When I feel run down and sleepy I start drinking lots of water. It seems dehydration is making me

Do any of you feel [2008-01-17]
like you have avoidant personality disorder? I find that I am very uncomfortable around people. When I go to pick up my son from school, I wait in the car to avoid talking to anyone. All the other people in my cul-de-sac who are my age all have get-togethers and parties all the time and have just stopped inviting me, after being turned down every time. I used to work outside the home and was a lot more comfortable around people; I dealt with them on a daily basis just fine, but with stay-at-home transcription this has really become a problem. Can any of you relate to this?? I always was shy, but now I'm a complete social recluse...

When I feel run down and sleepy I start drinking lots of water. It seems dehydration is making me [2007-09-24]
sleepy. Usually after rehydrating myself sufficiently I feel re-energized. I also sleep with a CPAP for severe OSA.

Thank you, do feel powerless... sm [2007-07-05]
here's the catch. I'm an IC. Does that throw a wrench in the things you suggest? (Yes, I have a supervisor to report to. I personally think I should be an employee but have been denied this request many times.) You mention Legal Aid as if it is a particular organization, seeing as you capitalized it. Do you have more info? Thank you for your input!

Just remember, you are not alone, even though it may feel [2007-03-27]
that way at times. I would guesstimate that 1 out of every 5 dictations that I transcribe have Depression and/or Anxiety listed under heading of Past Medical History.

Fibromyalgia [2008-07-21]
I have fibromyalgia and the pain is excruciating. When getting out of bed in the mornings, I have to take pain meds and wait for about an hour just to get moving. I am so depressed over this and the only antidepressant i can tolerate is wellbutrin which does absolutely nothing for me. Tried lyrica and Cymbalta, awful, awful side effects. The side effects of Lyrica was the awful weight gain, Cymbalta left me with terrible GI problems. MT is my only means of support as I am alone supporting myself. I had to quit a nice full time job because I can no longer work full time. Anyone who suffers from this, you know what I am referring to about this disorder being just terrible. Most days, I do have to PUSH myself to do anything, including work. I take pain meds (narcotics) 3 times a day at 10 mg of hydrocodone, I take Tramadol in between, and alprazolam with the hydrocodone for the muscle spasms. I feel like a zombie. I am allergic to all NSAIDs. I went thru testings for Lupus, MS, etc.....and they were all negative, which was good. I had suffered with this for almost 2 years as the doctor i had at the time said that he did not treat nor believe in fibromyalgia, so when I was able to get health insurance, I changed doctors and she completely understood and believed that fibromyalgia IS a disease and it was not all in my head. If anyone out there suffers from this, how do you deal, what do you do for it besides drugs? If I have typos, sorry...it even hurts to type this morning.

I love this idea!!! [2008-06-25]
I'd love to have a diet buddy! I have a friend here in town that has said she'd help me lose weight, but she is really thin and just can't relate. I've tried to lose weight, too, but my weakness is Pepsi (type too late into the night). I have exercise tapes that are collecting dust (totally my fault) and I just went to see my GYN today and she tells me that if I don't start losing now, it's just going to get harder and harder! Ack!!! Email me if you'd like - I'm on Yahoo IM, as well.

re:weight [2008-06-25]
Yeah, I would totally be interested in this with you. Can you email me on my personal email (listed above) and we can make a plan. Not sure where to start or what would be the best idea, etc. but we can make a plan together and get going. I am exhausted and my family is out of town right now so have been a bit out of sorts as far as schedule goes so sorry I took so long to get back to you. Let me know via email when you would be ready to get going and what plan you may have. I am looking forward to it, the support will be wonderful. I will wait to hear from you. Thanks. Laurie Jean

Weight [2008-06-23]
Anyone have ANY ideas how to jump start a weight loss program?? I am SOOOO overweight. I constantly worry about my weight, how it is affecting my life, what it is doing to my health, etc. Cannot seem to stop eating though. Quit smoking in 2000, peri-menopausal at this time and seems like the scales keep climbing. I am really embarassed and don No exercise, have to type. Have a bit of OCD, okay a lot of OCD so not sure how that plays in either. Don Any suggestions? Please be kind, I already beat myself enough about it. Thanks in advance.

Do you get any exercise at all? [2008-06-23]
Even 3-4 minutes on an exercise bike or treadmill a few times each day (maybe onceevery hour or two, when you need to get up from your desk for a break) is better than nothing at all. It might just jump-start your metabolism a little. Are you sure your thyroid is okay? I I saw an infomercial the other day and have been reading about it on the internet. There are a lot of wonderful testimonials and it Just a thought.

If you could see me, you would say [2008-06-23]
the last person to listen to, but I knew someone in her 50's who lost over 100 pounds walking with her gut sucked in and on low calorie healthy food so that she never actually went hungry with small amounts of treats so she would not feel cheated. If truly hungry, she would open a can of green beans even if she ate the whole can (I think that one was from weight watchers, but what do I know!). Good luck.

WEIGHT [2008-06-23]
Hi Laurie, I also am not one to really ask suggestions from, as I am over 150 pounds overweight. I feel horrible, have high blood pressure, and have to use a CPAP machine at night because I have severe obstructive sleep apnea. I also am very worried about my weight and how it affects my appearance and my health. I am sick of it. I have tried everything. My last venture was NutriSystem. I did lose, but I did not like the fact that they sent substitute meals if they were out of what you wanted. I am a very picky eater. Now, I have a lot of their food that I do not like and will not eat. It is expensive. Years ago, I lost over 70 pounds while living in Wisconsin. I had a diet buddy who lived in Indiana (my mom). We both lost a lot of weight because we supported each other. I then got pregnant and gained all my weight back and then some. My baby is now 26 and I cannot blame it on baby fat any more . Would you be willing to be my diet buddy? We could give each other hints and encourage each other along the way. It really, really worked for me. It is not a group per say, where you feel as if you are lost in the numbers. It is a one-on-one support. It is strange because I was just going to get on this site, as well as some others that I know of, and ask if anyone would want to be my diet buddy. I need to lose this weight, and it sounds as if you do too. Do you want to give this a try? We would just e-mail each other, or if you have Yahoo IM we could communicate that way. What do you say?

I hate the word too, it was not a typo even though there are some there....lol [2008-06-23]
I try not to use that word as it makes me feel bad...it is like a reality check.

I can definitely relate [2008-06-09]
to what you are saying. I have always been a shy person and just do not feel very comfortable around most people. With working at home it makes it worse.

Anxiety [2008-06-06]
This sounds like a definite anxiety reaction. Do you have fears that if you don't visit your dad's grave, that something bad will happen? (I ask because that is a common type of thing.) You should ask your therapist if she (or if she knows of someone who) is good at handling OCD issues. I have had a very stressful last few years (won't go into it all), but I have had lots of anxiety, problems with sleeping, restless legs (whole body actually), etc. It sucks. Also, have you listened to any of the A New Earth series on the Oprah.com web site? I have found that very helpful. Hang in there!!

stress [2008-05-07]
I had a tough year last year with my dad passing away, a very good friend passed away a few months later, my only child went off to college 2000 miles away, and had knee replacement. I was put on meds for depression and anxiety which helped, but now my daughter is getting married, I'm having issues at work, financial issues with the surgery and PT, and it's the first anniversary of my dad's passing. I've been going to therapy and she's really helping me deal with my daughter's upcoming marriage, but I'm having a problem that we haven't discussed yet. I feel obsesssed about going to my dad's grave every day. If I don't go I get so anxious and jittery that I end up going anyway. I just don't understand why I feel the need to go every day and sit with him. Is this 'normal' or has anyone gone through this too?

mt-MQ [2008-03-18]
I just saw your post. I was an undiagnosed bipolar child. My mother was bipolar diagnosed. When I was a child, everything I said was grandious, lying, keeping things from my father, sneeking around doing things like smoking, drinking. I was 8 years old. As I got older these things became much worse. I wish I had someone to keep an eye on me, but my mother died when I was 7 and my father raised 4 children with me the youngest. It is thought that with the death of my mother the bipolar surfaced. I suggest you keep an eye on your son and regulate how much time he spends with his friends, etc. You need to be involved so closely with what is going on with him to the point of knowing where and what he is doing and how he is acting from now until he graduates from high school. Kids with bipolar are very suseptible to drugs and alcohol abuse. If only I had someone to keep close eye on me and get me on medicines I would not have done the things I did. Regular medicine control is a must with counseling. An open relationship with your son is a must as well. Keep your relationship with your son open and not defensive. You want him to continue to communicate with you. Don't make him feel guilty for things he has done as this will result in immediate withdrawal from you and society. This is a life-long disease that has effects of OCD, eating disorder, grandious thinking, spending outrageously, promiscuity and doing at-risk activities, etc. He needs to be on medication from now on, and it is important that he know why and what he can expect as he gets older. He needs to know how to moderate everything. To this day I do not do anything in moderation. It is either huge or not at all, and I take loads of medications. This is an honest assessment from a bipolar person who has been bipolar all her life.

Don't know about Paxil but [2008-03-12]
did you notify your prescribing doc of the symptoms? Sounds worrisome. Psychotropics are trial and error, aren't they? Guess you must have lots of patience. My son has used stims (ADHD) and we are still trying to find the right med. Sorry I can't be of any help.

Opposite with me [2008-01-17]
I used to feel that way when I worked outside the house - some days I could barely face going to work because of all the people. Now that I rarely see anyone, I find that I actually enjoy talking to clerks and people watching when I get out. I think in my case its a control factor - now I can control who I see and when, and what they can demand of me - which was impossible with an outside job. Hopefully you Not everyoneisborn to be a social butterfly. Try to analyze exactly what you are avoiding, and why, and maybe you'll find an answer.

Many people have issues this time of year [2007-12-09]
Statistically suicides, depression and other mental health issue go up at this time of year. What with the financial pressures, shopping stress, gathering with family members you People that have recently lost loved ones or have broken off a relationship usually feel extra bad when reflecting on prior, happier holidays. People that normally don Commercials make you feel sad and inadequate because you can or your coworkers brag on how much they got and you got very little. This season is rough on many people.

The holidays are very hard for me, Christmas [2007-12-09]
especially. Both of my parents are deceased, as well as both of my DH parents. My siblings were toxic so after my parents died I ended any relationship with them. My mom used to put like 5000 lights on the tree. She hand placed each light, didn I can I have a total meltdown every year over the tree lights. I have one son who is leaving the nest next year and this is his last Christmas at home. I have another son who wants a tree with lights and all the other traditions, so it is important this year to do those. Right now I I will help decorate later. I feel horrible that I can't participate more, but no matter how much I want to I just can't. We haven We save all year for Christmas and no matter how I feel about we weren We are able to provide them with some of their wishes, though since they are older their wishes cost more, so only a couple of presents each under the tree. I have bought stuff to make cookies/treats but haven I will do some this week, but only plan on making 2 or 3 things and I My oldest is busy with school and work and dating, but he will be involved too, whether he wants to or not - LOL. I know it is hard, but try to find something to make it special. We started a tradition a few years ago. We have an outdoor mall that is pretty wide spread and they have a tram that looks like a trolly car from San Francisco that has several stops. We go and ride it around, most of the time not even shopping, just there to ride the tram, and then we have lunch. It is nippy and the tram has Christmas music playing and we can see lots of decorations, and we have conversations with complete strangers. Money is very tight this year due to the fact I haven't had much work the last 3 months, so lunch is probably out, but we will still ride the tram. There are lots of organizations to help those less fortunate. You could make coupons to give them to exchange for a gift when times are better. You could make them something special, maybe make each one a fleece blanket. They have many prints available and you might could find remnants large enough to work for just a couple of dollars. The first Christmas after my mother died I laid on the floor and bawled. I I didn I was able to pull myself up and get through the holiday, but not until the last 3 or 4 days before. I spent a lot of time away from my children taking care of my parents and I don I want them to have good memories of the holidays, even if there wasn Check your local Freecycle for possible gifts. I give away my children CraigsList is another place to try. Maybe just buying a plainn sweatshirt and personalizing it in some way, using paint to right their name, or sewing on appliques. When you go to bed tonight tell yourself that tomorrow will be a better day and strive to make it so. If you don't get outside enough make an extra effort to go outside tomorrow, even if you just spend 15 minutes walking around the yard or sitting on your porch. If you need help ask for it, whether it be for material things or asking a medical professional.

not the only one? [2007-12-06]
I hope I'm not the only one who is feeling blue this time of year. I can't wait until it's over. I have no money for gifts for my kids and I'm sick of the holiday being so commercialized. I haven't done anything - no cards, no cookies, no shopping, no decorating - nothing. I can barely stay awake during the day. I feel like a horrible mom. Thanks for letting me feel sorry for myself for a bit. Back to reality...

Is by chance this boy in sports, wrestling? sm [2007-11-18]
If this boy is a wrestler, this is common, and dangerous so that could be one reason he would be doing it. If not a wrestler or even if a wrestler perhaps make a call to the school counselor or school nurse (you can do so anonymously) first and say you are concerned about the boy. Let them be the ones to talk to the boy then parents if they feel there is an issue. They are both trained in the warning signs and proper techniques to use when talking with families with these issues. Perhaps there could be a metabolic reason for his lack of appetite and concern about weight as well. They would be able to pick up on things like this. This avoids making the boy or your own son uncomfortable talking to you about things or the other parents from thinking you are butting in. Chances are they've noticed something too.

I would see a child psychologist - sm [2007-11-18]
Another poster suggested medications. When I did my mental health clinicals, I learned medicine just masks social anxiety disorder and lots of times it is a behavioral issue with children (not saying it is behavior he is choosing to do and he may not even realize it). There are many, many ways that he can slowly be introduced into group settings until he is comfortable. Kind of a desensitization like allergy shots. I would suggest behavior modification techniques at first - kids are so sensitive to the anxiolytics/antidepressants/antipsychotics and their risks often are far worse than the mild benefit they might get. Medications always need used with therapy as there is almost never just a chemical cause to something like this. Good luck, it can get better and be managed with the right person helping you.

I ran out of my Cymbalta over the [2007-10-23]
weekend, so all I'm taking is something for sleep now. I can't even tell I stopped the 60-mg dose cold turkey, but I actually feel a little better. Less apathetic. Isn't that weird? I don't think I'm going to refill it until I've seen my psychiatrist next week.

Your welcome. [2007-10-03]
Glad to hear you have a loving family. I I hope you do check out that Otep website (if you haven They have a whole You are not alone section where you can ask for advice on anything, which I think is great. I try to get on there and give advice (and sometimes get advice) when I can. Sometimes it just helps to know someone else is going through the same thing you are! Feel free to email me if you ever want to. Take care.

I don't cut but I know what it is like to be sad (sm) [2007-10-03]
I just want to say I'm sorry too that you are having such a hard time. Even though I don't physically hurt myself, I know I do other self-destructive things that hurt me in other ways. I am taking an antidepressant but think I may be bipolar, but I am trying to avoid being diagnosed with that. Just don't want it to be true. I have felt sad all day today and I just keep searching frantically for something that will make me feel better. I just want to say I am sorry you feel bad, for whatever reason, and I hope you feel better soon. Take care.

Fascinating! [2007-09-29]
Here I am, it I just read what you and ER-MT posted and it A few months ago I had a meltdown and just had to get away. I went into the woods for a good 2 hours and just sat and listened and watched pretty much nothing except for some birds. I hate the thought of taking any medication because I have control over it 90% of the time...but that darned 10% of feeling out of control is a bummer when it does hit, and it I really hate the thought of any mental health issues being put in my medical record as well. I see a doctor maybe once every few years for a physical and only go if something is broken or needs suturing. I hate doctors--especially the ones up here in Maine. Itreated by an veterinarian. I actually had to turn my phone off this week because I Sheand she Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll have to check it out and see if there are any good tips for coping with it all.

Me, too! Only I wasn't lucky enough to have parents - sm [2007-09-28]
that recognized there was a problem. My mom said when I was an infant that if my dad so much as rattled his newspaper too much, I'd start screaming. Was afraid of fireworks, TERRIFIED of thunder. Got stressed out in crowded, chaotic conditions. All my life it has sounded like the whole world has the sound up too high. As an adult, I never go to the movie theater because the sound is way too loud. If I see a live show (musical, rock concert, opera, etc.) I wear earplugs. Have difficulty dealing with background noise (dryers, dishwashers, and ESPECIALLY leaf-blowers, etc.) Even enjoyable activities, such as Disneyland, were stressful because they were hectic & noisy, and I'd get distracted easily, so usually was the kid in my family that got lost. Finally, about 45 years later, I was diagnosed with depression. Most likely it started in childhood, but back then I don't think most people even knew it existed. I know my parents sure didn't. One of the strongest triggers for my depressive episodes was continual exposure to noise, even if it was very slight background noise, like neighbor's loud stereos or set of windchimes. Going onto an SSRI made a HUGE difference in my ability to cope with a noisy world. For some reason it makes me less over-reactive to it. (At the very least, it enables me to count to 10 before I explode because of it.) I still need a LOT of quiet-time per day, more than the average person, but the SSRI makes it possible to endue at least some exposure to noisy surroundings. My aversion to noisy office settings and hectic surroundings is the MAIN reason I got into MT. It is also a main reason why I quit working inhouse and now work at home. A number of years ago, I stumbled onto a very interesting book. ItThe Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Elaine N. Aron. Almost everything she talked about in the book hit the nail right on the head. (She even mentions in one chapter how HSP's (highly sensitive persons) often choose medical transcription as a career. If you can find the book, it will give you a lot of insight into what makes your son tick. I recommend it very highly! I hope some of the above info. is helpful to you! From another HSP!

Thanks sm [2007-09-28]
It I was beginning to wonder if I was just anti-social! I love being alone in the woods, the peace and quiet and solitude re-charges my batteries but being in crowds, I get all nervous and the heart starts pounding. UGH! IThanks.