Self Compassion Challenge For Those With Illness, Complex Trauma And Child Abuse

[Deleted member 20978]

What a fantastic thread and idea. Well done! I've studied Buddhism, read Teasdale and Kabat-Zinn and others (read any Pema Chodron?), and have gone to some sanghas over the years, but your initiative is truly inspiring. Both in taking self-action and inviting others. Have you ever thought about attending a sangha @Ms Spock ?

This really hit the spot for where I'm struggling. Think I will have to re-read all of it a few times. Is the private group still going? In all honesty, not sure I'm in the right shape to be added right at the moment, working on cooling down. But if it's ongoing I would love to join later.

 

[ms spock]

Let me know when you are up for the PM Group @Jemini.

I am gearing up to do a three day Mindfulness Retreat at this time @Jemini, and I will do a ten day retreat at either the middle of the year or the end of the year. My practices are taking me down that path.

I don't know what a sangha is? Have you done one Jemini, and what is it?

 

[Ivan the Elder]

Aarow, the side effects are minimal, really not much at all. Compared to the interferon drugs the side effects are zero. Harvoni is the best medicine so far and I have read that there are more coming that are even better in terms of even shorter treatment time. I am taking it for just 12 weeks for type 1b that I got from the army. Some of the ones being tested might be as short as just one month. As it is, it is really minor and if I was still working instead of retired I would be able to continue working, no problem. Very fortunately my cost is covered totally by our government. The specialist helping me with treatment is one of the best doctors I have ever met. She has even given me her e-mail address and I can check in with her any time I feel I need to. It is too bad that a lot of our medical system is very poor, but not this part, thank God.

Once they get the cost down so anybody can afford it we will be able to start thinking about Hepatitis C in a similar way to how we remember polio. Ancient history. I have had it for 47 years now. I am extremely lucky that I have very little liver damage so my liver is already healed enough that all the test results are showing it as perfectly normal.
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Merry Christmas to all

 

[Ivan the Elder]

Jemini, have a read here, it is what I follow in life: http://online.sfsu.edu/rone/Buddhism/FivePrecepts/fiveprecepts.html

 

[ms spock]

This really helped me when I was in a bad way before I could really do Mindfulness or not try so hard thus making it all so hard.

http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/html/instant_mindfulness.html

@blackemerald1 Thinking of you today. Tagging you here so you get an idea of the challenges done on this forum.

 

[Deleted member 20978]

I am gearing up to do a three day Mindfulness Retreat at this time @Jemini, and I will do a ten day retreat at either the middle of the year or the end of the year. My practices are taking me down that path.

That's great :) I've never done a retreat, but have known many who have. I would like to.

I don't know what a sangha is? Have you done one Jemini, and what is it?

The triple jewels are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The first is tricky to define, but think of the statues of the happy fat man :) The second is the "way" or the teachings, and the third is the community of followers. So like a dharma center or meditation group is a sangha. The triple jewels even made it into my username ;)

To be clear, I am a fairly lapsed Buddhist, have not been meditating even since last winter. But maybe I will soon.

 

[Deleted member 20978]

@Ivan the Elder I haven't taken formal vows ever/yet, though I do abide some precepts. In those 5, I'm good with 4 out of 5 -- I do take intoxicants, with pot and psych meds. I would like to be free of these someday, but they have helped a good deal.

 

[Ivan the Elder]

I have also used intoxicants as well but I totally quit drinking or any other drugs about 11 years ago. I now must take, of all things, morphine. Not to kill pain but because it helps regulate my maximum heart rate. That hit 190 bpm earlier this year which is very much not a good thing at my age. It could kill me. Morphine is a norepinephrine release inhibitor and that prevents my heart rate going too high. I wish I didn't have to take it. It has no trace of addiction or euphoric properties in me. It can make it hard to think if I take too much and I do not like that. I tried a few street drugs as a teen but didn't like them. Grass makes my heart too fast. The one I did like was LSD and back then it was legal, made by Sandoz. In very light doses it is a very good antidepressant for me. But, I would never think of using the street versions. It is very difficult to make well but very easy to make very impure. Not a chance. Right now I wish I could quit the morphine. It is the only drug I take other than the Harvoni. I don't even drink tea or coffee.

 

[Deleted member 20978]

I'd comment Ivan but we're getting off-topic here. Another time maybe :)

 

[ms spock]

That's great :) I've never done a retreat

I have done a day but not longer, and it is time to build up for more Mindfulness/Meditation. I am booked in for a Tai Chi one in April/May.

The triple jewels are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The first is tricky to define, but think of the statues of the happy fat man :) The second is the "way" or the teachings, and the third is the community of followers. So like a dharma center or meditation group is a sangha. The triple jewels even made it into my username ;)

Wow! Thanks @Jemini!

To be clear, I am a fairly lapsed Buddhist, have not been meditating even since last winter. But maybe I will soon.

Hey any insights you have lapsed Buddhist or not, are most welcome. The more we learn, the more we can start to make those small incremental changes that lead to management and healing.

 

[Deleted member 20978]

Your passing the successes on and inviting others is really inspiring. I'm remembering how last winter, on a very early sleep cycle (rare), I was meditating in my back room / sunporch each day as the sun came up. Maybe I can do that again this year :)

 

[ms spock]

I hope you can @Jemini, and please let us know if you do.