This week, I nearly gave my cats some valium

Following on from a good week last week, this week has also been relatively calm. There have been some stressful moments, (when are there ever not?), but no panic attacks. I am feeling a wee bit worn out and down though. It's nothing to get stressed or over-excited about, yet, I'll just have to keep on top of it. I did have a fair few nights of very broken sleep last week. This was in part just restlessness and in part because my cats are extremely enthusiastic about my new wardrobe.They have taken to beating each other up and pushing each other off of it, leaping from the wardrobe to the bed, and generally clattering about more in the manner of small elephants than graceful felines.

I know, I know, why are the cats in the bedroom at night anyway? Because, they are masters of feline slinking about, that's why. As soon as they know I'm going to bed, they go and hide. Once I am safely in bed the cats leap out of the wardrobe and start playing superheroes and villians all over the bedroom.

Last week there were a couple of nights when it was very windy, this seems to set my cats off on some kind of hyperactive frenzy. I noticed the same effect on kids whenI workedas a youth worker. This just goes to show that all kinds of things affect our mood and it was probably contributing to my restlessness as well.

Not sleeping properly makes me, like most people, a might grumpy. My partner was none to impressed by my tossing and turning all night, particularly when I sat up and bellowed at my little feline friends. Everything will probably seem better andmore positive after few good nights sleep. If all else fails I'll give some of my valium to the cats.

As well as not sleeping, I'm getting a mild version of another symptom that crops up from time to time when I'm a bit down, my jaw has started clicking. When this first started happening, several years ago, my jaw actaully used to stick so that it wouldn't open more than a couple of centimetres. I'm sure a lot of people thought this was an inevitable consequence of my naturally blethersome nature. However, I found out froma GP friend that this is one of the more peculiar symptoms of stress and depression.

I'm trying out the theory that if you are feeling a bit unhappy or tense, you should smile as it will make you feel better. In reality, I'm probably just grimacing like a nervous chimpanzee and making others around me a bit wary. Still, it reminds me to take a deep breath and not to take things so seriously.

(In case anyone thought I meant that about the cats, obviously, I wouldn't really give them valium so there's no need to phone the RSPCA. I may, however, knit them some dinky little slippers.)

Week commencing 16/01/06

Medication: Roman chamomile slightly less than last week but still most days.Valium 5 mg.
Exercise: 6 hrs
Alcohol: 6
Anxiety: Low
Anxiety Level (0-10): 2
Number of Panic Attacks: 0
Severity of Panic Attack (0-5): NA
Depression: A bit more down than before and my jaw is clicking but it will probably all seem better after a few good nights sleep.
Depression Level (0-5): 2.5
Mania: Not manic.Mania Level (0-5): 0

Summary

A not bad week really. Exercise levels are closer to what I would like, a large part of that time was made up by a good tramp about in the hills, and alcohol consumption is getting back to amore sensible level. Hopefully this minor downer will turn out to be just that.