26 February 2012

Boredom and Loneliness

I seem to have an abundance of boredom lately, and with that comes loneliness. I don't tend to feel lonely when I have things to work on, but when my mind is inactive I begin to realize how isolated I am.
I have been working on a project for the past week or so and just completed it today. I'm proud to have it finished, but now I have to come up with something else to do! I've been creating workbooks to explain cognitive behavioural therapy concepts to children and adults with cognitive delay. So far I have finished "The Happy Workbook" which is written to help distract a person from feeling bad by focusing on healthy self-esteem, coping techniques and distraction techniques. Now I'm planning "The Emotion Workbook" which will look at different types of emotions, why we have "unpleasant" emotions, how to let emotions out in healthy ways, and the difference between emotions and thoughts. Then I suppose I will work on "The Thought Workbook" which will look at healthy and unhealthy thought patterns, how our core beliefs affect our thoughts, and how to change negative thought patterns by challenging them.
For now, though, I seem to be creatively stuck and have defaulted to being bored. So, of course, I feel lonely. I wish I could call someone up and go meet them for coffee, or go see a movie, or SOMETHING. I don't have anyone to call, though, as my fiance is out doing stuff with the guys. I feel terrible that my only social contact is my fiance because that must feel like an awful burden to him at times. Perhaps, someday, I will have friends to spend some of my time with. I really would like that.

22 February 2012

Preparing to see the psychiatrist.

I have to go back to see a terrible psychiatrist next week and I'm starting to feel some anxiety surrounding the appointment. This psychiatrist has told me I'll never get better, diagnosed me with borderline personality disorder even though I do not fit the criteria, and refuses to acknowledge my Asperger's diagnosis. He has terrible bedside manner and can be downright rude at times. Unfortunately, he is the chief of psychiatry at the only hospital in my city so I can't just switch to another psychiatrist at the hospital. I'm going to try to get a referral to a psychiatrist through the family health team, but that will take 7 to 12 months and I have to "fire" this psychiatrist before I can seek a referral. So, I must go back to see this terrible doctor at least once more to adjust the dosage of my medication before I fire him.
This borderline personality diagnosis bothers me quite a bit. There are people who have the disorder, but the trend nowadays is to label any "difficult", or should I say assertive, patient with the diagnosis as a warning to other healthcare professionals that the patient will advocate for themselves and will want to take part in decisions related to their care. This is an insult to anyone falsely labelled with the diagnosis as well as to people who actually suffer from borderline personality disorder. These doctors have taken a legitimate mental health condition and turned it into a label to be feared instead of treated.
I complained to the hospital about the way in which the diagnosis was diagnosed as well as the doctor's behaviour during our appointments. I got the response of "you may be extra sensitive because you have borderline personality disorder and you may have misunderstood the doctor's behaviour, we will not be looking into this matter". So I've been back to the doctor since I made the complaint because my antidepressant had stopped working and I required a dosage adjustment and he was as rude as ever. He told me that he doesn't know anything about Asperger's syndrome but I don't have it because I'm an adult and people only have it as kids and I'm just trying to undermine his diagnosis. He refused to read the report from the neuropsychologist that performed the assessment or contact her for clarification. So I have to see him again for another adjustment and I am feeling quite anxious about having to deal with him. I would like to explain to him how I feel about the way he behaves during our appointments so that I can say that I've tried to reason with him when I make a complaint to the College of Physicians and Surgeons, but I don't want him to get offended and then not give me my prescription. I also found out that if I disagree with a diagnosis, the doctor must attach my written disagreement to the diagnosis in my file, but again I don't want him to get offended and refuse to give me my prescription. It would be a long 7 to 12 months without antidepressants.
I suppose I'll write up my disagreement and bring it with me, although I don't know if I'll have the guts to give it to him.

18 February 2012

The "joys" of being in a relationship...

Sometimes I wonder why I ever felt like it would be a good idea to be in a romantic relationship with someone. Now is one of those times. The aspects of my partner that have allowed us to stay together for so long are now the source of much turmoil. I needed someone who could fulfill their social requirements without me having to go to social functions with them. Now, it seems, I have been cast aside except for certain "girlfriend duties" and being designated driver when he attends social functions. He works Monday to Friday, staying at his place during the week because it is closer to his work. He gets weekends off and stays at my place over the weekend. He mainly just sleeps at my place now and spends the rest of his weekend with friends. When he does hang out at my place, he just plays computer games. It wasn't always this way, we used to go out together or stay in and watch a movie, but we would spend time together. I'm not quite sure when this changed, but it has recently come to my attention.
So, being logical, I've been trying to figure out whether the turmoil I am experiencing is worse than the pain of ending a long-term relationship, or whether I am still benefiting in some way from this relationship beyond just avoiding the pain of a break-up. We have had several discussions about spending more time together and how important it is to me. The discussions always end with him promising to spend more time with me and apologizing for ignoring me, but nothing has changed. The discussion usually buys me 6 hours of quality time with him, but that's it.
Also being logical, I have realized that while I am depressed I can be a bit of a "buzzkill" and have tried to factor that into his behaviour. I understand that it is upsetting to have a depressed loved one, but I wonder if the lack of support in my relationship is a factor in my depression. I tend to be quite stubborn and don't take emotional utterances personally, so I don't believe that is a factor. Lack of support, and feeling like a burden, may be holding me back though.
So, as far as damage control goes, which is worse? Am I better off ending a nonproductive relationship that I have spent my entire adult life on, or am I better off trying to find a way to communicate my needs more effectively with the hope that he will become more supportive? That is the question, one that obviously can't be taken lightly. This will require a lot of thought and consideration.

An Introduction

So, as you may have already guessed, I'm a depressed aspie. I've been battling depression for pretty much my whole life and was diagnosed 14 years ago. I was just diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome this year and the diagnosis has been very helpful in explaining some of my quirks. I've had a lot of difficulty with the "lovely" Canadian mental health system over the years and this has inspired me to become a mental health activist. Also, my negative experiences may become fruitful if I ever get around to writing a book (I try to think positively).
While I have few/no friendships, I have managed an 8 year relationship with my fiance. I'm still not sure that I am truly compatible with him, or anyone for that matter, so the relationship remains a source of stress. Also, I'm asexual, so that does complicate things!
I have a number of obsessions and special interests. I love cats, owls, turkeys, and penguins. I also love astrophysics, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and psychology. Strange mix, I know! I am obsessed with books, correctness, efficiency, truthfulness, and emergency preparedness.
I still live with my parents, even though I am nearing 28, because I haven't been confident in my ability to look after myself, an apartment, and my cats - all at the same time. I am hoping to move out later this year when I go back to college, and I think I might actually be ready!
So, I guess that gives a rough idea of who I am, quirks and all.