Rockygirlcat

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Mania and the Support Network Current mood: awake Category: Life For me too much sleep is a red flag and not enough sleep is a red flag. They are two sides of the same coin. Knowing my red flags and having a strategy to deal with them help me to feel cognitively like I have some control over what's going on, even if emotionally I don't always feel like I do. Having a good support network that is knowledgeable about your diagnosis is essential. I you were diabetic, you would want your support network to know the symptoms of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar and what to do. In a similar vein, if you were talking way to much, way too loud for way too long. Staying up all night starting many different projects, but not finishing any of them. Having difficulty concentrating, making impulsive decisions which others feel show poor judgement, increased physical activity of any kind resulting in dramatic weight loss within a short period of time. Having really big mood swings, feeling grandiouse and/or very irritable, chances are you are having a manic or hypomanic episode. Because I have been in treatment for a long time, I have some pretty good coping strategies to help slow me down when I'm going too fast, and cheer me up when I'm feeling really low. I will call my doctor without reservation when I can't get my sleep cycle back on track.I will also call my doctor if there is any persistant suicidal ideation that I can't get a handle on. If you are a beginner at managing your moods, you best run things by your psychiatrist until you have established a concrete action plan. Ask questions of your mental health person if you have any doubts. It's always better to be safe. Get feedback from another adult whose judgement you trust to help you know if your mood is getting too elevated. I am not always the best judge of my mood when I am hypomanic, but there are people I trust to tell me that my moods are extreme and to help me get hooked up with my doctor.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Kitty Kat Sleep Hygiene Current mood: accomplished Category: Life Rockygirlcat's Guidelines for Good Sleep Hygiene    Avoid consumption of caffeine after 5:00 p.m. Use your bed only for sleeping, so it is not associated with other activities like reading or watching TV. Keep a regular sleep schedule. Go to sleep  and wake up at the same time each day. Perform vigorous exercise prior to 6:00 pm if this interferes with your ability to fall asleep at night. Resist napping if it interferes with your ability to fall asleep at night. Consume fluids prior to 7:00 pm if using the bathroom at night interferes with your ability to fall back asleep. Avoid engaging in exciting activities or reading materials close to bed time if they interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Take a warm shower before going to bed. This can help you to fall asleep. A dropping body temperature is associated with falling asleep more easily. Drink a warm glass of milk before bed. This can help you to fall asleep. Keep a pen and paper next to your bed. If you are worried about forgetting a task, write it down. This will decrease worrying about things you need to do the next day. If you are unable to sleep, or are having any sleep disturbance for more than 3 days, consult your health professional for assistance. Especially if the sleep disturbance is accompanied by racing thoughts, excessive verbal activities and/or pressure of speech, irritability or emotional lability. Rockygirlcat uses her support network to cope with stress and problematic sleep disturbances. It is important to know your red flag symptoms and have a game plan to minimize the negative impact they have on your overall functioning.

Cats Are Free

People are of the mind that they can own a Cat, but that is never the case. They may delude themselves into thinking that this is so, because they buy the food and pay the rent and so on and so forth. But that doesn't make one wit of a difference. Because, there isn't a creature ever made or born that can ever, ever own a Cat.

Cats Own People

On the other hand, or paw, if I may say so...Cats can own a person, or more than one person. Cats can own whole families, or entire casts of musical casts. This is because of the Cat's innate sense of character and charm. All creatures seem to want to cater to the Cat, to please him or her, to be close to him or her. There can be only one answer for this, and that is ANIMAL MAGNETISM.

How did the Cat become such a Magnetic Personality?

They say it started in the stone age when animals were fighting tooth and nail for food. The cat being the charming animal it is, simply charmed it's way into obtaining food, rather than fighting. After many generations or breeding, this trait soon developed into what is now known as the Super Charmer Kittens. And these are the modern day cats we see and worship today.

The End

Today was the first day since I started my phenobarbital that I had no seizures. It was the highlight of the week. I was very happy and also getting my energy back. I ran up and down the hall and was able to jump up on my many perches that are situated around the house so I can look out of the windows. I also still have my purr intact and can purr at will. This makes my Mom and Dad very happy. I truly feel like the princess in my new Princess Picture with the crown and the sparkles. Today was definitely a sparkly kind of day. So many people have been very kind and concerned about my health. I want to thank everyone who has written, called and emailed me and my family regarding my health. It has been such a comfort to all of us. Things are looking up and I am hopeful that I will get the seizures under control.

Aloha from Hawaii,

Rockygirlcat

I am getting better. Today I only had one seizure and I am feeling more alert. For a while I lost my Purr, but today I got it back in time to Purr for my Mom for Mother's Day. That made her soooo Happy! I actually Purred twice today after not purring for almost 1 week. I hope you like my new picture that my Mom made for me. It makes me feel really pretty, and that's important for a girl cat.