Second, WRAP peer counseling sessions started again. I am glad; I find these very useful. It will be interesting to see how this session goes. I am in a different place than where I was when I did the first course. It will help me to make progress. I was feeling rather stuck. There is a different group this time, so there will be a different group dynamic, too.
Third, Queenie came for a visit. It was good to see her. Her sense of humor is great. She always appreciates the funny. We dined on great food, especially the pizza at DeAngelo's. I am not looking forward to weighing in tomorrow.
Fourth, I had my first psychiatrist visit and got started on medication. Finally. I have two antidepressants, one for the morning and one for nighttime. I've been on antidepressants before, so they're not new, but it still feels strange to swallow a pill to change my brain chemistry. What is even stranger is that the nighttime pill is used to help me sleep. Two different drugs to affect my mood, but one has the side effect of drowsiness, and the other one doesn't. And I do sleep. I remember going to bed last night and not much else until I woke up this morning.
The actual psychiatrist visit was unsatisfying at first. I sat in a chair beside the doctor's desk, and there was a computer monitor between him and me that partially obscured him from view. He made little eye contact with me as he asked questions and filled out the form in my chart. He would ask me a question, I'd answer, then wait in silence as he wrote. Another question, another answer, more silence. At the end of the visit, however, he put his pen down, and we had a short conversation. I asked him about my escaping to a fantasy world and wanting to be alone. He dismissed them both, saying that fantasies are not uncommon, and that my wanting to be alone would disappear with the depression. We shall see - time will tell.
Yesterday I took the test to be a census worker. It was an example of true government beauracracy. All the applicants were instructed to arrive by noon, where we sat and waited until one o'clock. It was three o'clock before we were finished. The funny thing was that the man who gave the test reminded me of Chester. Is there a Chester type at every census center?
So that's a wrap up of the activities of the past week, except for my haircut. That was an experience. I was Amadeus to her Emperor Joseph II - I had too many hairs. I've got hunks of hair cut at odd lengths compared to the rest. I didn't realize how bad it was until yesterday morning. I'll see if I can get some pictures.
You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six. ~~Yogi Berra
"I asked him about my escaping to a fantasy world and wanting to be alone. He dismissed them both, saying that fantasies are not uncommon, and that my wanting to be alone would disappear with the depression. We shall see - time will tell." I know we discussed this while I was there but I did not realize that he put the fantasies in the same category as the desire to be alone. That surprised me a little. But he is the psychiatrist, not me.
ReplyDeleteDoes the remark about taking a pill to change brain chemistry indicate a resistance to taking your meds? That is something we need to be aware of if you have aversion to it.
From here on, I am using speech recognition to write some of this so it it garbled! I think of the drugs as a way to balance the chemistry. It has now suggested that I take more training. But did you know you could use the voice recognition on the blog too?