The Black Dog Thread

[Tjm86]

Isn't it nice to know how competent these companies can be?  Not sure they appreciate how much of a challenge dealing with a letter like that can be.  Anyone would freak out at something like that, especially when they wrap it up in heavy-handed legalese as well ... "If you do not pay the full amount within 5 minutes of this letter being posted through your door we will send in the bailiff to take full payment in a manner that will make Shylock look utterly reasonable ..."

Wish we could offer more than best-wishes and support.  Would say that if you do think of anything specific that would help then please sing out.  In the meantime, keep on updating up with your situation and know that there are folks out there that do give a damn about you and want to see you get on.

[JayzusB.Christ]

That's brutal, Jade. There's not much I can say you help but I really hope things get better for you.

[Jade Falcon]

Just not feeling it, the last week or so has just been grinding.  It's a relief the bill got sorted out, but I'm just tired of life to be honest.  This has been the worst Christmas in a long time and there's still new year to go.

[Fortnight]

If cold is a problem, get a onesie! £26 and I'm not kidding, it's amazing. A onesie, a pair of hiking socks and soft cuddly slippers. My heating is still set on 'summer'.

Last year I was spending £80 a week to top-up on gas alone. I've only topped up twice this winter so far.

Seriously. A onesie. What you lose in dignity you more than make up for in warmth and comfort.

[Jade Falcon]

Using about three or four layers of clothing already including thick thermal socks and a fleece jacket.  I've also got nearly a fortnight till money comes in and very little in the house.  I don't even eat that much in a day, one meal a day if you're lucky.  It doesn't help that where I live essentially has one supermarket, we've been told there's a Lidls coming, but I don't think they're as cheap as they used to be, and the Morrisons that's here seems to have prices continually going up every time you go in.  It's got to the stage that own brands aren't even really that much cheaper than name brands now for some items which is ridiculous.

I'm a pretty picky eater, so even going to food banks is pretty useless as it would be a waste of the items there.

[Jade Falcon]

Well a small bit of good news, the local council have some sort of one time grant, and I'm eligible for one of £250 within about a week.  I'm still short, but I can survive.  My flat is a mess so I've been trying to do a little tidying up.  The kitchen is more or less tidy and I cleared out a mass of old paperwork some of which dated back 7 or 8 years.  I looked at the stacks of DVD's and paperbacks I'd got from the charity shops cheap and wondered how many I'd get round to watching, watch again, or read.  Today I took two bags for life full to a local charity.  I suppose with the state of my finances I COULD have taken them to a CEX but for what you get is it really worth it?

[Hawkmumbler]

Had one of ose days on the beat where you just want to scream into the facef anyone that will listen.
One of those gruelling experiences where you tow the line in every respect but nonetheless still manage to apparently do everything wrong and nobody is happy with you.
Fuck 'em, I wasn't feeling particularly great in the first place but now I'm just straight up hacked off.

[The Legendary Shark]

Other people can be hard to put up with but most of 'em mean well. When folk get me down, I try to remember the words of Marcus Aurelius:

"Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busy-body, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil. But I who have seen the nature of the good that it is beautiful, and of the bad that it is ugly, and the nature of him who does wrong, that it is akin to me, not only of the same blood or seed, but that it participates in the same intelligence and the same portion of the divinity, I can neither be injured by any of them, for no one can fix on me what is ugly, nor can I be angry with my kinsman, nor hate him, For we are made for co-operation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows of the upper and lower teeth. To act against one another then is contrary to nature; and it is acting against one another to be vexed and to turn away."

Which I usually condense to something like, "some of the people I meet today are going to act like arseholes, but that doesn't mean I have to join in."

Hope you can keep your chin up, Hawkie. You are a being of infinite worth and potential, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

[sintec]

Well attempts to save my relationship were made and failed (see post from back in November). I now find myself living alone surrounded by boxes of comics/records/books/boardgames. Trying hard not to slip back into the depression I spent most of last year escaping (and which was a contributary factor to the breakup). Going to miss her so much but it's undeniable that things weren't working anymore and it's probably true we'll be better off apart. It's just very hard to accept that truth right now.

[Barrington Boots]

Hey Sintec. Sorry to hear that your relationship went that way. It may sound hollow when you're on the sharp end of things, but I this can really be the start of a new chapter for you, even if you feel directionless or lost right now. It sounds like you made real headway battling your depression and that's a big thing.

If you need to talk to (or at) anyone without judgement, I (and others here) are around.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Really sorry to hear it, Sintec. There are very few things more difficult to deal with and I really hope you can cope ok.

[sintec]

I seem to be doing alright right now which is weirding me out a bit tbh. Have been really busy organising a house move at short notice though so I suspect part of that is being distracted by all the mundane stuff.

Have moved to be close to a bunch of old friends and it has been really great reconnecting with people. Got plans for some regular film nights and music sessions to keep myself busy and to try and avoid sinking back into hermit mode. Therapist has also been helpful to vent at and talk through all the chaos over the past few weeks. Glad I established that connection before it all fell apart. Trying to stay positive and view it as a new start rather than an ending.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Fair play, Sintec. Glad you're getting through it.

I stopped taking medication last year and was doing great for a while, then overwork from my own business and pent-up frustrations with my employee job hit me like a steam train.

The anxiety was horrendous over Christmas, especially when the rest of my family (siblings and elderly parents, no partner or kids here) were getting into the spirit of things, which added guilt to the mix as I tried in vain to gon along with it.

 I eventually met my boss and spilled my guts out over all the work problems and I think she has made an effort to improve things - it's painfully slow but I have a bit of hope. I still feel incredibly stressed sometimes at work but I'm not quite as fearful about going in in the morning.

I've never experienced work burnout before but it's truly horrible. I kept thinking of poor old Brett Reins and the awful effects overwork had on him, which made me even more anxious and scared.

But I'm getting better - haven't started the medication again yet but I'll give myself time.

[JayzusB.Christ]

*Brett Ewins

[sintec]

Glad to hear it's getting better Jayzus. It's horrid to dread going into work.

Overwork was another factor leading to everything going tits up for me so can definitely relate there. I'm being much more strict with myself now about maintaining a decent work life balance. Not going to slip back into doing constant overtime to hit arbitrary deadlines. It wasn't healthy for me or my relationship with my partner.