Rockford Day 15 Treatment Summary

 8/9/2024

 

Day 15 summary at Rockford at the Orchards:

-Up at 6 a.m. this morning.  

-Girls got their walk & ride.

-Plenty of time to do other things before leaving at 8:50 a.m.

-Non-eventful ride to the facility.

- A.M check in process/goal review:

  1. Current state-Outstanding
  2. Status of yesterday's goal. Stay in the moment.  Now, understanding that two individuals must both be in their windows of tolerance before engaging in serious conversation I was and always will be sure to stay in the present and go with the flow.  
  3. What are we working to improve through the program.  For me it is anger, anxiety, and depression.
  4. Give some examples of what you've used from class to drive improvement.  
    • Stay in the moment
    • Do not create false narratives based on a little bit of evidence.
    • Behaviors can be changed by changing how to think and feel.
    • It is healthy to set boundaries.  They allow us to feel secure in our relationships at work and home.  An example of a healthy boundary is being able to say no or accept when someone else says no.  
    • The participants in the program were inspiring, some more than others, but overall, we all brought something to the table to help each other.
 

-The 1st peer QA was a repeat of yesterday's truth or dare format activity. Pre-populated questions and or dares were put into a basket and passed around to each member of the group. One by one the person selecting the question either answered/performed or was given one pass and allowed to pull a second question.

Example questions are

  • Tell me 3 things/activities that you miss as a kid. 
  • Give me your best karate kid pose. 
  • Create a fictional job, make up 3 interview questions, ask the person next to you to answer the questions as though applying for the position. 

This exercise taught us to accept and allow anxiety to happen.


 -2nd peer Q&A exercise consumed the remainder of the morning and part of the afternoon. Each person was given a blank piece of paper and on it instructed to ask a question pertinent to their condition for which the group would then offer suggestions to help. Example questions are

  • What are some coping skills to fend off anxiety?
  • What can I do to be happy?
  • What do you do to distract yourself when a negative thought comes to mind?

Key takeaway today   We are not required to take care of our future maybes.

  • What if I lost my job?
  • What if my partner doesn't love me anymore?
  • What if we hate our new neighborhood?  

 Disconnect from the what ifs and tune into the what now.  

Most impactful moment

I was pulled aside by one of the older female participants who thanked me for sharing my 1953 Salesianum High School sports banquet program with her.  She used the program as a tool to help open doors between her and her spouse for a long time.  Her spouse was a 1958 graduate of the same school so when she shared it with him it sparked a connection between the two.  

 

Goal for the weekend

Recognize triggers, use coping mechanisms to manage them, and do not overthink. 

Plans for the weekend

Re-wire kitchen light, bike ride, hike, do something nice for my wife. 

What could potentially get in the way

Overstepping pre-set boundaries, not recognizing when myself or others our out of their windows of tolerance. 

What can you do in the moment to help you

Go for a walk, stop & think

What new coping skill can you practice

STOP (stop, take a break, observed, proceed)

TIPP (Temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, progressive muscle relaxation)

 

Concerns:

Program has ended so now it is time to integrate what I've learned into real world scenarios. While I think it's healthy to be concerned this course has set me up for success and I have external therapy sessions scheduled to keep me on track. 

 

Response

75 total hours of therapy and 19 doses of Abilify. Even keel and ready to demonstrate the change in my behavior to the entire world.


  

 


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