Mental Illness Fellowship Northern Territory

Hi @eth,

Thanks so much for your considered response. From our history of chats and friendship on the forum, I feel that a lot of what you and I go through is similar in many ways, so it's always great to get your perspective. 

I love that so many have come out of the woodwork owning up to their less-than-perfect hygiene habits. It took me a long time to be able to confess this to doctors/psychs too. But, like you, if I haven't had a shower for the day (or two days or three days or...), I mostly do have a routine to clean and deodorise myself in the important parts of my body. The bad times are when I can't even be bothered doing that, as with today. Didn't brush my hair until just before I got in the shower in the afternoon and the teeth were neglected for hours too. It's when I get like that I think it's a sign something is really not okay with me. 

Interesting what you say about the mood and symptom charts and how they helped in some ways and not in others. I don't mind some of the homework at all. For example, I liked the 'postpone the worry' exercise I did for the past four weeks, which also involved a nightly sheet to be filled out. And I've spent every day since October last year tallying the green and tobacco I've consumed each day. It's helped me finally to give up the green and I will keep doing that until I give up the tobacco too. This involves more than a once nightly sheet as it means tallying all day long every time I smoke. It's just this particular DBT sheet I have at the moment that seems so counter-productive for me.

Your comments about pressure are spot on. I've had a lot of real life support over the past year, which has been great in so many ways. But it also means there are a number of people regularly 'telling me what to do', which not many people really like, me included. The internal pressure is probably the biggest problem for me though, being a perfectionist in many ways.

What you've said is very helpful. Sending back love and s to you.