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Still here, still reading. I also got a new puppy, and she's super cuddly. I'm making the most of her being small for the moment and she loves to climb on my chest and snuggle when I'm upset. I got a doorstop that's plushy and elephant shaped which I use when I'm anxious, weight is definitely a...

I have a large arm piece, elbow to wrist inside left arm. It is a heart on fire bursting out of dark clouds. Text is 'be who god created you to be and you will set the world ablaze'. Got it recently to mark my recovery progress and also to cover some extensive self harm scarring.

Just watched a lovely documentary called shelter me about shelter dogs. A large part deals with how they train dogs from shelters to work with ptsd veterans. I had a really bad day today, I couldn't go out of the house, but watching this, snuggled up with my new puppy, gave me a boost.

My ptsd feels like this: There is a creature inside me She walks with my legs. A child too long in the womb She is scaled and hairy. Gollum-like she squeezes my heart tight to her chest with bony hands. Tricksy and twisted she pulls on my strings. A carriage driver she cracks the whip over my...

EMDR can be very tough. I was frustrated initially that my EMDR therapist wouldn't start until I was stable enough. We spent about 6 weeks working on safe space visualisation, grounding my resources, etc. he is very thorough. We use headphones and hand grips so i can close my eyes which is...

Hope you are doing ok tonight as school looms tomorrow. I am also a teacher and recognise the pattern of a demanding giving role and then crashing in holidays. I've been off work since November, and really struggled with knowing who I am if I'm not teaching. I will be back at work part time in...

Hi all, thanks for the replies. I crashed horribly, was right back into the distorted thinking and feelings of hopelessness, but i saw my EMDR guy and he helped me to realise that after 4 days of no meds I was probably in withdrawal. He gave me some good strategies and I managed to get meds...

Hi all, just a quick one. Last few days when I've taken my meds my usual nausea has been much worse to the point where I've been sick after each dose. I take mirtazapine, sertraline and pregabalin all together at night with extra pregabalin in the daytime if I need it for anxiety. Since...

Lost my little dog last week. In the end it was sudden, but quick and painless for her. I'm doing OK, struggling with feeling alone. The house is very quiet and the bed Is very big. All sorts if little strange things, like when I finish my breakfast toast I have the little corner saved, and I...

Glad to see you on here, and to be reading your eloquent posts :-)

When the youth pastor starts a 'trust game' (you know the one where you fall back and get caught) and calls you up in front of the church to be his demo and you just can't get up out of your chair even when it turns from funny to embarrassing..... Not his fault, he doesn't know but I was...

Great thread people, one which gives me more insight into myself. I started art therapy in hospital. I'm creative but never enjoyed formal art and hadn't tried to draw anything for years. I found it such a powerful experience. I made a little book, and drew cartoons, or played with images to try...

Hi hashi, just wondered how you are getting on. Hope you had success with your doctor. Best wishes and hugs if you accept them x

Hi hashi, firstly to say that I'm sorry you are having such a rough time. I hope things start to turn around for you soon. Do you have a trusted friend / partner who might hold meds for you? You could then have a discussion with them around when you will need them and take away the pressure so...

I've been on mirtazapine for many months now and personally I find it helps me get to sleep and I do feel it keeps my moods more steady. I started on 15mg and increased gradually to 45mg which is an effective dose. Definite side effects of sleepiness which is a bonus for me and I take it at...

Mostly I think they are for phones or iPads there may well be websites with similar content?

This is another of those threads that makes me feel less alone so thanks all for sharing. When I was hospitalised last year I was doing all of the below many times per day. For me at times this is the only way I have known how to care for myself and keep myself alive. Hating and hurting have...

I'm near London too and up for a meet

I will kick off with a few. These are either free or just a pound or so. I regularly use icbt an app which helps with runaway thinking and takes you through the cbt steps in a clear and simple way. I also use the mindfulness app which contains a range of guided meditations. This helps when...

Hi all, thought this might be helpful for some of us who use iPads, iPhones or android phones. I use a lot of apps that I have found helpful and I'm sure others have their own too. Please post below if you have found anything good. Couple of quick points from the moderators: Don't post links...

Hi Sheila, I will try to explain a bit. I'm sure there are others who can explain more technically! Basically I have a headset which emits beeps alternately left and right and little buzzers which buzz I my left and right hand alternately but in sync with the ears. At the start of a set of...

I'd like to follow along too, I have a DBT skills app on my ipad which has given me some helpful tools, but I'm doing EMDR with my therapist so that's my main focus. There are lots of helpful apps, maybe I should start a thread....

Shake less at the moment, as meds and therapy seem to be making me more level at the moment. I get violent shaking in my legs when I'm anxious, if I'm sitting down its like my legs are jumping around to a fast song no one else can hear. I also get the internal shakes where it feels like my teeth...

Hey Gloria, I've been reading this thread and its so lovely to hear abut and see all the little babies, and also to hear about the love and care you show for all your animals. I know my baby dog Gracie, my avatar pic) won't be here much longer (she has incurable cancer) and I just try to live in...

I was very hesitant about group therapy but when I was in hospital last year the main focus of treatment was group therapy and I did get a lot from it. There is something very powerful about hearing someone else's experiences, even when they are very different from your own. In group I learned...