[mykintsugibrain]

Hi I am a 55 yo woman with a history of extensive childhood trauma (a PTSD diagnosis,) anxiety and depression, ADD, inability to lose weight and (a resulting eating disorder) am in need of a disc replacement in my cervical spine, but in spite of all of this, I had somehow managed to be reasonably high functioning (as an international lawyer) until I got a minor concussion about a year ago (March 2021) since then I have experienced debilitating fatigue, cognitive dysfunction and autonomic nervous system issues that nobody can figure out how to manage. The good news is that through a very intentional meditation practice I have developed better coping mechanisms and ways of dealing with my feelings and trauma triggers than I was able to do in 30 years of cognitive behavioral therapy. So in a strange way, it's been a gift. On the other hand, I only have a couple of hours of semi-funtionctional time a day. I have no caretaker ( no partner or children and the rest of my family is not local and the relationships are complicated) so I have barely been surviving. Although I am grateful to be alive, I want to move into recovery and figure out how to have some sort of meaningful life. Glad to have found this forum and curious to poke around.

[Kitt]

Welcome mykintsugibrain.

[caroline2]

OP: Welcome and I won't say a lot but you have a large plate of issues. First of all good on the meditation work, I do some every day and I'm about 30 yrs older than you. My major issue started at 57 and that was after menopause...For 10 yrs I had a clnical depression and lots of doctors and labs and all that stuff, and my great D.O. doc got me fixed with putting me on the RIGHT thryoid support, depression lifted in 4 days....I've been on it ever since and t hat was in 2002. So consider the thyroid, many docs don't do good jobs on helping patients....thyroid controls so much..

I don't deal with anxiety per se, but Inositol is a great calmer that I use daily in my life.to keep a calmness.

In 1995 at 57 I found Grape Seed Extract and have been taking it for going on 26 yrs, a pretty much miracle...I have a lot of posts on it and there is tons on the net.

No PTSD here and that term is talked about so much. We all have traumas but have worked on things with supplements and some talk therapy..And I realize some people have a major PTSD story or more. I don't, the normal ups and downs......of growing up.

I'll stop now as I hope you will digest some of what I've posted.

[agate]

Welcome, mykintsugibrain!

You'll find you're among some people who know what you mean about just barely hanging on from day to day.

I have MS (as well as Type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis and maybe a touch of osteoporosis) and am finding as I get older that aches and pains and parts of me that don't work right are just par for the course. But I've lived longer than most people on my father's side of the family and pat myself on the back for that.

Well, I don't really pat myself on the back. Can't do that any more.

Anyway, I hope you'll find some help here.

Did you know you can choose what kind of screen you're looking at here by selecting a "skin" for Neurotalk? I like the one called "Spring" but there are others down at the bottom left of the screen. I find some of them more soothing to look at than others.

[caroline2]

OP: One can take off weight, portion control and better food choices are the answers, So many have Eating Problems. The older I get the more I've learned.. Takes control and commitment.