OJewel

Open Fibromyalgia

1989 Diagnosed with fibromyalgia. If try to exercise , I get rfd(reflexive sympathetic dystrophy).I have pain and fatigue.

Treatments

Aqua Therapy Working / Worked

Effexor Not Working

Elavil Working / Worked

Sleep Working / Worked

sleep helps relieve fatigue but I don't get much sleep as it is.

Open Arthritis

I have fibromyalgia diagnosed in 1989.Two weeks ago saw a surgeon who said I was the youngest person he has ever seen with osteo arth in my knees and did not want to do knee replacements yet.

Treatments

Ibuprofen Not Working

Sinemet Working / Worked

Ice packs work at reducing swelling

Open Chronic Pain

I have pain from fibromyalgia but since two weeks ago I learned I had osteo arthritis in both knees. It is constant pain. I try to take this on as a challenge. I hope to have friends I can relate to in this group.

Treatments

Flexeril Not Working

It didn't work and caused an upset stomach.

Lyrica Not Working

I heard a lawyers ad say that people have committed suicide on the drug.

Sinemet Working / Worked

Ice packs take the pain in my knees away.

Open Blindness & Visual Impairment

I became V.I. from an assault.in1990.I see too much.My eyes work independently of each other.I have 20/40 so its not low vision. I am between two worlds-the sighted and the blind/V.I. I love food, eating out, being with friends,learning new stuff, hugs etc. College is hellish.No accomodations that work consistently.Professionals with ignorant attitudes. But, I keep working at it.Slowly.

Open College Stress

I have a lot of college stress. I have health issues AND I go to college. It taking forever. I just wanted to mention that in Maryland you can go to community college tuition waiver.This is a huge help when books cost over $100 a pop.

Treatments

Sleep Working / Worked

but little time for it.

Support from Friends & Family Not Working

Everyone who knows me tells me to give up. I can't. I do want a degree instead of always answering to people some college, not degree finished.I have health issues my college will not consistently accomodate it is a drag!

Open Depression
Type: Clinical (Major) Depression

I mainly am depressed when I wake up in the morning, or on a Sun. afternoon.Also, when I am in college. I am putting myself into several groups here. I never really took the time to deal with my "issues" but this seems like a very organized site with people that want to achieve good things for themselves plus I have some resources and I am sure others do as well!

Treatments

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Working / Worked

Fabulous!If you are insightful or intelligent, or don't always have to be "right" this is good for you CBT. It teaches you to reframe, restructure how you want to see your life.

Effexor Not Working

Made me agitated like nails going down a chalkboard.

Elavil Working / Worked

It helped my fibromyalgia..my muscles didn't contract. I had a clearer outlook.

Electroconvulsive therapy Not Working

NO WAY IN HELL would I do that to myself.

Meditation Working / Worked

I studied through Shambala meditation and it rested me with peace.I just giggle a lot when I have to be quiet, though so I don't meditate much.

Paxil Not Working

Nothing.I thought it was a placebo, actually.

Prozac Not Working

Scary thoughts.

Psychotherapy Working / Worked

NLP worked, counselling helps but coaching is even better. The two can compliment each other and that is what I am working on.

Seroquel Not Working

I never had it but I heard from a few that it causes intense dreams and makes them feel sleepy all day.

Support from Friends & Family Working / Worked

I have support from people who are depressed.

Writing Working / Worked

Journaling can help.

Zoloft Not Working

Made my mouth freeze and I drooled a lot and I couldn't think on the drug.

Pets Working / Worked

I like dogs and am considering getting one. I feel it would help me with depression.

Open Diets & Weight Maintenance

When I moved out on my own I was always tired so I ordered from waiter on the way so lots of fats and high carbs. Now I find that I enjoy going out to eat and eating out with friends. I have never followed a diet. I think I know how to shop but not how to feed myself in healthy ways. So, I have joined this group to see if I can learn to take care of my weight better.

Treatments

Body for Life Too Soon to Tell

I had the book but its been misplaced.

Counting Calories Not Working

I stopped counting.

Curves Not Working

I have knee pain so since a lot of the spots were relying on knee movement I didn't do it.

Eat Less Too Soon to Tell

This is the thing I need to do with exercise in order to lose weight.

Physical Exercise Not Working

I tried Bally's but not my style. Swimming at community pool is helpful so are weights at my house.

Slim-Fast Not Working

tastes funny

Weight Watchers Somewhat Helpful

I learned some nutrition points but didn't like paying money to go and worse, it made me hungry and I would go out to eat!

Open Financial Challenges

I live on SSDI what more can I say?Interested in sharing resources with others for frugal lifestyle.

Open Fitness Goals
Type: Improve overall fitness

I need to set fitness goals to lose weight. I am not experienced at that so I hope to learn from others what works for them. I am overweight but I would like to be fit one day.

Treatments

Strength Training Working / Worked

I lift weights for various physical disabilities and they stretch my muscles. It feels good.

Swimming Working / Worked

I can swim in a pool for an hour. Grew up around pools and love swimming

Weight Training Working / Worked

same as for strength training

Weight Watchers Not Working

I was always hungry when I left there.

Open Food Addiction

I am addicted to food since living on my own. I love choc. and desserts and due to chronic pain and fatigue I usually go out to eat. Its also a social thing for me to eat out. I was thin most my life, never tried diets for any length of time as adult. Now I am obese and I think that losing the weight would improve my overall physical and mental health.Look forward to sharing stories with others and resources, too.

Treatments

Overeaters Anonymous (OA) Not Working

Everyone made me hungry at OA. They all depressed me, too. I got a scholarship to go to one of their retreats and it depressed me.I cried in my mind and so left for home quickly.

Open Health Care Reform

Since I rely so heavily on my medical insurance I want to keep on top of health care reform and learn from others what I need to know.

Open Homelessness

Due to neglectful parents, I have been homeless and I'd rather not think of it but I do have answers to some questions and if I can help just one person it is worth it.

Open Hypothyroidism

1999 diagnosis, been taking synthroid all these years, if I don't take it I can have mood disorders severely, I get cold and exhausted. I have gotten over my fear of blood tests by watching Grey's Anatomy and Hopkins. would like to share ideas with others.

Treatments

Synthroid Working / Worked

I cannot take generic. I have to have synthroid and it works.

Open Medicaid

I have medicaid and medicare.

Open Medicare

I have medicare and medicaid.

Open Obesity

I am obese.I saw it coming, asked for nutritional help from Drs. They don't take nutrition in med school-very rare. I need to change my portions and exercise and would like to learn from others.

Open Panic Attacks

3/07 relapsed, after 20 years, into panic attacks with agoraphobia. I would like to hear from others with the same diagnosis.

Open Pregnancy

I would like to be pregnant in my future and would like to learn about it while visiting this group.

Open Shyness

I am shy with large groups of people, speaking in front of people and going to new places.

Open Single Parenting

I would like to know issues that affect single parents. I may become one out of choice.

Open Vegetarians & Vegans

I would like to share resources. I am thinking about becoming a vegetarian or I may just integrate a lot more meals that are veggie.

Open ADHD / ADD

I served a year on the CHADD board in my area. I was told I had a "mild case" but was never 'officialy' or by 'elimination'told I had ADD. I believe I have problems with executive functioning and hope to learn from others.

Treatments

NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Working / Worked

NLP teaches you to reconstruct how you view your world.No side effects.

Research Working / Worked

My friend has read it alot and it has helped.

Open Anxiety

I have panic disorder with agoraphobia. Panic attacks start out as anxiety.If not addressed then they become panic.Would like to share ideas for coping.

Treatments

Breathing Exercises Working / Worked

I learned it from my In Vivo therapist.

Klonopin Working / Worked

It works within 20 min. No side effects.

Open Families & Friends Affected By Suicide

A close friend of mine committed suicide. Although I thought I had processed it years ago,right after he died, I am now going through remembrance again.He jumped off an interstate bridge. I have agoraphobia w/panic disorder. I think my fear of driving is related to his suicide.We don't know if it was impulse or planned. As for me, I didn't want to join this group.Now I know I need it.

Treatments

Psychotherapy Working / Worked

My social worker knew my friend who died. I also was checked into a hospital by the police,as they found me on the bridge. I wasn't going to jump I was just trying to understand why my friend died. I have decided to start back up about talking about him.Its an anniversary decade and he was really young!

Talking Working / Worked

My mom was crying when she found out so she couldn't talk to me so I sought other people to talk to.Just this year is the first year she started to talk to me about him.

Writing Working / Worked

Writing a journal, and coloring abstractly was very catharctic!

Swimming Working / Worked

The water is lovely and you can float on your back and relax yourself. You need to be good to yourself during this sorrowful time.

Open Child Support & Custody

I sued my father.

Open Agoraphobia & Social Anxiety

I first had agoraphobia in my early teens. I have agoraphobia again. I am in IN VIVO therapy for it. I would like new friends who also have agoraphobia or recovered from it.

Open Children Of Divorced Parents

I am the product of divorced parents. They divorced when I was 3. Both remarried. Any unhappiness as a child came from the fact by parents picked lousy step parents for me to deal with.

Open Loneliness

I'm shy my whole life and have had agoraphobia at times so I couldn't go out to meet friends.I feel things intensely and really feel lonely a lot.I do not have a boyfriend that lives near me so it is really lonely for me. I love dogs bec. of their unconditional love.I'm an adult and I am still shy!

Open Physical & Emotional Abuse

I don't think about abuse anymore bec. the past is the past but I decided to join this bec. I may just be able to help others with either resources,hugs or a helping hand. Plus, it may also help me in my understanding old family dynamics.

Treatments

Abuse Counseling Working / Worked

I voluntarily signed up for this as it was free and I got to learn more about the cycle of abuse that I didn't realize before. It was offered through our free Abused persons program in the county.

Divorce Working / Worked

Yes, my stepfathers are gone.

Forgiveness Too Soon to Tell

I have tried to understand my stepfathers.

Leave Working / Worked

My mom divorced my stepfather so yea, it definetly worked.

Music Working / Worked

Christian music really helps me feel peaceful. But, I also play kick ass music, southern rock, too.

Psychotherapy Not Working

I wasn't impressed. It did help label my agoraphobia and panic attacks, though.

Talking Working / Worked

Yes, it has really helped talking to other friends over the years.

Open Healthy Sex

I'd like to know more about tantra and kundalini sex.

Open Healthy Relationships

I have healthy relationships with family and friends. But, would like to have healthier relationships with boyfriends. I'd like to see what I can learn here.

Treatments

Patience Working / Worked

Talking Working / Worked

Writing Working / Worked

Open Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

My doc said I have the O but not the CD. Trying to deal with intrusive thoughts that come up while driving sometimes.

Treatments

Anafranil Somewhat Helpful

This has slowed down by obsessive intrusive thoughts but not totally.

Paxil Not Working

felt like nails going down a chalkboard, very agitated

Zoloft Not Working

slurred speech

Open Osteoporosis

I have osteo in my knees.

Treatments

Swimming Somewhat Helpful

Its a hit or miss. I do like having the body buoyed in water.