What did you do/are doing to help yourself?

Sure you might have, but I bet there are many more people that havent tried anything else but meds. Just look on the forums. I am not against meds, as I said, I need them too, but there are a whole lot more people who solely rely on meds without even considering other options. The US is overmedicated and overdiagnosed, there are so many people who could be living happy lives without the use of heavy duty drugs, but they are not shown any other way. Threads like this may open the eyes of those who do not know any better. I sincerely hope other people just try to keep themselves well and are not put off by "meds are the only way for me so not point trying" type posts.

Well done to the people who do honestly give a good try to other treatments. If it helps in the slightest it has been worth doing. Patients are the ones who are suffering when they limit their treatment to medication alone.


Cocosurviving, its good to find things to do to help yourself, and the first steps are very important, but there is much much more you could be doing for yourself, what you have mentioned is simply not enough to live a full and happy life. Dont stop there!

Im still enjoying the crystals and meditation. Im still waiting on my full crystal kit but I love the clear quartz and amethyst. I am trying to do some more enjoyable activities this week for myself, equine therapy, but it can be hard to get going on my own.

It's great ur into crystals and all but I'm not. I did give a very, very short list because I've recently moved out of state. I've not my grove back. LOL. Hamster mentioned a lot of things I like. I love decorating. I use to spend hours in Michael's. I also did a lot of volunteer work. I was involved in my college alumni too. I also took a ceramic class. I also use to participate in a BP support group. All of this was prior to moving. I found these things to be very therapeutic for "me".

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Oh Im not suggesting crystals will work for you, it was an unrelated comment to the comment directed at you. Just mentioning that it is something I am currently enjoying - despite never being a believer in the past. I think they are something you really need to be open to for it have any affect.

That is great you did all those things and noticed their value, many dont! Thats what I am getting at. We should be supporting and helping the people who dont realise how much activities like volunteering and hobbies CAN help those, especially those with milder symptoms. Will you be able to set up another network of support in your new area? I hope so!

Gaylegg, what works for you may not work for someone else, so your experience with oils is your own. It may well work better for you than anything else! You just dont know until you try. And try not to be tainted by the people who say nothing but meds will help. Things like oils, crystals, aromatherapy, acupuncture, herbs, massage etc have been around for thousands of years - they wouldnt have lasted as treatments that long if they were all bull crap!

Coco mentioned Michaels (a chain of carft supplies stores), so yes, crafts. You focus on what your hands are doing and it calms you down, plus, handmade gifts are usually very well received, so you get a boost of positive reinforcement.

The question is "what did you do/are you doing to help yourself". I answered the questions. It's great you like oils and herbs. I understand you have suggested oils and herbs to me. I think you meant well but I honestly did not like the way you came at me to begin with. You did not accept my polite reply that I'm not interested. A three paragraph reply is revoking one of my triggers. I never said herbs were bull crap and I don't care if society thinks they are. It's not one of my battles. There's no need to reply.

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Hey Coco Supanova was talking to Gayle about oils, crystals and herbs... Only thing she addressed to you was regarding your volunteering and hoping you can setup a supoortive network in your new location.

Just thought i'd point out the misunderstanding....

What do I do?
I journal,
I use "music therapy"
I isolate
I use mindfulness
I practice visualizations
I practice healthy hedonism

Not much at the moment hey? But all these talk of herbs and oils remind me that I was a huge fan of my oil burner as a teenager. I loved to burn rosemary, lavendar, or chamomile oils before bedtime. I still have my oil burner, me thinks its time to go tealight candle and oil shopping soon.

Also I want to start a dance fitness class in the near future because dance is the only exercise besides sex that my brain doesn't automatically reject.

OMG...ur right I had to go back and re-read it. She reply to both in the quote she post to me my reply. TY for pointing my BIG foot in mouth 😱😳

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Hey Hamster.. I was inpatient Tue-today and
while there they had us doing a lot of painting.
We also did some go old school color with
crayons. After a few sheets I was able to stay
inside the lines. It was really relaxing and cleared my head. I went in the hospital b/c I
needed a time out and I truly believe the arts
out my inpatient time in half. I did art every day I was there ALL day.

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all those things on the list sound wonderful except "no drinking/drugs"

how about cutting down just a little on that?

Coco,

I have been going over my inpatient records and happened upon two trays I made in occupational therapy. Let me post a pic.

The picture to the right shows two trays I made in occupational therapy in 2009. To the left is how I have now made them functional - one has the matchbox for my incense (Venus, I finally bought the matches!) And the other, since the art materials in it are not flammable, houses used matches. Now that is kind of nice, but the other kind of therapy, CBT, generated volumes of worksheets and I do not know what to do with them...whether there is any value in going over them.

At the hospital though, cbt and occupational therapy sometimes had a time conflict, and I was urged not to go to occupational but to go to cbt, which I think is bs.

I am glad that at your inpatient, they let you do art a lot.

Definitely making an effort to get plenty of sleep, which helps tremendously. Eating nutritious foods helps, too, except when I am craving carbs.

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