Okay, so if you have been creating your WRAP  from week one. YAY! what a journey it has been, hasn’t it? And for those who haven’t you can always CLICK ON THIS LINK and see how you too can start your very own Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP).

Here is a clip describing a bit of week 10 When things are breaking down

Week 10  -down. WOW! two weeks and my three-month’ gift’ is coming to an end. I will save my personal thoughts and other group members thoughts on WRAP in week 12. I just want to point out that I did not think I would get much out of this but I can promise you I have learned so much about myself, how I tick, what helps me, what doesn’t help me and loads of empowering self-help techniques. WRAP is free. It was given to me as a ‘gift’ and I give it to you as a ‘gift’. No extras. No-fuss!

This weeks session focused on when you have ignored or not seen the trigger or Early warning signs and you can feel yourself slipping into meltdown, the plan to get that job is not going as it should, there have been delays in moving to where you are moving too. Your relationship is at breaking point, you can find no relief for your chronic pain if you have MS or Cancer even, but there is still a chance that you can pull yourself back and re-own your yourself.

Here is my breakdown list of signs and symptoms I feel when I start to feel like everything has turned to jelly. The stability is just that little bit further out of reach.  My list is very focused on Eating disorders because this is where my mind is at but I am fighting to regain my control. It is my responsibility to stay well. I can do this with WRAP.

WHEN THINGS ARE BREAKING DOWN

• weigh myself obsessively
• take more photographs of myself to compare them to what I think I see in the mirror
• My perception of my body is split and fractured. I am unable to focus on my body as a whole entity
• Panic attacks
• Don’t want to or I am feel unable to communicate
• Seriously thinking or actively starting to cut down on fluids and food intake
• I refuse to try on clothes that I didn’t wear when I was at a body weight I deemed acceptable
•  I will push myself to go 24 hours 7 until I collapse
• I don’t want to g out
• I want to or stop taking my medication to get my Bipolar highs
• withhold love and affection -I don’t feel worthy of the two.
• Lose my sense of humour
• all seems doom and gloom
• feel that everyone hates me or has a problem with me
• Using degrading language on myself eg. I’m fat, I’m stupid. -all un helpful thoughts and mantras
• I feel I am an empty vessel -no personality a loss of identity
• I’m selfish and refuse or can’t look at the world around me and what is happening outside of my illness
• I think about escaping- or over dosing on my prescription medication or act on it
• Short tempered
• Angry at myself
• Depressed
• Anxious
• It becomes harder to look after myself. It becomes harder to look after my daughter
• Sleep for days at a time or not sleep for days at a time
• buy exercise energy enhanced pills on line
•  over exercise for over three hours with no breaks
• Indecisive- small choices are hard to make
• feel disconnected to reality. I can reinforce this buy not wearing my glasses or contact lenses.
• Spend less time with my daughter. I don’t want her to pick up on my emotions and for her to see me in a ‘weak’ role

That is my list. It is a tough list to do but if you are thorough and honest with yourself then we can take all these symptoms and experiences and start an Action Plan. All is not lost but it feels pretty close to lost.

You need to start brainstorming what you can or will try to do to get you back on an even keel. 

Create an Action plan 

Mine is:

call my C.P.N.  or my psychiatrist

Speak to someone I can trust- use my circle of protection. I have a select group of people I have entrusted into my personal space to help me when I I feel like things are breaking down

I can  look at my maintenance tools from week two and three and try see if I can reign things in a bit

look at the different uniqueness I have learned eg. the art of moment therapy, mindfulness, take my thoughts to caught, wise mind 

( you can always add more to your list as and when something you think will help you stay away from completely  breaking down.

That’s it for this week.

Be kind to yourself .Give yourself an affirmation to say for the week, do something for you.