Mental Health Thread

[Flaming Blimp Crash]

Bit of a challenging week. My mother's typically had high blood pressure and is finally doing something about it. Her pressure is now at reasonable levels, but her cardiologist is recommending she come in for imaging to ensure she doesn't have cardiovascular plaque buildup as she (doc) was a bit worried of that possibility. Ah, okay, well that's fine and well, this is all for being proactive. Then, my mom informed me yesterday she's going in for a diagnostic mammogram as soon as possible as she had discovered a lump. Breast cancer does run through my mom's side, but everyone's been great about early detection and have all beat it.

I don't know, the 1-2 punch kind of has just sent my brain today on a worst case scenario trajectory - and I think it's because I had already lost my dad six years ago. May just take the next few days off from work as mental health days just to relax and adjust. Do want to note mom's handling things a lot better than me, kind of a Bruce approach of "Okay, this is what's potentially in front of me, let's go get this taken care of."

We've jokingly always had conversations where she said she doesn't want to live as long as her mom did (95), so I just say "Just make it to 80 and you can do whatever at that point." (She's not even 70)

 

[Black Abyss Babe]

Bit of a challenging week. My mother's typically had high blood pressure and is finally doing something about it. Her pressure is now at reasonable levels, but her cardiologist is recommending she come in for imaging to ensure she doesn't have cardiovascular plaque buildup as she (doc) was a bit worried of that possibility. Ah, okay, well that's fine and well, this is all for being proactive. Then, my mom informed me yesterday she's going in for a diagnostic mammogram as soon as possible as she had discovered a lump. Breast cancer does run through my mom's side, but everyone's been great about early detection and have all beat it.

I don't know, the 1-2 punch kind of has just sent my brain today on a worst case scenario trajectory - and I think it's because I had already lost my dad six years ago. May just take the next few days off from work as mental health days just to relax and adjust. Do want to note mom's handling things a lot better than me, kind of a Bruce approach of "Okay, this is what's potentially in front of me, let's go get this taken care of."

We've jokingly always had conversations where she said she doesn't want to live as long as her mom did (95), so I just say "Just make it to 80 and you can do whatever at that point." (She's not even 70)

"Mental health days" are a new one on me - but sounds like a good idea, I think more places should do them.

It occurs to me that maybe your brain needs to play out the worst case scenario, and when it's done that it will settle down into something more proportionate? Because I sometimes get that too, and after my mind has played out the absolute worst that could possibly happen I find that I can calm down a bit and see everything else on the spectrum up to that worst case. I think it's probably a coping mechanism that my autistic brain uses when confronted with uncertainty.

Anyway, hope it all works out well and your mum is okay.

 

[Flaming Blimp Crash]

"Mental health days" are a new one on me - but sounds like a good idea, I think more places should do them.

It occurs to me that maybe your brain needs to play out the worst case scenario, and when it's done that it will settle down into something more proportionate? Because I sometimes get that too, and after my mind has played out the absolute worst that could possibly happen I find that I can calm down a bit and see everything else on the spectrum up to that worst case. I think it's probably a coping mechanism that my autistic brain uses when confronted with uncertainty.

Anyway, hope it all works out well and your mum is okay.

Well, it's a sick day, it's not a day allotted just for mental health days.

Scheduling an appointment with my psych that would be able to excuse the absence because maybe an adjustment to my prescription may be needed for just the summer. I'm on an incredibly low maintenance dose of an anti-depressant that's kind of 'take as needed' (and that's primarily in the winter for Seasonal Affective Disorder) that's below the general therapeutic dosage for a general depressive disorder.

Appreciate the well wishes!