Couch 161: The Hexagonal Pyramidal Couch

Did you get them checked out when you were a child? Early congrats on your anniversary- do you have plans for doing anything special?

Yeah you name it. Debilitating allergies, deviated septum, chronic sinus infections. I've been congested for several days so it's likely just my sinuses.

No plans yet. H is usually the one who takes the lead on that kind of thing.

My boyfriend used to have them quite often (sometimes multiple times a week, sometimes just every month or so) for a few years. I think it was mostly due to dry air. Didn't have any health problems connected to it.

If it's a one time thing, it's probably okay.

oh shoot!! thank you. i'll go ask to have my post deleted if it hasn't been already. i haven't been thinking clearly with h in the hospital.

eta: i just asked to have it deleted.

I am SO VERY sorry everyone that I did that unthinkingly.

Yeah, this is what I was going to say. Nosebleeds can be more common in the winter if the air is dry (cold air holds less moisture) and/or if you're running the furnace. Plus having a cold or some sinus issues can irritate the lining of your nose and make nosebleeds more likely. A humidifier might help if you continue to have trouble.

Hi couch peeps. You were all quite busy yesterday. I haven’t been in therapy for over a year but I always thought EX T looked a lot like an older version of Angelina Jolie. Not sure if that qualifies her for any T beauty pageants? After all, talent also plays a part in those pageants as well, right?
Art, glad H is coming home.
Daisy, glad you’re getting another T.
ATAT-Who is this hip info T you speak of? Guess I need to go back a few couches.
LT- This new T you speak of covers up with a T shirt?

Does anyone on this couch watch that TV show Impractical Jokers on Tru TV? I think many of you would give those guys a run for their money.

Anyway couch peeps so here it goes- aside from my father in stage 4 liver disease ( which is not new news for my family) I have another issue.

I was on 375mgs of Effexor XR. I had to abruptly stop that medicine because my new insurance won’t cover it. Stopping that medicine without doing a taper- brings along some really nasty withdrawal effects which include but not limited to- brain zaps, nausea, extreme anxiety, vivid dreams, hot and cold sweats, vertigo, flu like symptoms and a array of other things I have been experiencing. I’ve been trying to take some natural stuff to help with it like a multi vitamin, GABA supplements, and using essential oils for calming effects. Does anyone have any other ideas? I tired 5 HTP but it was messing up my stomach. I have a lot less patience as well since stopping it. Doesn’t take much to get me annoyed lately. I’m 2 weeks into the withdrawal and wouldn’t wish this on anybody. I am also worried about the impression I’m giving off to my employer. I’m a nanny and I don’t want them to think I lost interest in the babies or the job itself or just don’t have patience for it anymore. Speaking with them about what my body is going through is not an option. It’s just not. We don’t have that type of relationship. But I go, I try to sound like my old self as much as possible and get through the day. It’s just so hard to do that because I haven’t felt this level of anxiety since before starting the medication. I’m a different person on that medication. More even tempered, mood overall way better and just generally a better version of myself. Can I try another med? Sure. Will I try another med? No. Because I had tried so many in the past. The Effexor was always the most effective. And if I got better insurance that did cover it I can’t even say I would go back on because of what I’m experiencing coming off. That particular medication is horrible to depend on.
I also have other things going on- but getting through this withdrawal and keeping my job are 2 of the main things I’m worried about.

Hang in there Jersey. I took that drug from hell in its early days and my pdoc insisted I was not having withdrawal symptoms when I got off it. It's one of many reasons I hate those people. Anyway, I think I went through the worst of it for about two weeks, but the whole time it felt like it would never end. I couldn't even drive the first week off it, and the eye clicks and brain zaps were just the worst.

Sorry I don't have an answer for how to lessen the symptoms sooner, but if you're like me, you're at or near the end of the worst. Your mileage may vary, of course. The good news is that it does end.

The symptoms do end? I just cried when I read that. Thank you. Right now it feels like there is no end.

Info? She's a caution, is what she is. Zany. Unfocused. Prone to saying and doing strange things. Dresses 40 years younger than her age, lots of cleavage, orange hair and skin. (The "hip"...well, anyone would be hipper than AY's Blondie.)

She must do something for me or I wouldn't hang around.

Hope the side-effects get better soon.

“ She must do something for me or I wouldn't hang around.”

I hope so. That was quite the description you just gave.

I suspect it’s the heady mix of cleavage and orange hair.

Says the woman who stays with Blondie just so you can watch her scratch her itches and hear about how you're from a transactional culture or something.

The cleavage is orange too, fyi.

“The cleavage is orange too, fyi.”

Um... I have..nothing to say... all this orange. Ha.

It’s intermittent reinforcement or something — Blondie’s cleavage is so rarely on display. In the interim, she makes up for it with unfocused itching and general hyperactivity.

I’m not sure what I’d do in the presence of Info’s orange cleavage — definitely not therapy, I know.

What if she were also wearing the hot pink suede go-go boots?

There’s only so much awesomeness one can withstand.

I've always been amazed at how attentive some of you are to the appearance of your Ts and their demeanor in session. Your observations would have to involve looking at them. I spend most of my sessions looking at anything but the therapist.

Jersey, I'm sorry you're dealing with all the side effects of Effexor withdrawal. I know this won't help, but it's known to be one of the worst psych meds to withdraw from (at least among SSRIs and SNRIs). Have you taken Prozac before? I ask because it was given to me to help me stop taking Cymbalta, which is similar to Effexor. I'm wondering if you could go on a tiny dose of that to help? It has a really long half life (stays in body a long time), so it's easy to stop taking.

Otherwise, for reducing anxiety, magnesium, vitamin D, and B vitamins can help. Benadryl and/or Dramamine (the original kind, not the non-drowsy) can help but might also make you sleepy.

Oh, and for the T-shirt with my T--it's more that MC sometimes wears an unbuttoned polo shirt, so his chest hair ends up hanging out. T was wearing a button-down shirt the other day and had one or two buttons undone, but an undershirt, not chest hair, was showing. He seems to be aware of what he's doing with fashion (clothing fits him well, correct pant/sock/shoe color combos), while MC...is not.

OK, this made me laugh. I'm just envisioning her bouncing around and scratching herself. T is pretty fidgety and plays with his hair sometimes, even though it's really short--it's oddly endearing. Once he was playing with a pen (didn't have his notepad in front of him either) and it shot across the room. And then he realized he'd drawn all over himself with the pen. It makes me feel less self-conscious about my own fidgeting. Not sure I could deal with him randomly itching himself though...

The things I notice about Info involve looking at her...just not her face so much.

I'm amazed by the people like LT and Elio who can remember entire sessions and dialogue in detail.

I think focusing on/thinking about their clothing serves as a bit of a distraction for me, like a way to occupy my mind and make me less anxious, if that makes any sense. I spend a fair amount of time looking around the room--thankfully, T has lots of stuff sitting around to look at (MC, less so, especially in the newer, smaller office). If I'm talking about something especially difficult, I'll stare at the carpet--unfortunately, MC's is very ugly. T's is much better.

same here. i half-glance at her when i walk in, stare at my pillow or the opposite side of the room when i am in session, and stare at her feet when i walk out;.
yeah me too. my in session posts would be like "uhhh..sat down. talked about some stuff? left." lol

I apparently have an eerily good memory--T has already commented on that a few times (I think maybe it scares him a little...) I'm not as good at remembering visual things though (well, aside from clothing)--like I certainly don't have a photographic memory or anything like that.

I can’t remember sessions in detail but I track pretty much every single thing about the space + Blondie + smells + sounds + pretty much everything about the environment.

Blondie’s gotten shocked by it a few times and called it a function of my hyper vigilance.

I can’t imagine taking my eyes off of her or closing my eyes etc — that would require a level of trust / me chilling the eff out to some serious extent.

LT — Yes, Blondie’s kinda bouncing off her chair until she realizes how immobile I am and then she fake-calms down. And, leggings (tights? I don’t know if there’s a difference) seem to be her undoing scratching-wise.

i think i am a goldfish in terms of memory.