Sunday, January 29, 2006
Princess Diana and Self harm
This is part of a transcript where Martin Bashir interviewed Princess Diana in November 1995 for panarama on BBC.
BASHIR: According to press reports, it was suggested that it was around this time things became so difficult that you actually tried to injure yourself.
DIANA: Mmm. When no one listens to you, or you feel no one's listening to you, all sorts of things start to happen.
For instance you have so much pain inside yourself that you try and hurt yourself on the outside because you want help, but it's the wrong help you're asking for. People see it as crying wolf or attention-seeking, and they think because you're in the media all the time you've got enough attention, inverted commas.
But I was actually crying out because I wanted to get better in order to go forward and continue my duty and my role as wife, mother, Princess of Wales.
So yes, I did inflict upon myself. I didn't like myself, I was ashamed because I couldn't cope with the pressures.
BASHIR: What did you actually do?
DIANA: Well, I just hurt my arms and my legs; and I work in environments now where I see women doing similar things and I'm able to understand completely where they're coming from.
BASHIR: What was your husband's reaction to this, when you began to injure yourself in this way?
DIANA: Well, I didn't actually always do it in front of him. But obviously anyone who loves someone would be very concerned about it.
BASHIR: Did he understand what was behind the physical act of hurting yourself, do you think?
DIANA: No, but then not many people would have taken the time to see that.
BASHIR: Were you able to admit that you were in fact unwell, or did you feel compelled simply to carry on performing as the Princess of Wales?
DIANA: I felt compelled to perform. Well, when I say perform, I was compelled to go out and do my engagements and not let people down and support them and love them.
And in a way by being out in public they supported me, although they weren't aware just how much healing they were giving me, and it carried me through.
BASHIR: But did you feel that you had to maintain the public image of a successful Princess of Wales?
DIANA: Yes I did, yes I did.
BASHIR: The depression was resolved, as you say, but it was subsequently reported that you suffered bulimia. Is that true?
DIANA: Yes, I did. I had bulimia for a number of years. And that's like a secret disease.
You inflict it upon yourself because your self-esteem is at a low ebb, and you don't think you're worthy or valuable. You fill your stomach up four or five times a day - some do it more - and it gives you a feeling of comfort.
It's like having a pair of arms around you, but it's temporarily, temporary. Then you're disgusted at the bloatedness of your stomach, and then you bring it all up again.
And it's a repetitive pattern which is very destructive to yourself.
BASHIR: How often would you do that on a daily basis?
DIANA: Depends on the pressures going on. If I'd been on what I call an awayday, or I'd been up part of the country all day, I'd come home feeling pretty empty, because my engagements at that time would be to do with people dying, people very sick, people's marriage problems, and I'd come home and it would be very difficult to know how to comfort myself having been comforting lots of other people, so it would be a regular pattern to jump into the fridge.
It was a symptom of what was going on in my marriage.
I was crying out for help, but giving the wrong signals, and people were using my bulimia as a coat on a hanger: they decided that was the problem - Diana was unstable.
BASHIR: Instead of looking behind the symptom at the cause.
DIANA: Uh,uh.
BASHIR: What was the cause?
DIANA: The cause was the situation where my husband and I had to keep everything together because we didn't want to disappoint the public, and yet obviously there was a lot of anxiety going on within our four walls.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/politics97/diana/panorama.html
http://www.mindpub.com/art275.htm
A few months prior to her death, Princess Diana confessed that the strain of her marriage had caused her to throw herself down the staircase and cut herself with razors, penknives, and lemon cutters. Why would a princess, who was admired by the whole world for her beauty, grace and compassion, turn upon herself and assault her body in this manner? .
The Princess felt that an act of self-injury is a cry for help. This view is confirmed by many self-injurers. They feel that blood is the voice of their pain, pain that they find hard to express in words. Blood is a "bright red scream," as one self-injurer told author Marilee Strong. She gave that title to her book about self-injurers, A Bright Red Scream. Princess Diana's disclosure has brought attention to this secretive disease.
It is easy to dismiss self-injurers as manipulators and attention seekers but understanding their motive and pain is most challenging. An even harder task is coming up with an alternative behavior so they can release their tension in a harmless manner.
It is estimated that more than half of self-injurers are abused or neglected as children. Therefore, as children they have felt unwanted and unlovable. They did not or could not form good peer relations. Some were habitually teased and ridiculed by their peers, thus increasing their isolation in school and at home. They had felt lonely as children. Sometime during the teen years, at the height of their anger towards their own self and others, beset with negative self-worth, deep despair, and hopelessness, they decided to injure themselves. In order to avoid enduring those painful feelings, they preferred to inflict physical pain upon themselves.
Some experts who have treated self-injurers believe that when they learn to take responsibility for and control over their actions, they can discover respect and love for themselves. In the words of a treated self-injurer, "I feel I have a choice not to do this (injure self). And I have a choice now to let myself feel."
Even famous people feel lost, scared, and alone, which leads them to suffer in silence.
If your lost, lonely, scared, feel pain and have no one to share it with please dont suffer in silence!
Friday, January 27, 2006
Trust
Sorry i havent posted in a few days, been a bit slack. I have been working so much it is crazy, and like most if i didnt need the money I wouldnt be doing it!
So the past few days have been a little crazy. I had a staff party on sunday and the so called guy who was ment to be my friend ignored me the whole night. It annoyed me as I had oppened up to him and told him alot about my life that I dont tend to tell people because all they seem to do is run away from me and of course thats not what makes a friend at all. I see a friend as someone who will accept you for who you are and be there when you need them, not judge you and they dont care what you have done, they care about you now and they will stick by you no matter what.
But on sunday he wouldnt even look at me. It is not good for me as I get to the feeling of not being accepted and he just said he would help to shut me up. So I have a few drinks and then a few more OH I forgot to say...I had a few before i even got there. NOT good for my liver. So i have a few more drinks and dance a little...having a great time. BUT one of my work mates turns round asks if im ok and thats it i clench my fist and break into tears...all i want to do is to cut my arm...i want to break my glass and cut....I was so angry for letting him care and finding out that he didnt really care.
So she sits with me and says its ok...i said no its not cause right now all i want to do is cut and im so annoyed for letting myself think he cared. She was so nice and sat with me till i calmed down. Then my other boss sat with me a while and then went of and gave him a peice of her mind. MAN he got a mouth full!
Still annoyed me that he wouldnt talk to me. But now people at work know about my cutting and about my depression and I dont know if it was the right thing to do but i was drunk and depressed and would have done anything that night...all over trusting someone who didnt care.
I know have to work with them all and feel very silly about what happened and about telling them about my cutting. I know that they care cause they always did when I was stressed and stuff and work.
Im sure I will sort things out...only have six weeks left of work anyway then off to france!
Take care today, Take care tomorrow, Take it slowly and enjoy it always!
Monday, January 23, 2006
What have you done to me?
My head is spinning
Why did you do this?
My mind is weak
Where do I go?
My hands are shaking
When will it stop?
My feet are stamping
What will happen?
When I see you I dont know what to say
You told you would be there
And said that you cared
But all you do is listen
Run when things dont go your way
Why have you played with my emotions?
What did I do to you?
All i wanted was you to talk to me
You said that you would
I know that you wont
Thursday, January 19, 2006
RANT!!!
Some times I try to trust people and you think 'YES' this is it...I trust him I will tell him and then you think, 'How stupid are you to think that the person you want to trust actually likes you?'
I feel lost and used and I feel like I can never trust anyone. Guys just screw up my head.
'I will be there for you!'
'I want to be with you not run from you!'
I just screw my life up and everyday I feel like I do it a little more each day too, so there never seems any point in waking up the next day. I always think that nobody would really care even if I didnt wake up. I have just been put here to suffer...WHY?????
Maybe one day I will feel better!
GGGGRRRRRR, sorry for the moaning but Im ok really!
Monday, January 16, 2006
STOP SMOKING!!!!
This last week I have been so stressed through work and through whats going on in my head that I have very nearly taken it up again.
It is hard to be at work when others are smoking and it is hard for me since i used to smoke. I am in a weird place as my gran has lung problems from smoking and is on inhaillers and she is trying to stop so she can live a little longer. I dont want to really start again but when I was stressed the other day and couldnt drink caused i was driving i so wanted to smoke.
SMOKING BAN!!! In scotland on the 26th of March there will be NO smoking in public places, anywhere in scotland at all, pubs, clubs, shopping centres, cafes, any where...It will be so good, I know that I wont need to feel like I need a Cig then...but it is the now and the here that I am so needing to come over. It is bad I know.
This picture is what I would smoke most of the time right now. JOINTS
I find it easier to smoke dope and put my life to the back...There is so much pain in me that I cant deal with it... A joint makes it simple and takes my worries away. BUT only for a while.
Perhaps one day I will stop this and stop craving cigs themselfs and be able to see my world through open, clear eyes, not hazed weery ones.
'dont worry about tommoro, for tomorow brings enough worries of its own, live for today.'
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Falling Heart!
I wish life was easy but it isnt...poeple come in and out of your life at a click of a finger. I have been so confused about my relationships with guys at the minute...it cracks me up...when you think u are never going to have anyone two come along at oncce and then your stuck in the middle and soooooo lost and confused and i always feel as if they play mind games with me...
I wish men would make there mind up. I wish I could see what they really thought about me. I never see myself beening with anyone, cause all I do is hurt them... My past haunts me...I can never be true to myself or to them...it doesn't help me to feel great about being in relationship with anyone.
Someone I thought was a friend locked me in his car and raped me. I had been at a party and had been drinking and blame myself for what happened. I shouldnt of got in the car with him...i shouldnt have been drinking...i should have just spoke to him infront of everyone...i should have screamed louder...i should of hit him...but i couldnt move...I dont see how i could have got up...i couldnt move..,he was to strong for me...i was weak...i was numb and all i did was cry...i cried and cried and cried and didnt know who to talk to or what to do...it was my fault..
BUT ITS NOT MY FAULT, I DIDNT DESERVE IT
I am loved and i do have people who care for me, but i always found it hard to believe.
I pray that I can get through this every day, I pray that people who have been through rape find the strength and the courage to step out of the darkness and fear and find that people care for them and will and want to help them. I pray that God sends his angels to protect them and me and that God is there through our struggles. Thank You God. Amen
Monday, January 09, 2006
Doctors
Man I had to wait twenty minutes to see my doctor this morning. I was begining to shake and could feel my heart pounding...not a nice feeling. I use to go the same doctors surgery for my theripst sessions...it was a long time ago but it still sticks with me.
When I was 16 I had to go see her for a while but she would ask me question after question and not let me answer and she would pressure me so much that i wouldnt answer...i never got a minute to think for myself. I was hurting and screaming inside but she didnt care she just wanted her lunch. She would look me up and down and I would feel like she didnt want me there. Maybe she felt like i was a waste of space and that there was no point listening to me. I never spoke to her because of the way she was with me.
I hate the surgery cause it makes me think of that time...panics me everytime.
So I eventually get seen and I go in. I dont know if she really remembers me or not but she seemed to care. 'Are you ok?'...seems like a silly question but i said yeah im ok. 'How are you feeling on the flouxetine?'...mmmmm 'I am alittle better but im still not feeling so good...i still cut and im thinking about pills all the time.', 'So she prescribes me two months of flouxetine and I have to go back. I hope that I can get through the rough times and come out of the other side.
All I want is to be the person I was at 15. Before everything seemed to go wrong. I just dont see it happening and I dont really see me getting any better. I just wish life was easy but i supose you need to deal with what life brings to you.
I hope that God can help me through it. I also hope that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
'where theres a way theres a will...'
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Prozac...
It's estimated that over 18 million people a year suffer from depression. Many of these people also suffer from multiple episodes. You should know that after your first episode of depression, you have a 50% chance of experiencing it a second time. And, after you experience it a second time, a 70% chance of experiencing it a third.
It is important to communicate with your doctor. Talk to your doctor if you're thinking about stopping your medication because you're feeling better, or, if you're having trouble staying on your medication schedule. Your health care professional is your best resource for information on staying well. Communication can be an important part of your recovery and help make depression manageable. Talking with trusted friends and loved ones about how you're feeling can help them better support you in the process of recovering. I know that sometimes this feels impossible to do but because I have been there and left people out it has hurt me alot more as I have not had support from the people closest to me.
I must say that my mates at uni where my greatest support ever and that God to has been there too. If they hadn't been there I wouldnt be here and not writing this now.
People with depression have an imbalance of the brain's neurotransmitters, the chemicals that allow nerve cells in the brain to communicate with each other. Many scientists believe that an imbalance in serotonin, one of these neurotransmitters, may be an important factor in the development and severity of depression.
People with depression have an imbalance of the brain's neurotransmitters, the chemicals that allow nerve cells in the brain to communicate with each other.
Many scientists believe that an imbalance in serotonin, one of these neurotransmitters, may be an important factor in the development and severity of depression.
Prozac tackles this imbalance by increasing the brain's own supply of serotonin.
Some other anti-depressant medicines appear to affect several neurotransmitters in addition to serotonin. Prozac selectively affects only serotonin.
Caution: As with most anti-depressants, Prozac could interfere with other anti-depressants, particularly MAO inhibitors and other SSRIs. Therefore, if you wish to combine Prozac with any other anti-depressants, you must only do so under the guidance of a doctor or health worker.
Always there for you...
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
BLOOD
Blood, is the thing that i want to see,
But i cant
WHERE IS IT
I do not know
Inside me it will be
I ping my band
I feel the pain
I see the blood
I know
You are the thing that makes me, me
You love me but i love them
U know i hate u, u know I need you
U dont see me
I see blood
The pain and love is all around
U know its there I see it there...
BLOOD AND PAIN
AND LOVE AND STRAIN
~AMEN