Depression Community

Hmm...what comes to mind first is a TV show my DH and I were watching called Obsessed. It's about people with obsessive-compulsive things that control their lives and make them miserable, but they can't seem to stop. They had licensed therapists come and meet with these people over a period of weeks.
What seemed to be a theme was that these people had things/thoughts that would make them extremely anxious, say for one woman driving in her car. Or another person, going out in public. So, they adopted compulsive behaviors that provided them a short-term relief from the anxiety but long-term were not helpful to them at all. For example...checking the locks on the house over and over. Checking that the alarm clock is set, over and over, 10, 20, 30 times in the night. One man had a routine of kissing his dog 12 times before he went out the door.
What the therapists would have them do, is really get down into what the anxieties were, and what the worst case scenario looked like in their minds for this thing. What were they afraid of? And the therapist would gradually expose them to that fear repetitively to try to get them to gradually be desensitized to it. Also the therapist would have them sit there and basically expose them to that anxiety trigger, and have them "stay in the moment" and not try to avoid the anxiety, but to let it keep going until it eventually came down to a not-so-dire level. The therapist would say that the body can only sustain that high anxiety level for so long, and then it will have to come down.
So....again, this is only TV, but I wonder if it would maybe help you somewhat? To ponder what it is you are so afraid of with your dog, why it bothers you and what your worst fears are that will happen. Like, what might happen if you didn't watch her like a hawk? Sounds like you're afraid you would "lose it"...what would that look like to you? What are you afraid you might do if you lost it, or what you might think or...?

You could write these things down, itemize them, and then sit and see what it feels like to read them. Then, make a plan, for what you would do if any of these things happened again.

Say, ok, if she shows any of these symptoms, "I will immediately take her to the urgent care vet." Or, "I have such-and-such medicine I can give her to combat the allergies, so she will start feeling better very soon."
And say if worst came to worst and you did "lose it", who would you call? You could write down the number for the crisis line and post it near the phone. You could make a plan..."if I do get hysterical because my dog's allergies are flaring up, I will call a friend to come take my dog to the vet for me." Then just get away from the situation so you can calm down. Or put the dog in the bathroom and shut the door and just get away and go cry in your pillow if you needed to, until you felt better and could go and approach the situation with your plan.

You could even go so far as to let yourself think about what might happen if you didn't fix everything and make it it perfect.

I hope this rambling makes sense!! Just some thoughts...
~Hugs~

Take deep breaths and realize that no one is perfect and we can't control all things. I tried to have control over my daughter's cancer; however, I realized I had no control over it and had to turn it over to God to do as his will directed. I felt so much better and more at peace as I just concentrated on doing what I could to help her be comfortable, etc. Praying really does work! Please also realize that you now know what to do if those problems develope again or get worse and you've gained control over that! Plus, you know you can call your vet with any concerns regarding you dog.

My dogs have allergies too and my step-daughter (vet tech) told us to give them children's Benadryl (store types also work) when symptoms flare up - besure to check with your vet first to see if they agree and how ooften to give a dose. I've found that dogs scooting on their butts usually indicates their anal glands need to be emptied - which your vet can do for you.

Have a blessed day. I hope this helps you. Give your sweet dog a hug and kiss from me. LOL!

Alaskamommy and Notnutty-your suggestions are so helpful. I am going to do some writing and make a plan as you suggested. I have to give up control or thins I can't control. I think your suggestions will also help me with my fears about my job. Thank you both so much. I am going to print out both of your responses so I can try some of your suggestions today.

I also hope your daughter has a good day!

Glad to hear some of it made sense!
I hope you can work through this, and then maybe do more work when your therapist is back in town.

Hi CMH7054, How is it going? I just wanted to know if you are still having the pains in your stomach and did you go see about it?
Hope all goes well with your dog.

tfu

Yes, I am and I am having a whole bunch of blood work done on Wed. I take an acid reducer whenever I feel it now. Among the things I'm being tested for are h. pylori (bacteria that causes ulcers), celiac disease, and Vitamin D deficiency.I have lost about 20 pounds in the last 6 months, so maybe one of these things is causing it, not just the depression. I'm also going to see my other Dr. about stopping the klonopin-I take such a small dose, I don't think it's making as much difference as my therapy.
How kind of you to ask! All is well so far with my dog-as you can see above, I got some help and have already started journaling about it.
Between this site and my therapy, I am feeling so much better. I'm not there yet, and I think going back to work may set me back, but I'm going to work with my therapist to prepare. Maybe that will help.

Hi CMH7054, I hope you find out soon what the trouble is, that way you can start the treatment for it. I was also checked for celiac disease and I don't have it, but my doctor mentioned to me that soemtimes people with IBS are lactose intolerant too, and for some reason the blood test for that and it is not covered and I would have to pay $125.00 and that is crazy, I bought some lactaid pills and so far I feel no difference.
I have also heard that people with celiacs to tend to loose wheight.
How are you doing today?

tfu

Hi CMH7054, how are you doing,? Just wanted to say I hope everything goes well tomorrow with your blood work, let us know how you are doing.

tfu

I will let you know. It will probably be fine-since the acid reducer helps, it's probably just gastritis. But I have had an inkling for quite some time that there may be an ulcer. My nephew has celiac and my sister suggested it, too. I'm thankful for good insurance. I'm not "hoping" that they'll find something, but it sure would help to know that some of my problems are physical and can be fixed more easily than my mental health.
Right now, I'm trying not to think about going back to work. It's still a few weeks away and I need to not start worrying about that!
Thanks for checking on me. )