Postings from October 1-31, 2004
Date: Oct 30-31, 2004
Dear Happyshrink, I have been dealing with not being able to sleep. But know I have started have hallucinations of people that are not there. The people do not stay long nor talk to me. I only see them for a few short seconds. This did start up about three years ago but it only lasted for 3 weeks and seemed to be brief just here and there . This time its staying longer for maybe a 15 minute intervals. I am nervous about telling a doctor because if they take away my license, I can not work or drive anywhere. This is were the hallucinations usually happen; when traveling. I am not going crazy I hope. I can tell the difference between real and not just because the hallucinations are looking at me and they differ from real people. There is not mental heath disorder in my family and I do not use drugs. I am not on any medication. And seem to keep my stress down by reading web site jokes or just laughing at the stuff that goes wrong. I know I will probably have to get examined but it really stresses me, telling a doctor I am seeing things at least one in person. Thanks for the time and hope to hear from you soon. MP Dear MP, There are many people who have hallucinations and have drivers licenses. Seizures are more likely to cause you to lose your driver's license than hallucinations but that's not as great an issue as living your life with these hallucinations. By not seeing a doctor, you prevent yourself from being treated. These hallucinations may go away themselves but more likely, they'll get worse over time unless treated. I would strongly suggest that you be evaluated by a psychiatrist who can identify your condition and prescribe a treatment plan to manage it. It may involve medication and it may also involve therapy. I do not know enough about your personal history to tell you more than that. All I can do is urge you to get the help you need so you can live your life without fear. There are millions of people in his country who see and hear things that aren't there. Many of them live normal lives with proper treatment. Good luck MP and tell me how it goes. happy(lookatallthepoliticiansthatseeandhearthingsthataren'tthere)shrink Dear Happyshrink, Can you help me? I have had a bad habit of plucking my eyelashes usually when I am stressed although sometimes I do not even know I am doing it. I am currently on Effexor XR for depression and I have had this habit since I was young. I am now 42. I would do anything to stop this. S**** Dear S****, Most habits like yours are best treat by behavioral therapists who can use a variety of techniques. I have also known some people who have had success with hypnotherapy. Your eyelash plucking is probably a habit that relieves anxiety. Your medication may aid in this but perhaps you need to be evaluated further. I would hope you have had a psychiatric evaluation when you were put on Effexor XR. If this was just prescribed by your family physician, I would urge you to get a psychiatric consult. Another possibility is to try another medication that may better reduce your anxiety. Many family doctors prescribe psychoactive medications and really should be referring their patients to see a psychiatrist. If you are already seeing a psychiatrist, discuss with him/her what treatment options would be considered for your eyelash plucking. Good luck and let me know your progress. happy(fullypluckedonthetopofhishead)shrink Dear Happy, Finally we know this right answer to this age old question. Be sure to scroll both pictures...I just had to send this one...I'm still laughing, hope you do to! Judiblueye Why women have two hands
Why men have two hands
You know the nice thing about being a single is that you get the phone, the credit card and the TV clicker all for yourself. Three out of Four ain't bad! happy(oneuponmeatloaf)shrink
Date: Oct 23-24, 2004
No Questions this week but someone wrote a personal poem which seems to have a special meaning to someone. I will post it here in hopes that it serves a purpose: Seven Year Ache The seven year itch is coming about You're a nurse and I'm a psych, you know nothing about. Thanksgiving was a hoot without your visit the at the asylum. You keep threatening me with divorce, so why don't you file em. You see when we married, dated even still, you loved me for who I was, and it was a like a manic thrill. Now we have children, and in my quest to find myself. So, yeah, woo hoo I got my Doctorate from Clemson and can't find a job. So, you still don't understand rapid cycling, everything is a blob. I need a woman to take away the pain, you are a nurse and your yelling drives me insane. But there's a website or three about famous bi-polars. If you read into them we can be high rollers. Support me through the good the bad and the ugly, and the thick and the thin. Let's spend the rest of our lives together( supportive) and be happy, once again. Happy(soundslikeitsgoingtotakemorethanthispoemtobehappyagain)shrink Dear Happy, Edna's been bugging me again that I never take her anywhere. So I ask her where she wants to go and she says, "Paris." So we get in the pick-up. And I take her to Paris, Kentucky. Now she won't talk to me because she wanted to go to Paris, France . So what's the big deal about Paris, France? Bubba Dear Bubba, Two Pictures are worth at least 2,000 words:
Happy(IloveParisintheSpringtime)shrink Dear Happy, As you know, My Gilbert is the perfect husband. He eats what ever I make him. He doesn't interrupt me when I'm talking. He doesn't demand sex from me more than once a year and he always puts down the toilet seat when he tinkles. No woman could ask for a better man except for one small problem. After he tinkles, he forgets to zip up his fly. This has become very embarrassing, especially when we are in public. Gilbert may look a bit odd but God has blessed him with pretty impressive private parts. I am a refined woman unlike JeWitch, Edna, Gind, Mary and their trailer trash friends. Could you give me some advice on a discreet way to let Gilbert know that his fly is open? Thank you for listening. Please find me a quick solution to this HUGE problem that I'm having. Thank you. Sincerely, Mildred Thigpen Dear Mildred, I just happen to have a top 20 list of ways
to tell someone that their fly is open. Please feel free to use whichever
one most fits the situation you and Gilbert are in: Subject: 20 Ways to Say "Your
Fly Is Open" happy(zippingitupforanotherweek)shrink
Date: Oct 16-17, 2004
Happy, I
am wondering if weather can affect mental health? This past Thursday
I had a horrible day. Every time I turned around I was in tears.
I thought I was bordering on that crazy thing again. I know part of
the reason but no reason to go into that here. Anyway, today,
Saturday, I talked to three different girl friends and it turned out they
had crying jags on Thursday also. Go figure. We have had rain
ever since Thursday evening and I usually get a little quirky after
several days of rain but not just before it starts. We are also no
where near a full moon either. (What's your thought on full moons
and mental health by the way? I personally think there may be
something to it.) I have heard of people developing mental health
problems like in Alaska because of the half year daylight and half year
nighttime, but I live in the southern U.S. Dear T****, There have been numerous studies that show weather to be a significant factor in people's mood. It is also true that countries near the north or south poles that have long winter nights see a spike of suicide attempts and psychiatric hospitalizations. My own personal view is that inclement weather triggers a number of situations that may promote sadness and possibly depression. For many people, it limits the amount of outdoor activity, exercise and social interaction. These conditions may cause people to experience sad feelings. I don't think that it causes otherwise happy people to become clinically depressed. It serves more to heighten conditions that are already there. Also keep in mind that there are people who love the rain. Some people prefer nighttime to daytime (my son would be in that category). People are very different when it comes to their reaction to weather and other planetary phenomenon. That can also be a result of each individuals personal history. If someone associates a certain weather condition with the death of a loved one or a traumatic situation, such weather may also trigger feelings of anxiety or depression. Perhaps even more important, is thinking about how you can feel better on a rainy day. Making an effort to be around people, keeping busy, exercising, eating healthy are all things that can turn a rainy day into sunshine. Next time you have a rainy day T****, think about all the things you can do to feel good. Let me know if it works. Happy(grayskiesaregoingtoclearup)shrink Dear Sir/Madam I do not wish to waste your time, I am a 2nd year student at a University studying graphic design at degree level. I am currently working on a project about time and have decided to focus the brief on "wasting time worrying". My idea so far is to somehow demonstrate how much time we generally spend worrying and what a waste of time it is by showing how that time could be spent positively. My ideas are still at the initial stage, however I intend to create an awareness campaign for worrying in a different and interesting way in order to gain attention. I would be very grateful if in any way you can help; Do you have any facts or figures on how much time we generally spend worrying? Do you have any other facts which may benefit this project? Can you provide me with any information about awareness campaigns, or dates of events for which this project could be intended? Do you know of any other contacts or sources of information that I could investigate? Do you have any comments regarding my project? Thank you for your time, I am grateful for your help in any way. Yours sincerely, JB Dear JB, I think you project is a good one. I am sure that if you research psychology and sociology abstracts in your University's library, you will find some research and articles about worrying and how much time it takes up in people's lives. I also recommend doing a search at Psych Central. Just type in "worrying" and you will find quite a few articles and web sites devoted to worrying which may include panic attacks and anxiety disorders. It might also be beneficial to do your own research. If I were doing my own survey, here would be a few of the questions I would ask people of all ages, genders and ethnicities. What issue do you worry about? (money, relationships, safety, school, job, Yankees-Red Socks, etc.) How much time each day do you estimate you spend worrying about these issues? How does worrying impact on your behavior? (specific things people do or don't do because they worry.) What have you found to be the best coping mechanisms to deal with worrying? (talking to friends, psychotherapy, medication, prayer, Yankees-Red Socks, etc.) Good luck on your research JB and please let me know what you find out. Happy(Yankees-RedSocks)shrink Dear Happy, Finally an email that is NOT about hurricanes!! Or the after effects of hurricanes. Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say "hi, we are all doing fine." and also to tell you that Bubba and Edna are back together again for about the bazillionth time ... don't worry, I'm not concerned. It won't last long this time .. Oh yeah, in case you ever wondered why women live longer than men, I am enclosing a picture of Bubba that answers that question as well as how I know that he and Edna won't be together much longer ... Love ... JeWitch
Dear JeWitch, I think it's really sad that Bubba has to go to such great lengths to hide his beer. happy(hasnobeertohide)shrink
Date: Oct 9-10, 2004
Dear Happy, Last night I had a dream that my best friend was pregnant and very sick. She was then admitted to the hospital and they ran some test. When they came back the doctor told her that due to some complications either her or the baby would live through the pregnancy not both. Fearing for her Child's life as well as hers she signed away her parental rights to me. Later that night she died and the baby was saved. A few years passed and my boyfriend returned from the navy. He accepted the child as his. I then became aware of the fact that I could not receive children and was crying in a corner of my room. When the baby got mad or was upset with me he would reply by saying you are not my mother. What does that mean? CR Dear CR, Your dream has a couple of themes that are worth looking at. One is your fear of loss; losing your friend, losing your ability to have children and perhaps losing your boyfriend from the navy. The other theme is rejection. The baby rejects you as not being his/her mother. You feel sorrowful and seem to be mourning your losses. I'm wondering if you have been fearful of rejection or loss recently. Has there been something going on in your relationships that this could be related to? Have there been any issues about pregnancy that you or someone you know is struggling with? Tell me more about yourself and how loss and rejection is a part of your life and perhaps we can analyze this dream further. happy(needsmoreclues)shrink Dear Hppy, It is nice to see you have come back to cyber space. I really missed you when you closed the site a while ago. I just wanted to say welcome back. We all really need you, some more than others. :) Your Friend, ARA I never actually closed the site. I was ill for a couple of months at the end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003 and did not post. During that time, though, WindNWillows (mywife) gave updates about my health. St. Theresa set up a Get-Well book that people could post on. Besides that and some vacations, I have been posting for over 7 years. In that last couple of years I have only posted on a weekly basis because my life has gotten a lot busier. I'm happy you rediscovered the site and hope you will write again. I seem to remember you writing me about some dreams. Maybe you have a new one to share. Thank you again for your additional kind words. happy(likestoshare)shrink And from JeWitch(A died-in-the-wool Floridian):
You
might be a Floridian if...
And finally, you might be a
Floridian if:
You
ask your family up north to start saving the Sunday Real Estate
classifieds!
Nuff said for another week!
Date: Oct 2-3, 2004
Dear Happyshrink, I am going through "another" depressed period in my life. I just go through the day feeling disconnected and disinterested in everything. Even when I do happy things I just am not really happy. Sometimes it frustrates me that I am like this and I don't want to go through my whole life this way. I can't help but feel like all this isn't worth it and maybe I would be better off somewhere else. I feel like all I'm doing is killing time waiting to die. Pointless. When I don't feel this way, it's like I'm holding my breath, hoping that it will last. But it never does. I often wonder what I did wrong or how come me? What did I do? I have thought about going to therapy but just can't get it together enough to go on a regular basis. I did a group for awhile but it wasn't really working out because there were too many people in the group and I was just getting frustrated by all the nonsense that was going on. If I went to therapy regularly do you think I would get better and maybe this would stop? I don't want to be this way. I would cry if I could but I can't even do that right now. I have emotional gridlock or something. Every day I get up and do all the things that I am supposed to do. I am a good robot at least. I would welcome your suggestions. Thanks. Call me "Marge" Dear Marge, You letter is a very difficult one to answer. I wish I could give you a simple diagnosis, an easy treatment plan and a medication that could manage your symptoms away. I can't. In reading your letter, I think of the words of M. Scott Peck in his book, "The Road Less Traveled." He starts off with a basic premise that we all know but often minimize. "Life is Difficult." There are numerous struggles that every person goes through in any given day. I realize that you are an individual with a unique and special history that brought you to this place in time. I am also sure that your emotional condition is one that you are working hard to change. Change is the most difficult process that we go through. There are no shortcuts or quick fixes. I can't even guarantee that therapy will help although I would strongly recommend it. I can give you a few suggestions that perhaps you haven't thought about. First, you need to continue to do the things that you are doing. Whether it is work, parenting, maintaining relationships or keeping yourself clean and healthy, these are fundamental to your overcoming your adversities. You need to remind yourself each day that you achieved something. Don't minimized your work, your parenting or any other activities that you struggled with. Second, I would make sure that a part of each day is set aside as "me time." This time should be used to connect to yourself. It can be taking a bubble bath, listening to music that you enjoy, or possibly having quality time with loved ones. Make sure that these activities are priorities and not afterthoughts. Third, make sure you report your thoughts and feelings to your psychiatrist. Medications may need constant tweaking and that process may be continuous. I know it's frustrating and you are not alone if you have thoughts about a time when you may not need medication. These are normal feelings and it would be unusual if medication didn't frustrate you. Last but not least Marge, don't minimize the resources you have to help you and those times that you can laugh and have fun. Don't just think of those good times as fleeting moments. They need to be cherished memories. I'm sure you have them even when you don't feel like looking at them. They are more powerful than you think. They are your first defense against pessimism. If there is one battle that all of us need to win, it's the fight to be hopeful. If we lose that fight Marge we have lost a lot. Don't give up. Keep hoping. Keep working hard. Keep fighting the demons. You are stronger than they are. happy(hasn'tgivenuponMarge)shrink Dear Happyshrink, I do not know what is wrong with me, but it must be something. I am 23 years old and in school right now. My whole life I have had somewhat of a temper and been moody. There doesn't seem to be a time when it is better or worse. It is erratic. I will be fine one minute, feeling really good and then all of a sudden I just feel awful and either cry or blow up. I am also depressed very often, have a hard time concentrating and do not make or keep friends easily. All my behaviors are totally unavoidable. For example, I try to control my moods, but I feel like sometimes it gets worse when I do that and my moods become even more heightened. Please help me. N*** Dear N***, It sounds to me like you are either suffering from depression or a type of mood disorder. I would strongly suggest that you get evaluated by a psychiatrist. Only then can it be determined what is causing your mood swings and your unhappiness. There are medications and other treatments that can help you N***. Don't just feel helpless to change the way you are. Seek the help you need and start living a happier life. Please let me know what happens. happy(inthemood)shrink
T**** Responds to Happyshrink Happyshrink, The
reason for my question is because I often tell my therapist that I feel
like I am going crazy or I must be crazy or something like that and she
always says that the really crazy people think they are sane so I am
okay. 'Nuff said??? T**** Dear T**** Provigil is a medication that is primarily used for narcolepsy but can be prescribed for people who have difficulty staying awake as a result of taking other medications. Your ability to tolerate such a drug while taking Zoloft is something that needs to be tested under the care of your psychiatrist. It is a controlled substance and should be taken careful and exactly the way your psychiatrist prescribes. If it does the job without side effects, it may be helpful to you. Only by trying it can you be sure. While most people tolerate Provigil without any problems, the most common side effects are nausea, diarrhea and headaches. You may be able to get Provigil in it's generic form. The generic name is Modafinil. Most insurance companies will approve generic medications so you might want to look into that. Please let me know how it works for you. happy(genericallyspeaking)shrink Dear Happyshrink, I know you must have been worried sick about me. I'm happy to say we didn't have any damage as you can plainly see:
The lord must have smiled on us Hoppenstadders. Let George Dubya send help to those less fortunate than us. Edna Dear Edna, I don't think either John Kerry or President Bush could find anyone less fortunate. happy(countinghisblessings)shrink Back to "Ask Happyshrink" Home Page Back to most current postings
|
