September catch-up

My CBT course is over except for a refresher evening in early November, where we get the chance to share the ups and downs of using our new weapon (CBT) in the inter-galactic struggle with our anxieties/depression... Fun.

Have i been a good boy? To be honest, its hard to add another layer of commitment over my already chaotic life. A few things seem quite useful - creating positive statements to speak out against the "catastrophising" thoughts that try to assert themselves.
Designating specific worry times (eg between 9 - 9.30am) leaving the rest of the day supposedly free of uncontrolled worrying. And so on.

Also, i'm on anti-depressants now. I've been quite snobbish about them in the past. As if it was a kind of weakness to take them.
Well, i need them. And while they've been lifting me out of the depths, they've levelled of the peaks too, which is kind of strange.
I have no idea how long i'll be taking them - we'll see.

The month HAS had a few highlights.
Firstly our 11th Anniversary, where Claudia and i drove "boy-free" around Devon in a camper van for the weekend - below in the Valley of the Rocks - a mile or so from where we first met



And Max has started school. What he's holding is the traditional present (packed with sweets, pencil case etc) given to children in Germany on their first ever day at school.