The wonderful surprise of the first fresh organic sweetcorn in the market this morning. I know how much my husband loves them so I buy six - including this one with a little wriggly bug chomping away on the gold kernels at the top end - leaving a powdery trail through the tight packed ladder of sweetness......which luckily I notice and cut away before plunging it into the boiling water.
It's hot hot hot again today. I put on a wide brimmed floppy hat and walk the half hour to the University Campus in the area of Exeter called Pennsylvania. I'm going to hear a talk organised by the University of the Third Age - U3A - from a research fellow ( she looks about 22) in the psychology department entitled,
Emotional support for family members caring for those with long term conditions causing personality change.
So that would apply to me. And the 5 million other carers in the UK. Many of whom experience low mood, depression and anxiety. The research shows that CBT - Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - only helps 50 %of depressed carers. Problem solving techniques are more successful for depressed carers and are the same things that non-depressed carers do naturally to cope...things like
Adapting your goals/ roles - e.g. going for drives not walks.
Getting a balance between helping yourself and helping your person you care for.
Having lots of social support from family and friends.
And push, push, pushing to get help from what's available out there - medical/community/financial.
I'm not a depressed carer.....just overwhelmed sometimes by loss and uncertainty and anxiety and fear...... but not all the time.
Compared to some of the people there who are dealing with really, really difficult situations I walk out into the brightness of the afternoon feeling very grateful for all the amazing support I have....and that however bad it gets I'll find a way to see it differently....however long that takes....however much I weep in the process.
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