Great post. Would love to see more distractions/coping tools.
All we control is our reaction to our withdraw experience, we have almost no control over how we feel, and it's all over the place.
Here are my tools:
1. I see a superb psychologist, He not only supports me through this, but teaches me coping skills. Sometimes I just need to vent. Sometimes I go in and I am in acute withdraw. I use my hour to yoga and calm down. During better sessions, we walk along the river, sometimes we have lunch. The big picture is I have an empathetic professional in my corner. He has us see my pdoc together periodically. If my pdoc were to cut off my meds (not likely,) I know my psychologist would intervene.
2. Physical therapy. For the tight chest/air sickness. Or migraines. Or whatever is going on. She does deep tissue on my tight muscles, and we often exercise together, as she teaches me new things to both loosen me up and build strength. Being touched and nurtured creates oxytocin, and I am never in withdraw during a session, even if I showed up a mess. This applies to any healing practice:acupuncture, chiropractic, anything. Get a professional to work with your body. The power of touch is nurturing, and these folks often can give our bodies some real relief in whatever area it's causing trouble.
3. Yoga. Daily. I tailor my practice each day to meet my needs. Sometimes it's a rigorous Vinyasa, other days it's an anxiety reducing Yin practice. There are thousands of free classes on You Tube, and they are good. Many yogi's suffer from anxiety disorder, or other mental conditions. They became masters to cope, and then to share . My husband says I am a yogi master at this point.
4. Cardio. Either biking (I was a hard core cyclist before this all began.) In the winter, I do my cardio at the gym. My physical therapist tells me to push it, not to injury, but beyond my comfort level so I am getting stronger with my exercise.
-A note on exercise, both yoga, cardio, anything. The endorphins do kick in and help, but as someone else says, they wear off after a while.
5. Doing the opposite of what anxiety tells me.(within reason) If I'm frozen and can't move, I get up and do a chore. I find this invaluable, as it reinforces, that, no matter what I am feeling, I run the show, not withdraw.
6. distraction, distraction, distraction. I will not sit in my pain and let it make me melt into the ground. I will play computer games, house chores, have my kindle read to me when my eyes and vision are buggy. Anything from knitting to dancing to puzzles.
7. quiet observation of nature. This is similar to meditation. I live in the high Rockies of Colorado. I ride my bike down to the major river that runs through my ski town. I will find a place to sit and just observe and appreciate what I see, hear or smell. It is a way of being in the moment. I also build rock cairns. Very engrossing.
8. Keeping a daily journal of dosage and how I feel. This helps me monitor how I am doing with both dosage and how I feel.
9. affirmations. I have a cuff I wear which says "Keep f..... going." I will write things on my arm with a sharpie, like, "healing" "temporary" "safe" Whatever fits.
10. Acceptance. Hard to do when things are intense. I can't change how I feel, but I don't have to resist it either. Sometimes I just have to be in pain. I tell myself it's my body working on something that is whack, and, yes, it hurts. Often, if I can't distract or exercise, I lay down and remove all stimulation and just get through it.
11. Ask people to accept me when I am hyper, confused, and can't comprehend words. I tell them to be patient, let me try to remember things on my own without supplying the word I am looking for. I also tell my fam and friends I have bad days when it's just not happening, and I have to retreat. I have to do self care, no one is going to do it for me. And, my people respect this.
12. I listen to a lot of music, TedTalks, interesting pod casts. Things that are interesting. Keep growing my understanding of the world and people while I go through this. Nothing that triggers, but good stories that make me think (thinking about new things knocks thinking about my symptoms out the window.)
and finally:
13. Being a lover of others. Reach out, everyone is hurting in some way, that's just life. I get some of that by being a moderater here, but also my 4 grown children turn tome when they are upset or in pain. And I have 6 grandchildren who love to be loved by grandma. 2 of my children have anxiety disorder, and 1 grandchild does as well (so far.) Sometimes grandma singing to them on the phone, or reading a story, or having them close their eyes as we make up an adventure in our imaginations is wonderful not only for me, but the children, and my kids know grandma is always there when the little ones need more than they can provide. Stay connected to people. Yes, we can limit socializing, but keep in touch, let them know they are loved and we care. I look homeless people in the eye and smile. Most homeless are vets, and/or suffer from mental illness. They are "invisible." I let them know I see them, they are important, here is $10, can I do anything for you? Spend some time letting them talk, if they can. Most homeless are used to being invisible, or yelled at. They are very paranoid and reticent. Show them you see them, and they are accepted as they are.
Would love to hear more, the more options and choices we have to get through this, the better.
