Coping

[enitharmon]

Yeah, well, I'm pretty rubbish at coping, aren't I?

One setback and I turn into a gibbering wreck. Everything I've achieved over the years vanishes from sight. Paranoia seeps through the cracks in my shell. I get that old, old feeling that goes back to being at school, that the world is scrutinising me minutely, waiting for me to fail so that I can be publicly humiliated and made to recognise my worthlessness.

I need a survival strategy. I have one, in part. Running helps. So do long walks on the beach. Even though reading when I'm agitated is not easy, and writing is impossible because I feel the scrutiny of those eyes, waiting for the slip-up, doing the cross-stitch is soothing for short periods. But I need something else, I think.

Do others have a coping mechanism that they'd like to suggest?

Comments

[gingergeoff.livejournal.com]

Erm... I grind my teeth in my sleep, wake up with a sore jaw, get mouth ulcers and snap at Peter and Jackie.

It works for me... the feedback I get from the latter 2 generally tells me I have a problem, then it's 'simply' a matter of trying to rationalise the problem. I never have been much good at it.

I hope others have a more useful strategy than I do ;-)

[yokospungeon.livejournal.com]

I find gardening (or at least, chopping bits of plants and poking around with a spade or a trowel) makes everything fade into perspective.

Long baths are good, too.

Spending voluntary time with people dealt a worse hand (mentally or physically handicapped people for example) who always appreciate what you do for them gives you an amazing lift and also cheers them up. Have you ever thought about befriending / advocacy? I'll bet you would be brilliant at it.

[lyzzybee.livejournal.com]

I would keep all the positive comments you've had from other wobbles in a folder somewhere and look at them. Tell people (which you do) - one I had to learn. Long walks, long runs, reading, baths. Cross-stitch.

[thermalsatsuma.livejournal.com]

My coping strategies are walking the dog, hitting people with swords and/or sticks, playing video games on a large screen with surround sound and drinking beer.

[chelseagirl-bc.livejournal.com]

Wine, and lots of it ... ;)

Seriously, one thing I have is my confidence boosting journal. I've got a small notebook where I've written down achievements throughout my life, things that I'm proud of. This is everything from leaving a violent relationship and graduating to getting my 10m swimming badge and managing to find the right kind of squash in the supermarket! When I'm feeling down i read through some of the entries and it reminds me that however bad I feel about myself right now, I'm actually a bloody wonderful woman who can and does get it right most of the time.

Might be worth trying?

[pookledo.livejournal.com]

I crochet or craft. Something small where I can see results quickly, or something mindless that I can do in front of the TV.

[scatz1.livejournal.com]

Something physical(gardening is excellent) for mental stress and something mental (fill in your own preference) for physical stress.

[swanofkennet.livejournal.com]

Would love to garden but concrete yards are the order of the day here and there's a three-year waiting list for an allotment. Even if our beloved council don't sell all the allotments off to property developers!

[angelofboox.livejournal.com]

Hello, Rosie =)

[swanofkennet.livejournal.com]

Ooh, hello Jaya! Great to hear from you again, it's been such a long time!

[angelofboox.livejournal.com]

Has it? I do read your journal (I read everyone's on my flist - but don't often click links or cuts, which is why I miss a few things). In response to this entry I must say I don't think I have a coping mechanism! Otherwise I would have actually coped with life...rather than spending countless years under a depression cloud. But I'm mostly okay now, so something must have worked.

When you said that you had nobody to go for a drink in the pub with I was going to offer (but I never did) - we could meet up in the middle somewhere (Lancaster?) - I have no friends in Manchester.*

I too can only knit straight rows. I could do knit one-purl one...but can't now remember and think I always used to get confused anyway. I have only ever knitted scarves.

*Except now Niall (don't hate me but I love him).

[swanofkennet.livejournal.com]

Lancaster would be nice but I'm overdue a major shopping excursion to Manchester (a coping strategy in itself - and Manchester also has two Lushes and a Hotel Chocolat!)

I know Niall is not my number one fan exactly but I have no axe to grind with him, so no problem there.

[laura0141.livejournal.com]

My best coping mechanis is reading but, as that doesn't work for you, how about knitting?

[swanofkennet.livejournal.com]

The stitching seems to work quite well.

Knitting would be fine but I find from experience that it works well only when I'm knitting in a straight line! I will give it another try though.

[laura0141.livejournal.com]

Knitting in a straight line? Please explain?

[swanofkennet.livejournal.com]

Knitting with a fixed number of stitches in a row so I can do it in mental overdrive without having to worry about increasing and decreasing.

I have knitted a good few scarves in my time but never a matinee jacket or a pair of socks!

[laura0141.livejournal.com]

Ah, right, I underestand. I'm only just learning to follow a pattern and really prefer plain, flat knitting too.