This brain med has amusing side effects. I ALMOST just said "I love you" instead of "good-bye" to a phone support tech. Man, that would have been impossible to explain.

"You are a wonderful person and I love you, and everything will be all right! I have removed the viper pit and have no plans to install a trebuchet on the roof."

Whereas Hubby always promised to disassemble the trebuchet in the front yard after he was done. But yeah, a lot of men kind of freeze when there's something they can't fix.

I called the doctor's office, and they can actually see me tomorrow, which I didn't expect, so that's good.

Another thing I've been doing for a few months that's helped my depression/anxiety a lot is, taking 2000 IUs of vitamin D a day. I recommend it as something cheap that might help.

I'm a freak who is allergic to vitamin D supplements. I had a terrible rashy reaction to it several years ago.

gets this weird thousand-yard stare and sits there all stiff and mute

Oh, that is familiar. My mom would do that, too. Poor Tim. Emotions are terribly confusing and frightening. He may need a script. "You are a wonderful person and I love you, and everything will be all right! I have removed the viper pit and have no plans to install a trebuchet on the roof."

I should just type up some index cards for him. Then he can hand them to me and not have to speak.

Teppy, I'd really talk to your doctor about the anxiety but also if this is a reaction the sudafed. Even if you haven't had this reaction in the past people's reactions to medications change.

I've learned some in the moment distraction techniques that sort of short circuit your brain out of the loop and one of them is squeezing an ice cube. (or something frozen if you don't have ice cubes). Talking to someone and doing chores is also on the list. Well it's on the list of things to distract yourself from self destructive behaviors, but I thin it's on the ways to distract from anxiety and other stuff list (there's lots of duplication).

Also in the offical DBT workbook as healthy distractions - masterbuation and sex with someone you care about.

This brain med has amusing side effects. I ALMOST just said "I love you" instead of "good-bye" to a phone support tech. Man, that would have been impossible to explain.

Heh.

When my doctor and I were getting my antidepressants worked out, I saw my landlord, completely forgot who he was, but recognized him as someone I knew and was fond of. So I went up and hugged him. While he is a very nice person, our relationship is not a hugging one.

I should just type up some index cards for him. Then he can hand them to me and not have to speak.

Can't hurt.

Although, you know, tech support might appreciate having someone love them ... mostly, I think, people yell at them.

I'm amused at the "I know I know you so...hug!" I would totally do that. (I once ran into my landscaper at the bar, and was staring at him going "I know him. Where do I know him?" Because it was so not where I expected to see him.

Sometimes I fail to recognize someone if I see them outside of their usual context.

Once I ran into my sister's coworker in a grocery store. He said, "Hi, Tom." He later told my sister that I looked at him like he was from Mars.

It also sucks that I'm not good at hiding my feelings sometimes. I didn't mean to look at him as if he was from Mars.

Context is key to me recognizing people. I've offended people I've sat next to at work for years because they said hi to me at the supermarket, and my brain wasn't accessing that part of my database.