How do you distract yourself from symptoms?

Something I did during all the worst withdrawals was read. I would get a novel that was a page turner and read, read, read.  To lose myself in the story would kill time that I was not thinking about how bad I felt.

 

Good TV shows would do the same thing. Just make the clock go forward.

Yeah, Kallor.  Very much so, as to distractions from the misery. 

 

I walk, ride my bike, exercise, watch funny tv shows, etc. 

 

The distractions can get bigger than the symptoms, some of them anyway.

My therapist tells me that it's natural to relearn various things as to their

value in our lives when we are in crisis.  And tapering benzos is a crisis to

our body.

 

I can tell you're into healing. 

 

- Slappy

Thanks slappy and that is true, relearning to laugh felt so good!

Tv, bb, schoolwork, play with 3 yr old niece and just be with my 18 yr old daughter. Play cards with hubby. Clean house with loud pop dance music on. 

During the worst part of my taper I found that coming on this site and trying to help others tended to pull the focus away from myself and really help distract me.

Movies, movies, movies. Netflix is a godsend. And TV shows like Hannibal, Vikings, GAME OF THRONES STARTS TODAY

 

Also doing google image searches of my favorite artists like Frederic Edwin Church and just looking:

 

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Frederic+Edwin+Church&espv=210&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=xpVBU8HTNozLsATY3YL4Bg&ved=0CK4BEIke&biw=1600&bih=767

NewMoon,

EXACTLY!!!!! I woke up this morning in total pain. Been on the bb for a couple hours. Still in pain but a couple hrs of distraction has gone by

These were my "go to's" while in withdrawal:

 

1. Movies, mostly lighthearted comedies or kids movies.

 

2. Books, I read so many books because I could lose myself in the story and ignore my symptoms.

 

3. Puzzles, I played scrabble on the computer against "Maven" and could barely win at the start even on the lowest level.  As I felt better I increased the difficulty and began to actually win some games. I also started doing crossword puzzles.  I have an app and it downloaded puzzles from the major newspapers.

 

4. Making lists of goals.  During acute, it might have been just going downstairs and getting some lunch.  I found having daily goals was really helpful.

 

5. About 2 months after I jumped off I started cycling. This was a lifesaver for me. It got me outside and being around nature on the bike paths was very peaceful, my form of meditating.

I'm amazed at all of you who can read books. 

I'm amazed at all of you who can read books. 

 

I was about to post something similar to that, cate.  I can barely read the paper.. getting

better;  almost to the way it used to be but it's a struggle because it is depressing.

 

I don't mean the news (which can be depressing enough sometimes).  I mean the whole

thing of focusing my mind when reading.  It hurts.  I don't know quite how to explain it. 

 

Is that something like you meant?

 

- Slappy

 

 

I was about to post something similar to that, cate.  I can barely read the paper.. getting

better;  almost to the way it used to be but it's a struggle because it is depressing.

 

I don't mean the news (which can be depressing enough sometimes).  I mean the whole

thing of focusing my mind when reading.  It hurts.  I don't know quite how to explain it. 

 

Is that something like you meant?

 

- Slappy

 

Yes that's what I meant Slappy. I have to pause movies and tv shows several times through and then return to them as well. I can read short articles, etc, but books (which I used to love) are beyond me at this point. But, I do have FM/CFS which has cognitive issues as well as the meds I'm taking. Sorry, haven't got the quote function yet.

Sorry, haven't got the quote function yet.

 

I see that the close-quote slash, the "/," was included in your quote attempt.  The one at

the beginning of the quote should just be the word "quote" in brackets, then the end of

the quote should have that slash just before the word "quote" in the brackets. 

 

Does that make sense? 

I'm amazed at all of you who can read books. 

 

Same! I can barely focus on plots on the tv

I don't have any desire to read books bc I am in the end portion of completing my online masters in nursing education program. Writing a research thesis. Don't ask how I did it! But I wasn't tapering during the program, but I was very sick in tol and interdose wd which was dx as fibromyalgia...bedridden. Somehow, I had enough grit to get thru it. It's hard! Today I have interviews I did to review and code for data analysis. I just focus a little at a time and get thru it. Funny thing is I can't read a book to save my life!! But I can write a thesis! Weird. And thank god!!! Have to get my degree, don't have to read Shades of Gray

 

One thing that really helps distract is watching reruns of shows I ve seen and loved. It takes the pressure off concentrating and trying to follow but still passes the time.

Hehe, Slappy, yes it does make sense, but I don't know why it happened. I highlighted your reply and hit the quote button, it grabbed my quote as well, so I deleted that part and, well, you saw the result. lol

 

Grinch, you have my unending awe for being able to write a thesis. And you know what-I just wrote "write" as "wright", but caught myself. 

 

 

I don't mean the news (which can be depressing enough sometimes).  I mean the whole

thing of focusing my mind when reading.  It hurts.  I don't know quite how to explain it. 

 

 

 

That's why I have to read page turners. If the book doesn't hook me fast and the plot doesn't move along very fast then my concentration vanishes and I can't stay with it.

Hehe, Slappy, yes it does make sense, but I don't know why it happened. I highlighted your reply and hit the quote button, it grabbed my quote as well, so I deleted that part and, well, you saw the result. lol

 

Just hit quote button.. no need to highlight.

 

If you want to trim it when the text field comes up you can do that to leave portions of the

quote in or take out what you want. 

Outside of books on forgiveness to help me deal with the misdiagnoses and benzos that took up several years of my life, the books I read were mostly easy reads. Nothing deep and nothing gory or sad.

 

pianogirl

Hehe, Slappy, yes it does make sense, but I don't know why it happened. I highlighted your reply and hit the quote button, it grabbed my quote as well, so I deleted that part and, well, you saw the result. lol

 

Just hit quote button.. no need to highlight.

 

If you want to trim it when the text field comes up you can do that to leave portions of the

quote in or take out what you want. 

 

Ahhhhh thanks Slappy! Before I wanted to delete my reply above yours, I guess if I want to do that, I should just make sure there's no / in the first quote. There's all this code on top -quote author....I deleted that before.

I hear ya pianogirl...

Something I did during all the worst withdrawals was read. I would get a novel that was a page turner and read, read, read.  To lose myself in the story would kill time that I was not thinking about how bad I felt.

 

Good TV shows would do the same thing. Just make the clock go forward.

 

Hi Kallor:

 

We could be twins. I do the exact same things that you do. Didn't some once say that great minds think alike?  Betsy

Cate,

I might be able to write a thesis while bedridden and in pain but I could not for the life of me follow yours and slappy's conversation just now! Lol. 

 

Thanku for the kudos...most people don't even know I am accomplishing it. They just think I am sick in bed and do nothing all day. That's ok. It's not their goal, its mine;)

 

 

I sing soft kitty to my cat. 

"Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur. Sleepy kitty, happy kitty purr purr purr"

"Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur. Sleepy kitty, happy kitty purr purr purr"

 

 

I distract with my cats a lot... they are my fur kids and they are a comfort.

 

I played Pet Rescue Saga, got stuck on level 134 and got tired of it after that, killed some time though.

 

I'll do just about anything to distract as long as it is not too stimulating.