Couch 193: The Aurora Borealis Couch

Played the piano for two hours today. Very cathartic!

Another night of weird nightmares about the kids’ dad. I woke with a headache and stomachache. I want to curl up and cry. I hate that this is circling around again.

Today we're having an open house. I hope someone puts in an offer. The dogs ruining the floors. That's everyone's complaint. But we can't afford to fix it

While I was at the library earlier I had an experience I've never had before. Out of the corner of my eye I swear I saw sparkly little lights dancing around this woman's feet (she was standing at the copy machine near where I was sitting). When I tried to look directly at them they went away. I must have been studying too hard.

Not to be an alarmist, art, but don’t you have a history of eye problems? If it happens again, I’d get it checked out.

Particularly with looking at a screen so many hours a day.

Also could have been an ocular migraine, where you just have the aura without the actual headache. I get that at times, with just a few sparkles or flashes, then it goes away. And don't get the headache, or just a really minor one. (And yes, I've had my eyes checked recently.)

I wonder what kind of links there are between enthusiastic therapy clients and those with physical health anxieties. I often read people's seeming preoccupations with physical health matters on these threads and I wonder whether this is a sign of heightened awareness or neurotic vigilance.

Our first ever successful wood-fired oven pizzas today. I really enjoyed building and maintaining the fire and making the pizzas with the kids.

Fairy dust!

Sunday morning at my place

that looks yummy. i love woodfired pizzas but only i am not allowed to install one at my rental and the only italian place that does them is sooo expensive but he are soo good.

Yes! I thought it's fairies!

Looks incredible!!!

I just had my eyes checked a month ago, so I'm guessing I just read too long....

Wow, that looks amazing!

I've been crying like crazy today. Stupid anniversary. I'm starting to wonder if this is complicated grief. I'm struggling so hard to move on. Idk how long the time frame is between normal grief and complicated... can it even be complicated for a non death? I have no idea

I've been pet sitting and watching tv to keep busy. Watching season 1 of "Who's the boss" on DVD. I used to love this show. So fun to re-watch

Hopefully, but it also doesn’t take too long for a retina to detach—and what you describe is a symptom. Just follow up if it happens again, please. Better safe than sorry.

I am reading the submission we’re reviewing for Monday night’s writer’s workshop. And it is just such an amorphous, dull, trite mess I don’t even know what to say what would be helpful. I can’t even fall back on “you write beautifully.”

It could definitely be complicated for a non-death. My T has implied that about my grieving of ex-MC. And anniversaries can be really difficult. He recently said (when I was struggling at the termination anniversary) how some people are "anniversary people," and I'm clearly one of them. Sounds like you are as well. While others may not be as aware of or affected by dates.


And I'm not entirely sure what determines whether grief is complicated vs. not. I think it may be more about how it affects one's life? Like if a person can still function? Maybe someone else on here knows more about it.

I am pretty sure complicated grief cannot be diagnosed until a year or more after a loss. Not a few months--it is too hard to distinguish complicated and non-complicated grief in those early months.

I'm really struggling. Coming up to a trip I am taking that involves several stressful things and people merging into the perfect storm. Lately had the urge to see T twice in a week and I'm following through on that. I feel like a failure. No matter how hard I work, this keeps being stressful

Seems logical. I figured a few months is normal

I hope I'm not this bad come December. I need a life

Thanks I will for sure.

amorphous -> wide-ranging
dull -> comfortable
trite -> light-hearted
mess -> ouvre

How would one treat complicated grief differently from uncomplicated?