Saw my first snowdrops today, which is always a help (to not concentrate on how cold February and March are likely to be) 'And Christ comes with a January flower'. I've posted that link too often - you'll have to Google it if curious.
ETA: my apologies to Climacus and other southern-hemisphere Shippies who are just coming into autumn.
Oh, please do not. It was just under 40°C Tuesday so I am longing for the "cold" (average 17 max in June here...ha!) of winter.
I have only ever been briefly in places with short winter days; I am happy for you the increasing daylight is pleasing to you. The fire festival sounds intriguing...I may have to try and organise a holiday there one year!
Autumn is a long way off in these parts; we’re expecting 30+ temperatures & high humidity well into March. The sun set at 8 pm last night and we have daylight saving till April.
...'And Christ comes with a January flower'. I've posted that link too often - you'll have to Google it if curious.
I did. Thank you. Showing my ignorance, but I don't think I've ever heard of Patrick Kavanagh (I lived in Dublin for 6 months but did not look much into literature at that time as I thought I'd be there longer...I regret not learning Gaelic too, as I enjoy languages...): I shall look up more this week. Thank you. "we’ll hear it among simple, decent men, too": Amen.
I have no Shetland connections except a school friend who was originally from there and moved to Orkney; she was up there yesterday for this year's Up Helly Aa, and posted pictures and videos on FB of the procession and setting fire to the ship.
Oh my! If I can save up to traipse to the other side of this globe, I am there. If not, I have that wondrous website which gave me a glimpse. Thank you.
...'And Christ comes with a January flower'. I've posted that link too often - you'll have to Google it if curious.
I did. Thank you. Showing my ignorance, but I don't think I've ever heard of Patrick Kavanagh (I lived in Dublin for 6 months but did not look much into literature at that time as I thought I'd be there longer...I regret not learning Gaelic too, as I enjoy languages...): I shall look up more this week. Thank you. "we’ll hear it among simple, decent men, too": Amen.
I'm glad you liked Kavanagh. If you do read more of him, you'll know more than I do. I find poetry hard to read, and it's probably a vanity on my part that I stumbled on that one and it appeared to give sufficient legitimacy to my tight-arse lifestyle than I decided I liked it. 'The dry black bread and sugarless tea of pennance will charm back the luxury of a child's soul'. Yes indeedy.
As for sweaty February - I will have to cycle very fast to work indeed to break a sweat between now and May . A nice remember that in our money you are still in July.
Yes. I speak to some Ukrainians weekly and it took a while, perhaps still is, for them to not be amazed at the difference in seasons (Christmas in summer, for example). We all know it intellectually, but hearing it and seeing it (I sometimes video chat outdoors), brings home the difference I think.
I have a very shallow poetic (and other!) knowledge; I can throw out a few choice quotes which needs to be followed up by "This is all I know..." lest people assume I am some erudite scholar! At the risk of falling into this again, I read On Raglan Road and, while love is not something I go looking for in poetry/prose, it was evocative, the last two lines especially. Thank you for expanding my horizons.
How are people going? Do those in the north find spring a helpful time? Oddly, usually spring is a danger time for me mentally.
Though, as I mentioned elsewhere, it was autumn this year and I had 2 weeks in 2 mental health units [was moved to one in a different city than back here when a bed became available]. I am a bit elevated; rushing around and keeping terribly busy. I have an appointment with a counsellor through an Anglican church charity next week, then regular appointments for a fixed time, as part of my discharge which I think will be helpful to check in and get some feedback on my thoughts and actions.
I pray and hope all are well or getting help where needed.
Climacus wrote: 'Oddly, usually spring is a danger time for me mentally'. For me also and I get low and depressed , sluggish and slow in mid- Feb to end of April . Mrs RR looks forward to May when I start to feel more human. Strategies? Try not to be grumpy and nasty. Do what I can, write what I can and practice 'Rational Religion'. That is, for me the liturgy of the COE. Day by day, weeek by week. It helps. A bit.
Prayers for all here.
I meant to post a few weeks ago that I discovered a BBC newsletter about strategies for mental health. If you want to find out more google B.B.C Calm newsletter.
Thanks for asking, Climacus, I am glad you are on the mend.
(((ChastMastr)))
I am in the UK and always have a depressive episode in January/February. It was a hard one this year as I am currently overworked (I have been providing cover for a colleague one day a week which means I am working full time whilst studying part time - not good for a manic-depressive) but I have had worse. It took a while for my traditional March Mania to arrive but that has been manageable too. I have a busy few weeks coming up but I have planned my workload well so hopefully will keep the anxiety down.
Yesterday I was interviewed about having bipolar disorder, potentially for a TV documentary!
Prayers for all 🕯
My depressive episode start late March. Bang on time this year. B*gg*er. As I shared on the Bonhoeffer thread, I was introduced to a new hymn at our healing eucharist yesterday (there's a link to a You Tube rendition). I'm currently listening to it a lot and getting through quite a few tissues.
May it bring comfort to others too!
Prayers for all......
Spring usually leads to a disappearance of my relatively mild seasonal affective disorder. Given the rhythm of the Canadian university year, I rarely get to enjoy all of the mental health benefits of spring until May.
I'm not at daily services, but a few times a week I do Vespers or Matins RockyRoger. It does help me too.
An interview, Heavenlyannie! Wow.
Thank you all for sharing. My thoughts and prayers and I remembered you as I managed Matins this morning: "For...the sick and the suffering...let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy."
For many years I had what I thought were short, sharp depressive episodes in November, around the anniversary of our son's stillbirth. They were completely debilitating, but they usually didn't last long, about 3-5 days with a few more days of feeling "normal, but wiped out".
In 2016 I was due to go to a conference in France a week after the depression hit and I went to my GP, desperate for a "quick fix" just to see me through. I hadn't previously seen a doctor whilst in the thick of it. My GP said it didn't look like depression to him, as depression shouldn't involve shaking and vomiting! He also said he thought I should forget the conference.
Fortunately I did go to the conference (Aix-en-Provence!) and loved it.
My GP referred me to psychiatric services. There was a long waiting list, but I ended up with a diagnosis of PTSD. I had a lengthy course of EMDR (I think about 10 or 12 sessions spread over 18 months with a final "sign off" appointment a year after the last session)
The EMDR was miraculous. It just worked. It worked completely.
I'm happy to answer any questions, if anyone has any.
Had 2 appointments yesterday, organised as I was leaving hospital: a community mental health worker and a support worker at an Anglican charity. Both very helpful in their own ways. They will both continue for 12 and 6 to 9 months I believe. Looking forward to checking in, having a talk as to how things are going, and getting support and helpful advice.
@North East Quine I have often wondered how EMDR would work for someone with a "lazy eye" that doesn't track accurately. I was offered it, but it would have meant giving up something that was working albeit more slowly.
Bilateral stimulation is key to EMDR, if you can’t track side to side with your eyes - you can alternately tap on the patients knees, or give tactile devices for them to hold and press alternately. This is effective but a little slower to work.
I get Seasonal Affective Disorder/Depression from Nov thru Feb. Ways to work through it is a daily dose of vitamin D, light therapy, exercise. This year being outside every day for most of the day helped.
Comments
I have only ever been briefly in places with short winter days; I am happy for you the increasing daylight is pleasing to you. The fire festival sounds intriguing...I may have to try and organise a holiday there one year!
I did. Thank you. Showing my ignorance, but I don't think I've ever heard of Patrick Kavanagh (I lived in Dublin for 6 months but did not look much into literature at that time as I thought I'd be there longer...I regret not learning Gaelic too, as I enjoy languages...): I shall look up more this week. Thank you. "we’ll hear it among simple, decent men, too": Amen.
I have no Shetland connections except a school friend who was originally from there and moved to Orkney; she was up there yesterday for this year's Up Helly Aa, and posted pictures and videos on FB of the procession and setting fire to the ship.
I'm glad you liked Kavanagh. If you do read more of him, you'll know more than I do. I find poetry hard to read, and it's probably a vanity on my part that I stumbled on that one and it appeared to give sufficient legitimacy to my tight-arse lifestyle than I decided I liked it. 'The dry black bread and sugarless tea of pennance will charm back the luxury of a child's soul'. Yes indeedy.
As for sweaty February - I will have to cycle very fast to work indeed to break a sweat between now and May
I have a very shallow poetic (and other!) knowledge; I can throw out a few choice quotes which needs to be followed up by "This is all I know..." lest people assume I am some erudite scholar! At the risk of falling into this again, I read On Raglan Road and, while love is not something I go looking for in poetry/prose, it was evocative, the last two lines especially. Thank you for expanding my horizons.
Though, as I mentioned elsewhere, it was autumn this year and I had 2 weeks in 2 mental health units [was moved to one in a different city than back here when a bed became available]. I am a bit elevated; rushing around and keeping terribly busy. I have an appointment with a counsellor through an Anglican church charity next week, then regular appointments for a fixed time, as part of my discharge which I think will be helpful to check in and get some feedback on my thoughts and actions.
I pray and hope all are well or getting help where needed.
Been missing Cubby a lot the last few days. I’ve felt like sleeping more.
Prayers for all here.
(((ChastMastr)))
I am in the UK and always have a depressive episode in January/February. It was a hard one this year as I am currently overworked (I have been providing cover for a colleague one day a week which means I am working full time whilst studying part time - not good for a manic-depressive) but I have had worse. It took a while for my traditional March Mania to arrive but that has been manageable too. I have a busy few weeks coming up but I have planned my workload well so hopefully will keep the anxiety down.
Yesterday I was interviewed about having bipolar disorder, potentially for a TV documentary!
Prayers for all 🕯
May it bring comfort to others too!
Prayers for all......
I'm not at daily services, but a few times a week I do Vespers or Matins RockyRoger. It does help me too.
An interview, Heavenlyannie! Wow.
Thank you all for sharing. My thoughts and prayers and I remembered you as I managed Matins this morning: "For...the sick and the suffering...let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy."
In 2016 I was due to go to a conference in France a week after the depression hit and I went to my GP, desperate for a "quick fix" just to see me through. I hadn't previously seen a doctor whilst in the thick of it. My GP said it didn't look like depression to him, as depression shouldn't involve shaking and vomiting! He also said he thought I should forget the conference.
Fortunately I did go to the conference (Aix-en-Provence!) and loved it.
My GP referred me to psychiatric services. There was a long waiting list, but I ended up with a diagnosis of PTSD. I had a lengthy course of EMDR (I think about 10 or 12 sessions spread over 18 months with a final "sign off" appointment a year after the last session)
The EMDR was miraculous. It just worked. It worked completely.
I'm happy to answer any questions, if anyone has any.
Hope all are travelling okay.
How are all travelling? If you feel like sharing. I wish all a good Eastertime, whatever that may mean for each. A very quiet one for me hopefully.
Hello! ❤️