Shafted!

So I got shafted at work today!  I know I don't normally vent my personal life here, but I need to vent.

I've been with the company for just over 7 years and I've been on my current job for just over 3 and what sort of thanks do I get?  I get demoted!  That's what I get!  I don't know if anyone remembers a few weeks ago I posted on here about anxiety and depression, well that was because of my personal experiences at the time.  I had a little melt down at work and it's been just downhill from there.

Deep down I am a bit relieved because I am starting to hate my job, but then I am losing around $4000.00 a year in extra wages.  So the budget is going to suffer and I'm going to have to think of other ways of making money.  Here are my current options:

1. Get another job;
2. Step up the affiliate promotions;
3. Start writing freelance - like I've always wanted;
4. Start working on that book I've always dreamed about and fiddled with a few times; or
5. Just put up and shut up and end up a 75 year old public servant.

To be honest I like option 3 the best.  I've often thought about pursuing my writing, but I've never had the confidence to start anything.  I've now been spending so much time on here writing that I might as well start writing and seeing if anyone is interested in actually paying me for my work.  At least I still have my full-time work so it's not like I have to do it, but if it works out then it's a bonus.

I feel like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde right now.  My brain is having a fight with itself - I can do it, but you're not good enough...you know the drill!

I need to talk to my poet friend - she is awesome and she thinks I'm awesome and I love her for it.  She has too much faith in me, whereas I have none.

Any ideas?

http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=pinkacquarius

Mental Health Wellbeing

I know I said that this last 2 weeks in October were going to be dedicated to Zombies, but since I'm going through a tough time at the moment - I thought I would just share information which may assist some readers in Australia.

Also it was Mental Health Week last week - so better late than never!

What is mental health?

Good mental health is a sense of wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem. It enables us to fully enjoy and appreciate other people, day-to-day life and our environment. When we are mentally healthy we can:

• form positive relationships

• use our abilities to reach our potential

• deal with life’s challenges

What is mental illness?

• anxiety

• schizophrenia

• bipolar mood disorder

• personality disorders

• eating disorders

• depression

What causes mental illness?

• long-term and acute stress

• biological factors such as genetics, chemistry and hormones

• use of alcohol, drugs and other substances

• cognitive patterns such as constant negative thoughts and low self esteem

• social factors such as isolation, financial problems, family breakdown or violence

A mental illness is a health problem that significantly affects how a person thinks, behaves and interacts with other people. It is diagnosed according to standardised criteria.

One in 5 Australians will suffer from a mental illness at some point in their lives. 

A mental health problem also affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, but to a lesser extent than a mental illness.

Mental illnesses are of different types and degrees of severity.  Some of the major types are:

These illnesses may also be referred to as a mental disorder, mental impairment or psychiatric disability.

Mental illness results from complex interactions between the mind, body and environment.  Factors which can contribute to mental illness are:

These factors can be minimised by a strong and supportive community environment.

The following information was taken from the Beyond Blue website:

General information

Depression and anxiety - an information booklet

Depression is more than just feeling sad or low during tough times. People with depression can have intense negative feelings for weeks, months or even years, sometimes for no good reason. Depression is relatively common, affecting more than one million Australians each year. Unfortunately, many people with depression don’t recognise it or get help. But, it is treatable and most people with depression go on to lead happy, productive lives with the right treatment for them. Understanding depression - information for adults (fact sheet)              Understanding Depression and Anxiety (Flyer)  Depression symptom checklist              What causes depression? (fact sheet 3)   Practical ways to help someone with depression (information card)     How to organise a public forum on depression and anxiety

Treatment   A Guide to What Works for Depression (booklet) - a comprehensive review of all known treatments for depression, including medical, psychological, complementary and lifestyle interventions   A Guide to What Works for Anxiety Disorders  Types of help available (fact sheet 4)      Changing your thinking - Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (fact sheet 10)     Antidepressant medication - Advice for adults (fact sheet 11)       Getting help - How much does it cost? (fact sheet 24)   Benzodiazepines (tranquillisers and sleeping pills) (fact sheet 44)   Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) (fact sheet 48)

Recovery   Reducing stress (fact sheet 6)    Sleeping well (fact sheet 7)    Keeping active (fact sheet 8)    Changing your thinking - Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (fact sheet 10)    Reducing alcohol and other drugs (including smoking) (fact sheet 9)    Recovery (fact sheet 15)    Healthy eating for people with depression, anxiety and related disorders (fact sheet 30)

Related disorders  Anxiety disorders (information card)       Anxiety Treatment Australia provides information about anxiety disorders and the treatment options available. You will also find information on psychologists around Australia who treat anxiety disorders and who offer group therapy and workshops. Anxiety disorders (fact sheet 21)      Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (fact sheet 31)   Generalised Anxiety Disorder (fact sheet 35)  Panic Disorder (fact sheet 36)  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (fact sheet 37)  Specific Phobias (fact sheet 38)  Social Phobia (fact sheet 39)  Bipolar disorder (fact sheet 16)     The Black Dog Institute is a world leader in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. Reducing alcohol and other drugs (including smoking) (fact sheet 9)    Eating disorders and depression (fact sheet 42)  SANE Australia is a national charity working for a better life for people affected by mental illness – through campaigning, education and research. Problem gambling and depression (fact sheet 45)  I know this is information overload, but I think it's important to have the information at hand all in the one place, especially when you really need it.  By the way, if any readers have any further information they would like to add, please feel free to post it on this blog. The following organisations are available to assist with people with mental illness and their families:

• Queensland Alliance for Mental Health

• ARAFMI

• GROW

• Carers Queensland

• Mental Health Association of Queensland

• Mental Health First Aid

Please check out these sites and consider assisting if you can :-)

What a shit day!

It's been a really rotten day today!

I'm not going to go into it, but let me leave some clues...

Clue 1

bla·sé  (blä-z) adj. 1. Uninterested because of frequent exposure or indulgence. 2. Unconcerned; nonchalant: had a blasé attitude about housecleaning. 3. Very sophisticated. or blasé [ˈblɑːzeɪ] adj 1. indifferent to something because of familiarity or surfeit 2. lacking enthusiasm; bored [from French, past participle of blaser to cloy] Clue 2

• Dizziness, feeling lightheaded
• Excess of energy, you feel you can’t relax
• Feeling cold or chilled
• Nausea
• Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
• Trembling, shaking, tremors
• Find it hard to breath, feeling smothered, shortness of breath
• Frequent yawning to try and catch your breath
• Constant feeling of being overwhelmed
• Fear of making mistakes or making a fool of yourself to others
• Pulsing in the ears, throbbing sound in the ear(s)
• Tickle or itch in your ear that you can't seem to get at
• Difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss
• Difficulty thinking, speaking, forming thoughts, following conversations
• Frequent feeling of being overwhelmed, or that there is just too much to handle or do
• Short-term memory impairment, can't remember what I did a few days, hours, or moments ago
• Emotionally blunted, flat, or numb
• Feeling down in the dumps
• You feel like you are under pressure all the time
• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• The thought of eating makes you nauseous
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Dry, watery or itchy eyes
• Eye tricks, seeing things our of the corner of your eye that isn’t there, stars, flashes
• Spots in the vision

Clue 3

• hurtful comments making fun of you or your work
• playing mind games, ganging up on you, or other types of psychological harassment 
• withholding important info
• making impossible demands; setting you up to fail
• intimidation (making you feel less important and undervalued)  
• pushing, shoving, tripping, grabbing you in the workplace 

If you are being bullied at work you might:

• be less active or successful   
• be less confident in your work 
• feel scared, stressed, anxious or depressed 
• have your life outside of work affected, e.g. study, relationships 
• want to stay away from work 
• feel like you can’t trust your employer or the people who you work with
• lack confidence and happiness about yourself and your work 
• have physical signs of stress like headaches, backaches, sleep problems

This is how I've felt for the last 2 days...and then on deeper reflection - I have been feeling like this for quite some time - on and off!

If anyone else is experiencing similar feelings and symptoms...the links may be able to provide you some help.