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A General Life Update – June 2020

By Health, Life2 Comments

Hello Dear Readers,

How endless does this lockdown feel? It feels like it has gone on forever. It feels like the rules of lockdown have permeated every aspect of our lives. In some cases the rules feel like they have taken our old lives hostage. No longer can we take anything for granted. Not even the simplest of things like exchanging a hug with a loved one.

With experts are expecting a 2nd wave, it looks like the relaxation of lockdown maybe reversed. Possibly made even stricter.

With all this going on, it’s not surprising that for some, this has had a tole on their mental health. So I would like to remind you that you can purchase my book Mental Health Wisdom from Amazon for just £7.49 paperback (or £1.99 Kindle) here. It’s full of strategies to help people to deal with adversity and improve their mental health.

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Now let’s talk about me. It been a bit of a difficult time. First there was an international shortage of Depakote, one of the medications I take. So I had to switch to Epilim, basically the same thing but a different brand. However nobody at the Pharmacy or GP knew there was a shortage of Depakote, so it took nearly two weeks without any Depakote to get the Epilim prescribed and started. This led to manic and mixed moods.

But before this and underlying I had been struggling with depressive symptoms, that even the maximum dose of Venlafaxine wasn’t helping with. So my Consultant Psychiatrist has taken me off Quetiapine and started me on Mirtazapine.

I’ve never had this mix of medications before, so it is uncharted territory. We just have to keep trying until we get the right balance in my brain. Even though I know this, it is sometimes frustrating.

In other news my iMac (photo below) has died and gone to Apple heaven.

February Photo Challenge 10th
My iMac finally died.

It had been really slow for a while and since getting a laptop I haven’t used it that much; but it is still disappointing.

This week I’m off on annual leave. I’ve taken a few days to rest and recharge. Next I’ve got a few days seeing family and friends – social distancing. Then at the end of the week Steve and I are going to South Lakes Safari Zoo.

I’ll be sure to do a blog post about my visit to the Zoo. Blog soon,

Antony

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Wednesday 1 July 2020

Monitor Your Mood with this FREE Daily Mood Diary

By HealthNo Comments

Social distancing and in some cases for those whom live alone social isolation can have an negative impact on mental health. We’re social animals you see. We need contact with others to remain mentally healthy.

But the key to spotting any deterioration in one’s mental health is to be aware of it. A good way to be aware of your mood is to keep a Daily Mood Diary like this:

You can download a FREE printer friendly version of this Daily Mood Diary here.

Blog soon,

Antony

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Tuesday 7 April 2020

The Coronavirus Pandemic

By HealthNo Comments

Here is the current Coronavirus Guidance from HM Government (UK):

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/


I’ve watched, listened and read a lot of information about the Coronavirus.

As an essential worker, I’ve seen firsthand the preparations being made in our NHS. It has made me proud to be part of such a wonderful organisation.

As a person I’ve thought about how I best protect my loved ones, particularly those in at risk groups. We all know at least one person who is elderly, has an underlying medical condition or is a child. (Although thankfully so far there have been no documented deaths in children).

As a Type 1 diabetic I’ve worried what will happen if I get infected. My immune system is weakened by diabetes, so it is likely to hit me harder than those without an underlying medical condition. I’ve even worried about the impact that the virus might have on my mental health.

As a consumer I’ve been shocked, but not entirely surprised by the panic buying.

But being British, I know we will do what we’ve always done in adversity: come together and help one another. We’ve done it many times before in the past, this time will be no different.

If you do have symptoms described in the video above, it is essential that you follow this guidance:

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Coronavirus Poster about Self-isolation.

Take care and stay safe. Write soon,

Antony

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Thursday 19 March 2020

A Meeting, a Massage and a Meal

By Friends & Family, Health, ThinkingNo Comments
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In response to my exposé report, the Head of Quality and Head of PALS (Patient Advice & Liaison Service) from the Northwest Boroughs Healthcare NHS Trust met with me to discuss my concerns around the care I received. I was uneasy about the meeting and anxious, but it went extremely well.

The Northwest Boroughs Healthcare NHS Trust have taken my report seriously and the feedback has been responded to with both top-down and bottom-up approaches.

The meeting couldn’t have gone better and I left feeling very assured that they had not only taken my concerns seriously, but responded to them appropriately. They are due to write a formal response to me in due course.

I followed this with a self-care treat of a 60 minute full body massage. This was relaxing and de-stressing. It was a GroupOn deal, I’ve never used GroupOn before, but it’s great for trying out new experiences or businesses at a reduced price. So check it out.

Yesterday I attended a meal to celebrate what would have been Alex, my younger brother’s 28th birthday.

Words that sum up my last few days: unease, anxiety, bravery, changing things for the better, relaxing, de-stressing, remembrance, celebration.

Blog soon,

Antony

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Saturday 8 February 2020
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