Dear Jess,  I’ve been reading your posts, at Chloe’s suggestion - but don’t know if I can add anything really useful, I think Helen and Chloe are the most helpful people you could be in contact with.  I don’t know how long your loved one will be away but the time WILL pass. 
Sometimes, when your life changes, even temporarily, it is hard to cope with. 
Maybe I can actually suggest something that worked for me when I was going through a very mentally stressful and depressed period - I wrote down how I was feeling each day and tried to work out what was causing each feeling - which didn’t seem to be making any difference then but, now when I read my notes from several months ago and compare the difference in how I feel, I realise I coped, only a very little at a time - Chloe calls it “baby steps”) but my state of mind is definitely better.  Now I just say to myself - I’m not depressed, just feeling sad or down.  I don’t suppose there is anyone who feels completely happy all the time.  So it is nice to think that we are normal.
I hope you can make sense of this and I wish you all the very best.  My best regards, jean

You girls are WONDERFUL XXXX aren’t we all lucky to have eachother XXHUGXXXX thank you Helen for this wondersful website XXXXX what beautiful women Xxx little bricks make a big strong wall against depression (our fire wall) and we all hold eachother (hugs) together support eachother Xxx and hold eachother up XXXXXX

Snoopy I copied and pasted one of your posts because it was so uplifting and warm hearted Xxx I sent it over to Mike Xx HUG XX hope you are well and happy and don’t mind me stealing some of your light hearted wisdom Xx

Not saying that medication alone can solve the problem, i have also had extensive cbt.

Regards

Allene

CBT is really wonderful and effective, What did you think of it, how does it work, how would you describe it, it was soooo long ago I did it Xx THANK YOU for sharing HUGXX

Have always been tearful and cried easily which infuriates me.I can’t stop it..

Regards

Masone

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Crying can be beautiful. I cry when I am happy as well as sad Xx Crying is a beautiful symbol of being human, robots can’t cry. Being emotional is a wonder us human beings have, on the AI movie the robot boy lacked emotions he could not cry and in the I robot movie this again was symbolised as emotions being a human element I believe in star trek the robot in that would love to cry to have emotions to be human Xx Your beautiful your humam your natural XxxHUG you XXXlove you beautiful you with humanoid emotions XXHUGXX

I have found after listening to Byron Katie to love what infuriates you, she says on her tapes love it so to enjoy it smile at what infuriates you and make a joke out of it….I thought easier said than done Katie yet with practice I can laugh at myself now and love what I think are my faults which are my husbands best bits !!!. There are lots of people who love me for me because they do !!! That includes what ‘I’ think are faults other people have grown to love my idiosyncrasies they find me funny crazy and mad. So now I am proud to be mad !! Have you seen the winnie the pooh and the tigger movies. Owl who is all serious gets cross with tigger because he is too bouncey so he sends tigger up a tree and tigger is made to stay there. He then has to admit how ever annoying tigger might be he would rather have tigger than no tigger at all and he asks tigger to get down from the tree because he and all the animals miss him so much. How’s it always seem to be that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone, ...da da put up a parking lot do da da da Do you know the song ? yellow cab or taxi Xx I say you can have what ever you want as long as you don’t want it, so if you love your crying it’ll go away ha ha Xxx Your beautiful and your crying is part of your beauty Xxx hey I KNOW I am right XXHUGXXX because beautiful people cry Xx A tear is a beautiful reflection of tender loving care TLC Xx

Please would you post a reply on the pressure of christmas shopping Xx we might help people who have the same worries xx hug Xx

Hope this helps Xx
The guardian tuesday 5 Jan 2010 - Mindfulnesss Three minute exercise
mindfulness is described as a way of paying attention to feelings ans emotions so that they can be managed. It involves meditation , yoga and breathing techniques.
’ three minute breathing space’
1. ask yourself what is my experience right now ? and notice any body sensation, thoughts or feelings you are having without judging them.
2. place your attention on your breathing following the in-and-out breath as it naturally occurs.
3. Expand your awareness to the whole of your body continuing to notice any thoughts feelings or physical sensations that occur without judgemant.
:0) xx