Thanks so much to those of you who left messages of support on my previous blog post. It really means a lot. As things are now I'm keeping my head above water - my blood pressure is under control with medication, but now I'm having panic attacks and can't sleep very well. Last night I slept like 2-3 hours and been up since 2.a.m. Not good. Lucky, it's my day-off today. If you can recommend an effective OTC remedy, please let me know! So far I've tried CBD gummies and passion flower extract. Nytol seems to help but it makes me drowsy the next day - I'll have to take one tonight though. When I told my GP about my panic attacks, he didn't seem too interested. Perhaps I wasn't dramatic enough. But enough of my moaning - I'm here to share me desk for WOYWW!
I took this shot last night. It shows my 100-day-project journal. Yes, it is that time of year again! I'm not doing a full page each day - that would be way too much for me to tackle. I'm only adding a layer a day and call my project 10X10 layers - so it's just 10 pages during the hundred days with 10 layers on each, which should be very manageable, leaving me with enough time to work on other things. These are the first three layers on my first page.
Thanks for visiting!
I'll try to catch up with everyone later!
You are literally the Queen of Layers. All of them, at every stage, stunning. I am totally with you on the whole sleep thing. I wake alert at about 3-4 AM every night and if I am luck I might doze and dream for a few more hours but 4-5AM fully awake time, with my mind racing, is quite common. Can't slip into my craft room for fear of upsetting the whole household. Exhausting for sure. Glad the med are helping anf hopefully things will improve. Good luck with the GP - why are the often so dismissive of things that impact life so seriously but are not life-threatening??
ReplyDeleteHave the happiest of WOYWW!
Mary Anne (1)
It's a pig not being able to sleep...Julia recently shared something on FB about an app designed to help insomnia, you might ask her. Unsympathetic doctors don't help either!
ReplyDeleteYour journal pages are fantastic as always, the colours and patterns are so very lovely.
Hugs LLJ 3 xx
I wonder if the panic attacks are tied up with the sudden passing of your mother and the fact that you cannot get to the funeral or to your father. Did you tell your GP what had happened in your life? If you did I suggest you go and see someone else at the surgery and talk to them. You cannot exist on broken sleep like this for too long.
ReplyDeleteHave you got a friend you could talk to? I find that talking my problems over with someone other than family often helps. Just wish I could come and give you a hug. I can email chat or even facetime if it would help.
In the meantime try to lose yourself in your crafting. Learning to make flowers from sugar paste was a great help for me when I had a period of stress and I am a firm believer that things like that help. Be careful with OTC medication whilst you are on tablets from the doctor - always check with the pharmacy it is safe to do so.
Please take care and continue delighting us with your beautiful pages.
Sending gentle hugs, Neet 2 xx
I am always turning to the internet for helping friends and I copied this from Abbey Robb Therapies - worth a try?
ReplyDeleteA simple tool to refocus the mind when you notice it starting to race away is to count 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things your can touch, 2 things you can smell and one thing you can taste (usually the inside of your mouth unless you’re lucky enough to be somewhere with a delicious treat). This switching of focus allows you some time and space to calm yourself, short circuiting the building of thoughts and worries that can lead to panic.
Your layout layers are so beautiful. So sorry to hear about your problems. You could ask your GP (hopefully another member of the team) to refer you for therapy. A therapist helped me a lot after I lost my Mum.
ReplyDeleteI use the app Buddify sometimes to help me sleep. It costs about £5 but it’s worth it. My GP also put me on Melatonin for a while as it helps re-regulate sleep patterns. I also occasionally take zopiclone. That only works after eating . (Something not mentioned in the notes).
I really hope you feel better soon. Sending big hugs
Lynnecrafts 14
Of course I had to go straight and read your last post. I am so sorry to hear your sad news - we are never ready are we? I'm guessing everything you are going through is linked to what's happenned and being unable to go and be with your family but I hope you do manage to get through these health and sleep issues very soon, art I am sure is good therapy. I think you have probably tried everything I can think of with regard to sleeping - the trouble with stress and anxiety is it all becomes a vicious circle that can be hard to break, especially when 'normal' life goes on and we are expected take part. Available to chat should you ever wish for a friendly ear and you will be in my thoughts my friend. I am glad my corkscrew made you smile, and the art as always, is amazing. Happy WOYWW, love n big big hugs, Cindyxx #15
ReplyDeleteFabulous layers, your work is stunning . but I'm sorry you can't sleep and are not getting support from the Dr . Big hugs. Helen (can't link till I get home)
ReplyDeletePraying you get a good rest tonight. I was short on sleep last night because Dolly was not well and was sick several times. She seems fine this morning. Doctors are a strange breed at times, go back if the panic attacks get worse or don’t stop. Lots of love Angel #9
ReplyDeleteForgot to say great pages. I am doing portraits or watercolours for my 100 days.
ReplyDeleteHi,sorry to hear about your lack of sleep. I'm sure you don't but it's important not to go to bed just after working on the computer you should leave at least a couple of hours. Reading a good book for a while in bed usually helps me. It's a difficult one but you need something to distract you, I know some people do some yoga before bed to clear their thinking. I don't drink very often so a glass of wine knocks me out but I probably shouldn't encourage you to do that. You could try taking the Nytol earlier in the evening which should help you to relax before going to bed and not make you feel so sleepy the following day. Thank goodness this is not stopping you from crafting your gorgeous journal pages, they are wonderful. Sending woyww hugs, Angela x8x
ReplyDeletethank you so much for linking me up!!
ReplyDeleteLove love loooving your 100 day project 🤩 but I am sorfy you're having atough time right now and your dr wasn't interested 🤗 if it doesn't get better I hope you go back and try again. Sending you the gentlest of hugs Tracy xxx #25
ReplyDeleteLove all your layers. The 100 day 10-x10 layers sounds interesting. Your work is beautiful. I have marked your video to watch later. I hope you get to feeling better. It takes me a couple of hours to get to sleep, then I never sleep more than a couple hours, then get up and go to the bathroom, but then I go back to sleep fairly easily. I never feel tired, in the daytime, so I must be getting enough sleep. Anyway, get better. hugs. Sharon #21
ReplyDeleteFabulous journal pages! Love the layers, colours, embellishments...
ReplyDeleteSo sorry that you are so under the weather - get well soon!
Happy WOYWW!
Stay safe and keep well!
I am determined to call and comment on all of you this week!
Susan #10
Calling All Crafters! – My Blog!
Loving all the cardboard pieces on the flip-through, and am sending dozens of wishes for some relief from the panic attacks. My d-i-l suffers from them, so I know how debilitating they can be. May you find some sleep, some light and comfort soon, my friend. xo
ReplyDeleteUnforgivable that your GP brushed off the panic attacks, apiary from all the other things they do to you and your mental health, they aren’t good for your blood pressure. I think you should make a nuisance of yourself at the surgery until you get some help, you shouldn’t have to put up with it. You’re having a tough time, lack of sleep is grim, I feel for you. I love how you’ve broken the 100 days down into manageable layers on pages…you’re a bit of a genius for layers and collages, as your pages to date prove. Please reach out if a chatty talky call with a couple of WOYWWers would help…we all want to be here for you.
ReplyDeleteOh take care of you. It sounds like you are doing everything right. Glad you have art in your life as a distraction and joy. I hope you find more rest, peace and light in the coming weeks xo
ReplyDeleteAnd I adore your layers as you know ♥
DeleteSuch sad news.... My coping mechanism is the same....
ReplyDeleteI think the problem of not sleeping is rife among ladies of a certain age. My sleep time starts about eight o'clock at night and lasts until about nine o clock in the morning. If I'm lucky I might get 2 x 2hours of sleep, usually when I start thinking of getting up!!!
Love the corrugated journals .... Love me some corrugated cardboard.... May look into this... Thank you for inspiring.
Take care
Christine #16
Hi Zsuzsa, I love your layers as always! If your GP is not responsive, you could try to talk to another one, maybe he or she could help you better... l hope that your father is okay (more or less) as well. Take care.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you are having trouble sleeping. I did go through that from time to time, I would fall asleep, sometimes exhausted, and then 5 minutes later wide awake. How does that happen? I have found a trick recently that works for me, sounds funny, but does work. When I close my eyes I look for an image, any image, and I "grab" onto it and take it further. By this time I'm usually asleep. It doesn't take long unless my mind is totally blank, and that is usually because I am somehow uncomfortable, hot or cold, or I have to pee, or I have to find the perfect spot to lie in, then I will get an image to latch onto. Weird, I know! Now panic attacks are tricky. I know some people who let the attack take them over rather quickly. It's debilitating. The trick I think is to catch it right at the beginning, as soon as you know. I've had one panic attack. I thought I was dying. I called my doctor and he brought me back down, and said what it was, and that I could control it. That was an epiphany for me. Since then I have stopped any more in their tracks, kind of like a mother who won't take guff from their child! Squash it before it can do any harm. I know that sounds too easy, and I really do empathise with people who have panic attacks, I know they are not fun at all, so I wish you the best in controlling that particular demon.
ReplyDeleteNow, your art is awesome. I am so bad at layering because I hate covering things up, and you are so good at it! It's like playing the piano. I like pieces where I can hear all the notes, not too busy, but I love listening to very complicated music with layers and layers of notes. If you have seen the movie Amadeus you will recognize this quote "there are too many notes". Of course it's that layering of notes that makes the music so wonderful, just like your layering makes your art so wonderful! Have a great week, Lindart #23
I wouldn't worry about sleeping -I would just do tons more of the above, they are brillant! I can sleep any time any where! (almost!) although, I do fall asleep smack in the middle of a good film! or even sitting at my computer! So I'm awake at anytime of the day and night, as well as dropping off to sleep for a quick powernap!I'm very late WOYWWing this week, we have a dog staying over again ...Hubby is walking him at the moment...I bet there's a stop at the pub! I'm house dog sitting this afternoon til about 8 this evening so I've taken my laptop so I can catch up on the visiting! Happy very Late WOYWW!? ((Lyn))#19
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