feel safer.
Annie you are missed. As Scaredycat says, I hope it’s your iPad playing up rather than there being anything wrong.
Take care all x

Spring Sorry it's late but welcome to this lovely thread. Annie is right, see your GP about weaning off anti depressants.
Take care.

rafinchagran lovely to see you. Hoe are you getting on?

Scardycat good to hear you had yours too, hope it was as well organised as ours.

Doodle I can understand your reluctance to travel a distance for vaccination, I would feel the same.

I would like to let you all know that our experience of NHS in the last couple of weeks has been mixed, admin rubbish but care brilliant. Very Covid aware and didn't feel unsafe at all. I took someone to our local hospital and she had forgotten her phone so I couldn't wait in the car for her as she couldn't walk to the car park. The security guard on the main entrance was brilliant. He let me sit just inside the door and chatted from a distance whilst wearing a mask. I watched him speak to each person who entered, offered help in the kindest way, was great with the elderly and a non-English speaker and gently got everyone to sanitise their hands. He was a very special person. They are out there

I have decided that I will have a 'recovery' day today. Nothing to recover from but it sounds better than lazy or slobby. I have to remind myself that it doesn't matter if I achieve nothing today.

Nice sunny, calm day today after the storms. Hope all your storms are little ones.

Hi all x

Had exhausting two days. Use to be chair at our CLP, Tuesday
I was asked to get involved with a request to have vaccination
centre in the town, at present it’s 8 miles away , bus every 4 hours, nearly mile walk uphill from bus stop! Not everyone has a car. Result ? Next week a second will open , 7 miles away
in opposite direction , buses same but no hill to walk.

Yesterday I had stage 1 in application for electric wheelchair, a occupational therapist applied not me. Result ? Success

Next ? They will bring wheelchair to bungalow in few weeks time, it has to be used indoors and outdoors, I explained
bungalow was very small - they will see what furniture they
can move around !!!!

Have decided they can take it back , have got use to not going out ,

Hope everyone is coping x

Good afternoon all.
Rafichagran - good to hear from you and hope all is well..
Doodle- yes the Vaccination brought a bit of hope. Some days I have felt so sad at the things everyone is going through so it’s a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. So grateful to all those who have made it possible. Next Vaccination in 12 weeks time. I hope you and DH will soon get yours.
Nonnie- It was so nice to hear of the kindness shown at the hospital. People like that Security Guard are such unsung heroes . Hope you are enjoying your ‘recovery’ day- sounds like a great idea.
Annie- so happy to see you again.
You would think that a Vaccination Centre would be just that central and as accessible as possible.
Hopefully you might find when they bring the wheelchair it might be easier to manoeuvre than you imagine- I hope so. You may feel different once the better weather is here and the sun is shining.
Good news- we came across a little patch of snowdrops on our walk today!! They will forever remind me of you.
Sending love to all BDG

Thankyou Doodle I have had some sad news about a hour ago, but otherwise I am coping.
I hope everyone is feeling the best they can. Take care everyone.

rafichagrani am so sorry you have received sad news ,
Sending you a Cwtsh x

Scaredycat you saw snowdrops ? fantastic , they are so
beautiful, reminds me when small, no one would refuse to buy
a bunch from the gypsies even if they had them growing in
the garden.

We can all be like snowdrops, rain, snow, frost, storms , they
come through it all

Annie don’t let them take the wheelchair back please. I know you have got used to not going out but I hope you will agree to keep it for a while and give it a go. I have found that as I’ve got older I don’t like change so much. When I was younger I could tackle anything but now the smallest thing out of routine puts me in a flap. I wonder if now the thought of the wheelchair coming has put you into a flap. A change. Something new to have to deal with. Please don’t make any rash decision. Give it a try and see how you get on. Even if it gets you down the garden path that would be a plus.
rafinchagran sorry you’ve had some upsetting news. Hope you’re ok.
scaredycat hope things are ok for you too.
Take care all and sleep well. x

Annie that was such a positive post until the end. No idea what a CLP is but sounds like they wanted, and needed, your input. Always helps to feel useful.

Please keep the wheelchair, you don't want to go through all the hassle of getting one at some future point when you feel you can go out. Never give up.

Scardycat have you been given an appointment for your second dose? We haven't.

Not sure I 'enjoyed' my 'recovery' day but do feel better today. Helps that the sun is shining and DH has agreed to come for a walk.

rafichagran sorry to hear about the sad news, hope it doesn't bring you down too much.

Doodle I know some find it hard to try new things (not only older people) but I do think that if we force ourselves to take the first step, tackle part of a job etc we can find it much easier than we thought. I have perfected the art of procrastination but when I do push myself things are often easer than I anticipated.

I wish you all the same sunshine as I see out of my window.