Sunday, December 12, 2010

Weekly Photo: Downtown Disney



I took a trip to Anaheim to meet a high school friend of mine. You can see the House of Blues sign and Build-A-Bear Workshop in the background. I liked the tree decorations :)

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Mental Health Awareness

I wonder if I have mental health issues like dysthymia, anxiety disorder, codependency, or PMDD, even though I've never been formally diagnosed. I am writing about this topic to be honest about what I go through and in support of mental health awareness.

For the first time in my life, I'm open to admitting I may be mentally sick, with symptoms just like any other patient who sees a doctor. Symptoms for me might mean: feeling too much adrenaline and being unable to concentrate, as in the case of an anxiety attack, being irritable and moody and feeling helpless to stop myself, perhaps due to PMDD, or being irrational and struggling to control myself, or other.

Recently, I went through a period of time where I was struggling with my day to day activities. What I did that helped me cope was to keep it very simple. I gave myself a list of at most 6 things to do every day, like "Lunch." "Dinner." "Shower." etc. Real simple, but they were hard for me. By limiting myself to concentrate on just 5-6 things, it was easier for me to get through the day calmly... and at the end of the day, with some sense of satisfaction knowing I set goals for myself and I completed them.

It was a minor success, but I'm counting every step.

Weekly Photo: Meeting An Old Friend


My friend Joanne was in town for Thanksgiving and asked if I wanted to meet up. Only the biggest YES! ever. I'm thankful for old friends because they remind me of who I am and why I am where I am now.