therapy animal

Last night I really struggled to get some sleep. On Friday, while walking from a shop to a taxi, I lifted my left leg to take a step and I felt a twinge in my lower back. Then, when I went to lift my right leg to do the same, I nearly crumpled to the floor as an intense cramp went through the entire of my lower back. I managed to hobble my way to the taxi and got myself home.

I’ve been using heat pads and an anti-inflammatory gel and it’s given very little relief, but I persevered. Then, last night at around midnight I had a POTS episode whilst I was on my way to the bathroom before bed. I fainted and hit the floor hard, according to my mum. I’m just glad I wasn’t conscious when I hit the floor because I can only imagine the pain I would’ve felt.

After the episode, I really struggled to get up, get to the bathroom and get to bed. But I managed it. I took extra painkillers but I just could not get comfortable. I tried lying on my side with a pillow between my knees, I tried lying on my back with a cushion under the curve of my spine. Nothing was working. Eventually, I gave up and pulled out my laptop to do some more notes on my novel.

As usual, Loki was sticking to my side. Like he normally does when I’m unwell or in pain. He came up for lots of cuddles and fusses. Until he settled behind my fan, and slowly crawled up until his head was peeking at me from behind the screen. He looked so cute, I had to take a photo. My little mascot. Somehow… He always makes me feel better. And I feel like he really does love me back.

Anyway, I spent the night just tapping away on my laptop, listening to quiet music while I made my notes and tweaks. I just wanted to show you all how much of a good boy he is. Don’t worry - he was given lots of treats and belly rubs.

#chronicillnesswarrior #ChronicPain #POTS #AutonomicDysfunction #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #EDS #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #Jointpain #Fainting #BackPain #cramps #Pain #InterstitialCystitis #BPD #NAFLD #LiverDisease #FattyLiverDisease #Diabetes #Migraines #Cats #Animals #TherapyPet #TherapyAnimal #therapycat

As some of you will have seen, the other day I made a post about my Loki always knowing when I need him, and the way he calms me down when I’m anxious or in pain. He’ll come over and curl up in my lap or by my side.

I’m so lucky to have him.

HOWEVER. This is what I was greeted with this morning. 😂 He was sat right on my chest, just staring at me. It was pretty unnerving. When I didn’t move, he let out this tiny squeak of a meow and then began patting at my face with his paw.

“Mum. Hey, mum. Are you awake? Get up, wench, and feed me. I’m STARVING.” 😑😂

#chronicillnesswarrior #ChronicPain #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #NAFLD #LiverDisease #InterstitialCystitis #Diabetes #Migraines #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Depression #Anxiety #TherapyPet #TherapyAnimal #Cats #Kittens #TherapyPets

I recently looked into this because, I, myself, own four pets. I feel this pure happiness and comfortibility when I’m around them/any animal. I wanted to see what people were saying about those with BPD owning pets.

Curtis University published an article that found that people living with borderline may enjoy a better quality of life with a pet (Sydoruk, 2018). “Pet ownership is commonly associated with many psychological benefits, including companionship, social support, improved self-esteem and attachment development.”

“We found that pet ownership can provide meaning and purpose, influence positive emotional attachments, influence positive social connections, promote participation and engagement in meaningful activities, and have therapeutic value for people with borderline personality disorder.”

Do your pets help you? If you don’t have one, maybe look into adopting!

Pets offer therapeutic aid for people with borderline person... #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #TherapyAnimal #Pets

Here is a picture of my puppy Ricky Ticky to brighten your day. ❤️

#Pets
#TherapyAnimal
#Findingjoy
#KeepMoving
#Happiness
#BipolarDisorder
#Depression
#AnxietyDisorder

I’m currently having a difficult time and this little man knew exactly how to help! I love him so much, I don’t know what I would do without my little guy <3 #TherapyAnimal

Just started equine therapy for my mental health issues. So excited 😊 🐎 🐴 I think working with the horses will be really beneficial. The biggest things I want to work on are building self confidence by working with the horses and learning to cultivate self-love. Equine therapy has been proven to be very beneficial for people with both physical and mental health challenges, such as Autism, ADHD, Anxiety, PTSD, etc. The horses act as a mirror to our emotions - they are good at sensing when you are sad, anxious, etc., so they can remind us to check in with ourselves. In addition, they can provide a comforting presence because sometimes it’s much easier to talk to an animal about trauma than another person. Also, how you interact with the horse can make you think about how you present yourself in the world and in relationships. I can’t wait to embark on this journey and hope it leads to much personal growth. If any of you all are animal lovers and struggling with mental health challenges I’d highly recommend looking into equine or another type of animal-assisted therapy. Also, if you can’t do therapy just cuddle with your pet. Our pets can provide us many therapeutic benefits. Just petting them can release dopamine (the feel good hormone) making use feel happier and more at ease! Hope someone finds this post helpful :) Best #ExperientialTherapy #TherapyAnimal #PTSD #Autism #ADHD #Anxiety #ChronicDepression

Therapy can look different to different people. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Prayer. Coffee with friends. Texting. Being on the Mighty. Talk Space. Meeting with a religious leader. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. ElectroConvulsive Therapy. Holistic Therapy. Group therapy. Journaling. Meditation. Float Therapy. Walking in nature. Having a pet.

The right one is the one that works for you.

This is mainly a reminder that all types of therapy are ok. If you are comfortable: share your favorite, what works for you, why you like it.

I did Talk Space for a while a few years ago. I really liked that I could text my therapist in my moment of high emotions. I could get it all out before forgetting anything. That in itself was healing but so was the conversation after. I could work on it in my time, not having to wait a week or 2 after the triggering event. It was like journaling with feedback.

#Depression  #CognitiveBehaviorTherapy  #DialecticalBehaviorTherapy  #ElectroconvulsiveTherapy  #TherapyAnimal  #Agoraphobia  #Talkspace  #Addiction  #floattherapy  #emdr  #Nature  #Meditation  #Prayer  #Friends  #EndTheStigma  #BipolarDisorder  #BPDDiagnosis  #Journal  #Anxiety  #Trauma  #Grief  #MentalHealth  #Nature

BPD feels stigmatized even within the psychiatric community. Let's end that.

Join us at End The Stigma

#DBT #Depression #Anxiety #Loneliness #EndTheStigma #selfcare #Parenting #PanicAttacks #Therapy #TherapyAnimal #notalone #MentalHealth #Selfcare #Selfharm #SuicideAwareness #SuicidePrevention