[Evening]

As I mentioned in my thread about losing my hair from stress, I am seeing my therapist every fortnight now. I have seen her on and off since I was 11, but I think this is the first time Ive gone to her like 'okay, we need to work on this'. My first task is writing a list of everything that stresses me out, in either and a small or big way. So far Ive written 160 things. Ive got to work on that. But that is sooo much. And Im a bit scared about it. I think Im stressed about working on my stress, just like I am about being stressed. I wouldnt even know where to begin to start working on it. But I am at step 1 at least.

[SoupDragon]

Well done - sounds like you are working hard to write those things down.

[Perna]

Originally Posted by Evening

So far Ive written 160 things. Ive got to work on that. But that is sooo much.

You don't work on 160 things at once, just one thing at a time! Remember when you were 10-15 and had maths homework and it was a page of problems? You did them one problem at a time. Yes it sometimes took hours but it eventually got done but only as you did one problem at a time.

Don't look at how many, just choose one and start. Sometimes working on one influences others. I believe everything is connected that way, kind of like a chain, and working on anything is working on the whole.

[Evening]

I wasnt planning on doing it all at once, that would be impossible to do. I just wouldnt know where to begin! And I worry its too much to fix.

Evening,

I just wanted to say congratulations for working out what triggers your stress. you are right, you have taken the first step to solving some of your problems. know that solving our problems is life long work. i think once you uncover something and solve that something else comes up. congrats on working your recovery!

Love and hugs,
Tara

[Can't Stop Crying]

I understand how completely overwhelming it would feel. Maybe start with something that stresses you out in a small way. I've found when I'm doing something similar, starting with the "least" and working towards the "most" tends to help me stay on track and build a little confidence that I CAN do it.

[ECHOES]

The good news is that, although 160 things stress you, that doesn't mean there are 160 things to 'fix'.

It may simply be one thing to fix, and that is your perception and reaction to stress. Exploring why #1 stresses you, can reveal why many other things stress you and as you work on these things, you find that #5 through #160 no longer stress you. It is a process of self discovery and the healing effects are broad.

It would be like a person who doesn't know how to read, going to the library and exlaiming, but there are thousands of books!
When this person does one thing, learns to read, then each of those books become something she/he can understand.

Good for you for getting started, and I think you will be very pleased to see how this progresses!

[elliemay]

I think my list might be a lot longer than 160 things! Frankly, I'm not sure one can ever list all the things that stress them out and say - "okay, these are the things that make my life suck, I just need to fix them and I'm done"

I think the point should be understanding how you react -or overreact- to any stressor, how to recognize that reaction and how to help yourself through it.

IMO we never really know what's going to stress us out or trigger strong emotion until we are right in the middle of it.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

I would suggest writing out an equivalent list of things you enjoy, that soothe you, and that you are grateful for.

I guess I say that because recovery can not be just about eliminating bad, it's also got to be about inviting in and welcoming good.

That's the switch from surviving to living.

[Evening]

I have in the past tried to make a list of things that make me feel good, that was rather small in comparison to say the least. A lot of this stress is triggers for my ptsd. The fact I wasnt diagnosed for such a long time and have had it since I was young means it really shapes my entire personality, and Ill get worked up at the drop of a hat.

[elliemay]

Originally Posted by Evening

I have in the past tried to make a list of things that make me feel good, that was rather small in comparison to say the least. A lot of this stress is triggers for my ptsd. The fact I wasnt diagnosed for such a long time and have had it since I was young means it really shapes my entire personality, and Ill get worked up at the drop of a hat.

I hear you. It is sometimes a lot harder to write out the things that are good in our life versus those which aren't.

But, I still contend, it's worth doing.

FWIW, I've been diagnosed with PTSD on multiple occasions - each time I've felt as though, "Okay, now what am I supposed to do with that information?". It's not a life sentence by any means.

Peace on your road to recovery.