In my previous post, Mental Health and Me, I talked about my mental ill- health, specifically OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and how it manifests itself for me. The OCD I experience is very crippling but I have found some things that help me immensely when times get tough, that I like to call my “Therapeutic Saviours” as I mentioned briefly in my last post and which I’d like to share here.
Some of these “saviours” (distractions) I’ve enjoyed for a very long time ranging from 3+years – 6months or the past year along with those who have aided me in the management of my condition.
THERAPY PROFESSIONALS
I’d like to talk about the helpful professionals I have seen many mental health professionals over the past 7 years of my mental ill health journey but I have had two positive and, in my opinion, life saving interventions from Harley Street Psychiatrist, Dr Robin Lawrence who on 13th July 2021 at long last affirmed that, no, I’m not crazy, I just have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and I’d benefit from the medication Paroxetine. He also advised me to integrate therapy into my OCD management. . I have to admit that at the time of the consultation I had very many cross words with Dr Lawrence after an immensely difficult conversation but I did calm down and ended up talking about my favourite animal, Cats.
As I mentioned in my last post. in August 2021 I began therapy with Ifield therapy UK and started weekly sessions with Jolanta. This started with a face to face consultation and thereafter sessions online via zoom. Jolanta began by recommending a book as mentioned before, The Man Who couldn’t Stop by David Adam, along with Reasons to Stay alive by Matt Haig and A New earth By Eckhart Tole to name a few.
As of February 2022 we have had 23 sessions over the past 6months of working together. I find our sessions very helpful. It’s a safe space where I can talk about past trauma, my persistent intrusive thoughts, hopes for my future and just how much my family and my gorgeous furry friend, Binky, means to me. Jolanta has taught me that thoughts don’t mean actions and that you cannot govern the thoughts in your mind, which is very comforting to me as my mind goes through so many dark pastures and things I fear the most.
CHURCH
I am a Christian and I find great relief and comfort from prayer and worship of Jesus and my heavenly father. I have been a Christian all my life but it is only in my adult life that I have realised and experienced the riches of being a Christian and the power of Prayer and faith. I have been on many pilgrimages starting out at a very young age from about 4 to 24 years old
TV!
MORTIMER AND WHITEHOUSE GONE FISHING
Over the past year during my OCD battle which has been a living hell. I have been looking for a distraction to help me in the evenings when things can be really tough and I’ve found something that’s done just that.
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone fishing. if you don’t know these TV personalities they are both comedians, Bob is best known for his appearances with Vic Reeves (Jim Moir) as comedy double act Reeves and Mortimer in the 90s. Mortimer has also been a recurring panellist on the BBC show, Would I lie to you?
Bob’s fellow fishing friend Paul Whitehouse is best known for being part of the comedy sketch show The Fast Show. Bob and Paul teamed up to help each other learn and share the wonderful hobby that is fishing after they both found kindred spirits in each other after a long friendship, during which they both experienced severe heart conditions and procedures.
‘Gone Fishing’ is such a great programme and it helps me every evening. It is so relaxing watching Bob and Paul go fishing, they have such a laugh and I like that they show the fish they catch and just talk about everyday life. I like seeing the locations they visit and the accommodation that Bob organises and the cooking he does for lunch and evening meal. I became so hooked on the show that I had to buy the book of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing which I also loved and it was a great accompaniment to watching the programme. Watching the show makes me feel like I’m fishing with Bob, Paul and Ted the dog. I’d like to be able to thank Bob and Paul for their great programme and how much it has helped through my recovery and management of the mental-illness I experience. In May 2022 I am seeing Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse live in Colchester where I hope that Bob will sign my copy of his Autobiography, And Away… along with having Bob and Paul sign my copy of the Gone Fishing book. It truly is the most relaxing programme I think I’ve ever seen.
DOCTOR WHO
For about 4 years 2018-2022 I’ve been hooked on Doctor Who featuring The thirteenth Incarnation and female version of the Doctor played by Jodie Whittaker with Showrunner Chris Chibnall.
The stories have been so exciting and so much fun, featuring historical characters such as Nikola Tesla and Rosa Parks to name two. I particularly like how funny Jodie is as she plays thirteen. I continually watch back the series with my DVD boxsets and have a collection of dolls and figurines of the doctors and their companions as well as various villains to look back on. I also have stickers featuring Jodie’s Doctor that I use to decorate the back of my smartphone case. In 2022 I meet Jodie Whittaker at London Comic Con Spring and I will be sharing our photoshoot pictures, in their own special post.
READING
Over the past year during some of my darkest days and times of uncertainty. I Found a new world I could venture into, literature, or in simple terms, a book.
I began with as mentioned earlier in this post, The Man Who Couldn’t Stop by David Adam. along with more therapy books mentioned earlier in this post. I also enjoyed reading, I am C-3P0 by Antony Daniels, ( another distraction) which made me want to watch the original trilogy of Star Wars.)The Spellbreaker duology and The Will and the Wilds by Charlie N Holmberg, one of my favourite authors along with Suzanne Collins author of The Hunger Games trilogy, whose book, The ballad of Songbirds and Snakes I also read over the past year when I was unable to use an e-reader or use any technological device for that matter.
MY VOLUNTARY WORK
I have been volunteering for a local community charity called Healthy Living Centre Dartford for 5 years since 10 January 2017 – see Where I work: The Healthy Living Centre Dartford for more information. To elaborate further for those who don’t know I volunteer as an IT tutor for HLCD teaching the elderly how to use a Computer and other technology devices.
I love volunteering for HLC Dartford, I have so many friends there, my managers are so accommodating and they understand my needs.
I really enjoy teaching my students we have such a laugh and a joke. It is so rewarding seeing each of them succeed in learning what they’d like to about computing and how to work on their devices or how to navigate the internet. I work with my colleague as a team we and he is very easy to talk to if I am not having a good day or struggling a little . If I can’t cope with something my colleague knows or vice versa we can help and learn from each other.
MY CAT, BINKY.
Well, what can I say about my beautiful moggy, Binky, I struggle to actually talk or write about her as she means so much to me and I love her so much.
She is a rescue. I adopted her from a UK rescue Cat Charity, Cats Protection in February 2020, not long after losing my other fur baby, Clancy, – see Mental Health and my love for moggies for more info.
Binky is so funny even at 11yrs old she is very active and playful. It is such fun to watch her play and growl and run around acting silly, chasing her tail or a toy.
She always comes to see me when I call her and is there to greet me when I come back home.
On rare yet wonderful occasions Binky will sit next to me or on my lap all curled up comfortably purring and will then try to bite or scratch me if I try to move.
I enjoy playing and spending time with Binky she is my best furry pal.
I am still heavily reliant on my therapeutic saviours but I know that’s ok and I’m very much looking forward to meeting and seeing some of my saviours in person this year which I will definitely blog about.
I am so happy that this post hasn’t taken me two years to write.
BeingGaby 