"be yourself" is BS
September 13, 2008 6:30pm
Ugh. After all these years, my high-dollar Ph.D told me the same thing some underpaid junior counselor told me in college: Fake it …
GraceWest’s Profile
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GraceWest
is feeling Good
About Me
Mom of teenage girls who lost their dad to brain cancer. I love my kids and treasure the chance to be a good mom. I like hiking, travel, photography and all creatures great and small. Was once a hotshot equestrian, now a fulltime freelance writer. Remarried and trying to work that out though the situation is tough right now.
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Recent Activity
November 5
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GraceWest updated their status 3:55am
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GraceWest changed their mood to Good 3:55am
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GraceWest wrote a discussion post in the Hepatitis C support group: New here: Fear for my friend 3:51am
Hi everyone, and thank you for reading this! I have recently become very close to a friend who has Hep…
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GraceWest joined the Hepatitis C support group 3:32am
Dear friend has Hep C, and has been told he has 5 years or less to live. I don't understand this dire…
September 17
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Journal
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I kind of suck
August 21, 2008 1:58am
Just now getting slightly back on track with this goal. Having your husband hate you and want to kill you is a terrible trigger to all sorts of …
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Another summer night: MEN???
July 29, 2008 7:49pm
Starting to resign myself to the truth that ... men don't love.
I was raised in the home of a writer, a passionate father who understood the …
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Hugbook
Prayer
lets stay strong
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Hey, is everything okay. What the hell is going on??? You got me worried a bit so get back to me!
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I am hear if you ever want to talk!
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I was a "hot shot equestrienne" too. Thank you for caring and have a great day!
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Come & Join Our Safe Haven http://dailystrength.org/groups/no...
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Photos
GraceWest hasn’t uploaded any photos yet
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Support Groups
Close Physical & Emotional Abuse
Currently married to a classic abuser. If anyone wants to do a reality show about abuse, by all means, turn the cameras on us.
Treatments
- Group Therapy Too Soon to Tell
- just started... hoping to learn about what I can do with my own behavior to make this more tenable. So far I love the people I've met who are so smart and supportive!
- Abuse Counseling Too Soon to Tell
- Writing Working / Worked
- It really helps to get it out in a safe place, since it does =0= good to bring anything up with him. I have come to rely on my journals.
Close Bereavement
Type: Loss of a Partner/SpouseThe father of my daughters died. Brain cancer. It took him very quickly. We are still reeling from the loss. I seek input here regarding the children's loss of their father and my own feelings of loss and confusion.
Treatments
- Crying Working / Worked
- Prayer Somewhat Helpful
- Psychotherapy Somewhat Helpful
- Writing Working / Worked
Open Depression
Tired of the blame game. Depression is not a choice. I am trying to find new ways to deal with what I believe to be my chemical reality. :)
Treatments
- Prozac Somewhat Helpful
- Definitely takes the edge off the hurt, but also leaves me feeling very sleepy. Another weird effect: prozac makes me yawn a lot!
- Psychotherapy Somewhat Helpful
- Glad to have someone to talk to, but overall not sure I am making progress.
- Physical Exercise Working / Worked
- Probably the best thing for feeling better. Only drawback is that it's very tough to motivate when you're depressed! Still, I ran a 1/2 marathon last year - felt great!
- Writing Working / Worked
- When no one else will listen, writing is a place where I can listen to myself.
Open Infidelity
Treatments
- Couples Counseling Considering
- Recently in my women's group, I was told that couples counseling is not nearly as effective as individual counseling for each of the partners. What do you think?
- Writing Working / Worked
- It's nice to vent in a private place where no one argues back. That's why writing is so helpful.
Open Parenting Teenagers (12-18)
Mom of two teenage daughters, stepmom to two more!
Open Insomnia
Can't sleep... I feel guilty when I sleep because my husband thinks I am slacking. Also, this is the only time I get to myself when he is not on my case.
Open Alcoholism
Treatments
- AA Meetings Not Working
- Cold Turkey Not Working
- Sleep Somewhat Helpful
- Yoga Working / Worked
- If I can get myself to the classes yoga really helps. I like the challenge and I love it that I have to show up clean and hydrated for the class cuz if I dont it is 90 minutes of hell and humiliation.
Open Diets & Weight Maintenance
Treatments
- Counting Calories Working / Worked
- This works, but it is very hard for me. I tend to get very obsessed about food when I count calories, and ultimately I end up splurging. The few times I've been able to stick with it, I used a computer calorie tracker and that helped.
- Eating Healthier Foods Working / Worked
- Physical Exercise Working / Worked
- I lost 20 pounds last summer (May - September) just by walking 90 minutes a day.
Open Sexual Abuse
Trying to learn how to support my husband who is an incest survivor.
Open Arnold-Chiari Malformation
Stepdaughter has Chiari malformation, underwent decompression surgery in 2005 and is now undergoing cranial fusion surgery.
Treatments
- Surgery, Brain Not Working
- So far decompression surgery has not proved to be the answer. She has had problems for 3 years and therefore is now about to have cranial fusion surgery. We feel so uncertain as to whether this is the right thing to do.
Open Hepatitis C
Dear friend has Hep C, and has been told he has 5 years or less to live. I don't understand this dire prognosis, and I want to learn more in an effort to help him.
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Snapshot
GraceWest hasn’t been active on the site in a while. Why not give GraceWest a hug?
