Blog
Why us?
I am so fed up of a neighbour from hell and it feels like he will continually get away with his appalling behaviour. He’s back to his usual of keeping an eye for when we go out so he can get to his gate and stare. We know he will keep checking so he can do the same when we return. If we go out into the garden he will stay out in his garden until he is certain we are unlikely to stay out there.
Today we went out for a couple of hours and when we got back a wheelie bin full of rubbish had been chucked over into our garden. We believe it’s got everything to do with the neighbour from hell but we can’t prove it. The wheelie bin had been chucked over the fence from the empty bungalow next door and close to the external wall of the bungalow. We also believe it was because we have replaced our security camera which had been snapped of the wall.
It’s now 8 months that the neighbour from hell as made our lives a misery and we still don’t know why. On Monday he started his abuse again after giving it a rest for a short time. It hasn’t stopped his appalling parking because he believes it annoys us. What he doesn’t seem to understand is we can keep a better eye on our car where we park now.
On Monday I hung laundry out in the garden as it was a nice, Rick cleaned up outside and our friend was with us helping out. The neighbour from hell came out and started on the usual abuse and that dog poop was being washed outside. I went out with my phone as I had it on to record but there was only water and disinfectant running under the gate. He was still shouting abuse then started chucking stones from his garden over our fence and aiming at all three of us. A couple hit Rick but we can’t proof it so Rick turned our hose onto him which didn’t stop him immediately then he did the same with his hose.
I rang the police while this was going on but of course by the time the police came out it was too late for them to see the stone throwing. The stupid person told the police as they were walking over to us to watch where they walked due to dog poop in our garden and we have a vicious dog. The police could see there wasn’t any dog poop and our dog is so vicious he licked their hands which made them smile.
The neighbour from hell told his usual lies so we all got the usual advice about ignoring each but as I kept pointing out he ignores the advice. He is good at trying different ways of annoying us then he starts on the abuse again. The sooner the security camera is working the better as it’s an audio one and will pick up all his abuse. He was shouting at someone that we’re putting up another camera and we know he isn’t happy. Our housing enforcement officer knows we’ve put up a new camera – we had to get permission for the first one to go up – and the police know now as well. It’s just a shame it’s not on until the app for it on my phone till Rick’s managed to scan it. More the reason for believing it is the stupid neighbout trying to cause damage.
Life is a struggle
I was relieved to get the first jab done which didn’t hurt so will get the second one a minimum of three weeks later but probably more likely twelve weeks on. My sister is still waiting for hers but I hope she does soon. My brother in law got his jab done weeks ago as he is that much older than us.
Unfortunately I am very severely depressed for a variety of reasons and I have lost the battle to keep fighting back at it. Even without living through a pandemic I don’t want to see my doctor as I’m all talked out. Doing CBT is boring and I’ve done it a few times so can fly through it ‘saying the right things’. Ultimately nobody can say or do anything to make the pain any better, nobody can change my past, nobody can make one person apologise to me. I have made plenty of mistakes in my life, who hasn’t?
It’s one thing dealing with my own mistakes but why should I suffer for what someone else has done to me?
I am so tired of life, tired of existing, tired of pretending I’m okay. There should be more to life than just going from one day to another knowing I’m one day closer to dying. Having pets make each day bearable, being married to someone who also suffers with depression is a challenge.
COVID-19 Jab
On Tuesday I will be getting my first COVID-19 jab which is good news but also scary as it’s new. I’m surprised I am getting it so quickly as I know people who are older than me or have underlying medical conditions who haven’t had the jab yet even though I’m diabetic.
After being in our third lockdown I am so tired and depressed with everything. We have also had snow more often than not since the week before Christmas. This past week it has been particularly bad has the temperature has been very low. Yesterday and today we haven’t had Bandit out as it’s been so treacherous but hopefully we will be able to get him out.
Having an idiot neighbour doesn’t help either and we don’t even know what we have done wrong apart from having cats. We’re not the only people who have cats and he has been warned (not by us) that if anything happens to any cat he will get the blame. It’s now 8 months on and he is still being childish…..
Boredom, tiredness, lack of interest ….
Now we are on our third lockdown which is stricter and at risk of fines. I do believe the police are going too far in some areas. Two women got fined just for travelling five miles for exercise and got fined for not staying local but what defines as local?
We, under normal circumstances, will travel to places such Hartlepool, Redcar and Seaton Carew just to walk the dog. That’s out of the question as we don’t want to get fined. The most stupid reason I’ve heard of so far for being fined has been for drinking cups of tea on a walk as it’s classed as a picnic even though the people were walking. I haven’t got a problem with people being fined for a good reason such as travelling well out a local area or being in a crowd but not just drinking tea on a walk.
On the other side of the coin where were the police when we went out to walk our dog?
We went to one of our favourite parks and it was so bad for parking there was a queue. There was a queue for the cafe and plenty of people were walking around a small area of the park. We decided not to stay and went on to do some shopping and collect medication. We went to our favourite butcher’s and Rick walked the dog while I went in. Normally I wouldn’t wear a proper face mask but it was horrendous in the shop and social distancing was non-existent. I am face mask exempt but will find another way to cover my mouth and nose. After reading and hearing of people being fined for stupid reasons yet today I wondered why the police couldn’t go to the park.
After the past ten months it is getting very monotonous not going far except for ten when we got away for ten days. My concentration is beginning to worsen and I am finding it hard to do one hobby for long.
2020 almost over
It’s been a strange year and I do believe we will have to get used to a new normal. We have COVID-19 to thank for this and all the idiots who didn’t abide by the rules. I am wondering how many of the idiots get the virus and potentially died as they believed they were young and healthy so didn’t think they would get it.
During the first lockdown our latest great niece was born but at the time we didn’t know when we would be able to see her. I had a chat with my sister a couple of months later on Facebook and I was able to see the angel then. My niece’s middle daughter was also there although she is very shy.
It was my sister and brother in law’s 40th wedding anniversary in May but we couldn’t go down to see them. It was tough for all the family as there were restrictions on meeting up. They look after their grandson when their daughter and son in law’s shift class so they were able to form a bubble.
We did manage to get away for ten days even though we feared a second lockdown. It was lovely to get away though and we did quite a bit of walking as the dog went with us. I was relieved we were able to spend a few days with family which included seeing the latest edition.
Since then we have had a second lockdown which hasn’t really made much difference to us and now in tier 3. Our families are in tier 4 so the rules are much stricter for them. Tier 4 may be put in place for all of the UK yet due to COVID and a new strain of it.
What ever happens 20212 can’t be much worse than our lives in 2020.
More blows for mental health
Well now we can’t go out for our Christmas meal so it’s just as well we hadn’t paid it. Not that the money matters it’s missing out on a relaxing meal in pleasant surroundings, and friendly staff being there. Fortunately we have managed to get a fresh turkey and three joints at a butcher’s at a cheaper price than the supermarkets.
It’s going to be a difficult Christmas for my sister and brother in law as they won’t be able to have a family Christmas this year with tougher restrictions there. Their youngest grandchild is coming up for 7 months old so it’s her first Christmas. We have it better than them as at least we can go out and our bubble is with our friend who lives across the road to us.
All we can hope for is next year is better than this year. My sister and brother in law couldn’t celebrate their 40th Wedding Anniversary they wanted to. We couldn’t meet our latest great niece until she was 5 1/2 months when we were able to go away for a holiday. She is adorable like all the others.
Next year one of her sisters is due to give birth to her third child which is actually a scary time for them. Their second child had Edward’s Syndrome and only lived a day which was sad for them and I am just relieved the family (including us) will never forget her. The hospital is looking after our niece due to what happened with her last pregnancy.,
I’m just struggling with severe depression and anxiety so am finding it hard to look forward to anything.
Mood not great
Well the second lockdown is finally over but most of the country seems to be in tier 3 or 2 – we’re in tier 3 – so it doesn’t feel like much has changed. I was at church this morning even though I had to motivate myself to go. It was good to see people I haven’t seen for a while.
One potential light at the end of the tunnel is that we may be able to have Christmas dinner at Tindale Crossing as usual. We will know for definite on the 16th December – it’s nice for me as I don’t have to spend so much time in the kitchen. Being waited on is an added bonus.
Lately it’s been bothering me that I have suffered sleep paralysis a few times. I didn’t even know that I had suffered it until I googled a film and read on wikipedia what it was about. Up until then I thought I had had some vivid dreams of not being able to move or speak. Now I know what’s really happened I know if it happens regularly I should ring up my GP surgery. It’s a very scary experience to go through
Sleep Paralysis
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-paralysis/
Sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis is when you cannot move or speak as you are waking up or falling asleep. It can be scary but it’s harmless and most people will only get it once or twice in their life.
What happens during sleep paralysis
During sleep paralysis you may feel:
- awake but cannot move, speak or open your eyes
- like someone is in your room
- like something is pushing you down
- frightened
These feelings can last up to several minutes.
Causes of sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis happens when you cannot move your muscles as you are waking up or falling asleep. This is because you are in sleep mode but your brain is active.
It’s not clear why sleep paralysis can happen but it has been linked with:
- insomnia
- disrupted sleeping patterns – for example, because of shift work or jet lag
- narcolepsy – a long-term condition that causes a person to suddenly fall asleep
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- general anxiety disorder
- panic disorder
- a family history of sleep paralysis
Things you can do to help prevent sleep paralysis
Do
- try to regularly get 6 to 8 hours of sleep a day go to bed at roughly the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning
- get regular exercise, but not in the 4 hours before going to bed
Don’t
- do not eat a big meal, smoke, or drink alcohol or caffeine shortly before going to bed do not sleep on your back – this can make sleep paralysis more likely to happen
See a GP if:
You often have sleep paralysis and you feel:
- very anxious or scared to go to sleep
- tired all the time due to lack of sleep
Treating sleep paralysis
A GP may be able to treat an underlying condition that could be triggering sleep paralysis such as insomnia or post-traumatic stress disorder.
If this does not help they might refer you to a doctor who specialises in sleep conditions.
Treatment from a specialist
You might be given medicine usually used to treat depression. Taking this type of medicine at a lower dose can also help with sleep paralysis.
You might also be referred for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Page last reviewed: 3 December 2019
Next review due: 3 December 2022
The second lockdown
Lockdown for the second time today, my birthday, so apart from not being able to go out for a meal it’s not bothering me much. Depression is a great park of it and having an idiot neighbour whose started being verbal again doesn’t help. My anti depressant has been put up on dosage.
I believe we will never get back to our normal and will have to lear to live with a new normal. Even though I do go out because I have to I don’t like going out anywhere now. I get stressed out too quickly particularly when there are crowds.
Why does life have to be so hard?
Having a break
Finally we are having a break from the norm which is a relief. Bandit is enjoying being able to have a run off the lead on the beach and sea, He is such a daft dog as he doesn’t like rain or having a shower but likes going into the sea and rivers.
I needed a break as it has been emotionally difficult through COVID-19 and the selfish idiots haven’t helped either. They do whatever they want then complain about restrictions but they don’t think of others. It’s still stressful but I’m glad we have been able to get away to relax so I’m feeling generally better.
The next hurdle is whether we will be able to see family. It’s been a horrible year as we wanted to see them earlier in the year but lockdown stopped that. I have really missed them since lockdown probably because we couldn’t go and see them. Not being able to see the latest edition has been tough but I have seen her on facetime through Facebook which is better than nothing.