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Holiday Stress

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 456

Hi Brightsunnyday,

the pdoc explained that since I am sensitive to the ups and downs of mood by being bipolar. I feel the drop in hormone levels before the bleeding part of the mentrual cycle as a severe down. And he speculates that for me it is not a quick drop but a sudden drop... like the difference between the expert skii run and a cliff. So, I could make the transition better my taking the Pill, if the stuff didn't give me migraines 1 month out of 3. :(

Aww well, I can sympathize with the kids. Mine are just starting to bring home the holiday germs. Yesterday my oldest wanted to climb into my bed with his day clothes and fall unconcious microbes and all. I nearly had an attack. My little one was all sniffles and coughs in my face during story time. It is almost a relief to get to my office cubicle and wipe down with the alcohol-stuff.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 653

Sounds like you two are doing all the right things. It can be very frustrating when your body is doing its own thing despite your best intentions and actions! Glad you are doing better but do feel free to talk to your doctor to see if there is anything that can be done to assist you.

Tiana, Health Educator

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 60

You find that too? That your depression alleviates...sometimes even to go back to normal when the bleeding starts?

It's so frustrating. I exercise almost daily, eat mostly organic fruits, seeds and vegetables and rarely any meat nor dairy. I go to bed at basically the same time every night (Although sick kids are keeping me up the last 2 weeks) and hardly ever watch TV and certainly not in my room. I think I am doing everything right....yet...even when my life seems great....bam....down I go....only to be relieved when the bleeding comes...

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 456

Poof back to normal. Period started. Eating 4 meals. No alcohol. Sleeping 10 hours.

HMMM for the past 5 days....

holidays are over, and no more performing.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 456

Hi Tiana.

How do I find the way out ...

One part is me. It is forcing myself to eat properly; less meat, and less fruit and more vegetables and cereals. Take my meds earlier so they have more time to take effect and I have more time to sleep... and NO TV in my room! It hypnotizes me awake. Absolutely! Positively! Not one drop of alcohol! It is a powerful depressant and puts my system out of balance. When I am in trouble, I have to remember that my thought processes are impared and my reasoning is flawed! So all the hurtful and troubling thoughts are will pass and soon I will be able to think clearly again. I have to hang in there. No matter how much I want the hurting to end. It is like my broken and dislocated ankle a few years ago. I could not amputate it to make it hurt less... It had to heal in its own time.

The second part is my chemical system. I have to let it come back to its balance. I have to trust my meds. I have to trust proper eating habits. I have to trust proper hydration. All together my body will find the right amount of brain chemicals where I am functioning again at a normal pace. It is not an easy trust. It is not easy to wait where every moment is an eternity of hurt. There is no ambulance coming. There is no advil to ease the hurt a bit. And my last option is to see the Therapist. She would tell me I am coping well. I need to continue to control the emotions so they do not overwhelm me and I spiral too far...

So I am doing all the right things, I think. But I still made my Xmas list to Santa for a cure.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 653

Hi Wildcat,

I'm sorry to hear of your slump but you definitely have the right attitude! It will pass, it will get better. You have been here before and found your way out. How did you do that?

Keep posting if that helps. Try to see all the positives that I'm sure surround you and all the great things that reside in you.

Tiana, Health Educator

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 456

Hi,

I did the unthinkable... I had a few coffees with Bailey's Irish Cream on the long weekend. And now my meds are not in equilibrium. I am definitately in a low depression. I am looking at everything through a black cloud, worthless, hopeless.

It is my own fault I am here, now. Proof of my .... My sleep cycle is off as well. So I know this is going to be an episode that will last a while. I am back to craving all the fats and carbs... finishing off the kids plates. All the old bad habits...

I want to isolate myself. Run away. Hurt others so they will stay away and make no effort to come back. I am not really worth the efforts...

It helps to write because I can see that I am on a depressive cycle. I can see that I am falling into all the old patterns of negative thoughts that only hurt myself. The patterns are full of faults in the raesoning processes that in normal times I can find. Now, I just skip back and forth like an ADD...

It helps to remember that normal is a cycle on the washing maching. I, however, will be in balance once again soon.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 653

Hi Wildcat,

Sounds like you have quite a bit on your plate but you are managing. What are you doing to cope? It's great that you are not drinking if that will only add problems to the situation. I'm glad that you are posting. Does that help?

Tiana, Health Educator

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 456

Hi,

This year I am under a bit more stress that he previous years and am having an episode.

@work I am doing a 1yr project for another department. So my previous dept has abandoned me. I sit 3 feet away and they have had their gift exchange and their yr at a glance right next to me!!! and totally ignored me! Right there, next to them the whole time they planned stuff and then had fun. It is hard because I was in a dept of 10 and now I am in a dept of 2 (my boss and I). It makes me feel like my place in the Team is only the low employee and not a full member.

@ home we move the beginning of Nov and we are still in boxes and are preparing for Xmas for our kids. My Mom is now under my tutorship so I feel pressure to make things special for her. And my sister is coming in from out of town. She has had some hard luck these past few months and of course I do not want her to moan and groan but to enjoy the week-end. And My kids and I have to visit my husband's family in the burbs and play nice... after moving out of the father-in-law's house. He who feels pressured to invest in the ruined house to be able to sell it... After 13 yrs we were there and only the heating was undated.

So this past week I have been on the verge of tears. I do not want any gifts. I just want to hide under the covers and hibernate. I am avoiding alcohol like the plague and have two alarms on to force myself to take my meds. I want to lose myself in my work but I feel betrayed by those who I work with... so I am in a catch 22. I am trying to live on the joy of the kids but their nervous energy is rubbing me raw. My husband is an angel and has seen me like this before and knows that it will pass when the stress balloon bursts. It is a good thing that I am sleeping or I would not be functional.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11213

Members,

During the holiday season, stress levels can reach peak levels leading to many reactions within our body, including increased anxiety and fatigue. Your body’s physical and emotional reactions to stress are determined by your sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The SNS produces the fight or flight reaction in response to stress leading to an increased heart rate, muscle tension, increased blood flow and respiration. If you are constantly being exposed to stressful situations (ie. the holiday season) this may cause your SNS to overreact and be constantly stimulated. This constant stimulation can lead to depleted energy reserves and emotional and physical exhaustion. It’s important that during times of high stress we learn how to manage our stress levels.

Members, what are some of the ways that you manage your stress levels during the holiday season?

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

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