Medication and other ways of coping

Upping my Paxil prescription has really seemed to help. My doc feels this new higher dose will keep me from getting to the lows. I also try to walk often. What are you specifically doing for yourself?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Lamm on November 2, 2009 at 1:22am

Yoga, regular playdates with my horses as much as I can and doing chores that keep me from having guilt... like visiting older relatives, spending time with my mom, etc..... and eating good food that doesn't promote food allergies. No drinking or smoking.

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Lamm on November 2, 2009 at 2:22pm

I went to a $400 a day conference about how to live in the present and Iearned that I do.... either my memory is bad or I don't care about it because I do not carry it around. And my past has mediocre crappyness to it.... I just never have lived in the past or the future.... ..... my business mentor told me that your brain is for processing, not for storage.... if you find that you carry around negative thoughts it is because you have not put them on paper and tossed them in a drawer.... journaling is an excellent way to drop shit off at the door... maybe you girls will do it here. I don't know why I am the super positive person that I am, but I do believe that happiness can very well be related to a physical strength too..... which I do not have.... I have scoliosis, a headache every day and now my feet are really starting to hurt.... all of a sudden.... pain sucks... it can create depression and depression can cause pain. So I had to start getting physical to cheer myself up..... I got a little depressed this morning when my horse didn't want to come with me and I had to sort of drag him along.... I'm going to work him in the arena for the next few days until he's happy to leave here and go on a walk with me... he's barn sour... or maybe his feet hurt too.. he sort of acts like it... oh, unless he's coming over for hay, then his ears are forward and he has a skip in his step.... LOL... every negative emotion that we bring onto ourselves is crappy too.... living in faith is hard, not letting fear get to me is tough too, but I notice when I am having a good day to sort of revel in it, be thankful for it, embrace it, like the Secret would say to do... to bring more goodness to yourself revel in the good times so that the Universe knows you feel good... and it will bring more... and the days I feel icky, I try and shrug them off..... but my happiness really came when I mentally decided that if I could move around a 1200 pound mustang, I can move around whatever I want to.... and I literally had a breakthrough when Oliver started moving his feet.... now Toby's not moving his, but I'm going to be grateful and thankful that I have tomorrow to try again... now, where did Stacey go Marti... is that the Stacey that we know from you know where, the most depressing place on earth???? LOL... just kidding, I hope I made you laugh...

Permalink Reply by Marti Langley on November 2, 2009 at 6:16pm

Yes, Jenn, you did make me laugh!! But who is Stacey??

Permalink Reply by Shirley on November 4, 2009 at 10:34am

You are very fortunate if you have not had such bad experiences that they effect your inner being...who you are...how you react to various stimuli. I mean that~~ I am not being sarcastic at all.
If old garbage that isn't even in your awareness because it's so deep and maybe so old effects you, it's harder to deal with. It can be as simple as a sensitive person being raised in a loud, yelling, caotic, gruff~ family, neighborhood, world. Years of tension and apprehension of the next explosion can take it's toll on us. I believe it may even start in the womb but for sure when we are VERY young and really have no coping skills or logic~~~only reactionary feelings.
The coping skills that you talk about help us to deal with how we cope today but they never actually remove the damage done to the nervous system and our psyche and our self esteem. The ongoing fear/stress just causes too much stress on our organs and hormones that help us deal with bad stuff throughout our whole lifetime. They become over used and ineffective as they just break down with over use. Sometimes I refer to it as drama trauma. The brain & our bodies are such a complicated fine tuned creation but too much negative energy can make it all go 'hay-wire'. There is a newish book out, 'The HIghly Sensitive Person' that deals with these types of issues and does really help people to forgive themselves for what we can not control in our lives or even within ourselves..
It does give some good ideas to help anyone dealing with these types of issues to better understand themselves and why they are the way they are & to cope better on a daily basis.
For those that don't deal with this type of thing, this may sound like a bunch of who-eee but for those that do have these issues, I hope it will be helpful to someONE!.

Permalink Reply by Marti Langley on November 10, 2009 at 8:23pm

Shirley, who wrote The Highly Sensitive Person? Is it out in paperback?

Permalink Reply by Shirley on November 11, 2009 at 9:16am

The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D
How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You
Yes, it is in paper back

A few lines from the back cover:
Do you have a keen imagination and vivid dreams? Is time alone each day as essential to you as food and water? Are you "too shy" or "too sensive" according to others? Do noise and confusion quickly overwhelm you?
Most of us feel overstimulated every once in a while, but for the highly sensitive person, it's a way of life.
Dr. Aron shows how you can better understand yourself and your trait to create a fuller, richer life.
"Sensitivity can be a blessing, not a handicap"

Permalink Reply by Marti Langley on November 11, 2009 at 12:43pm

I love that:sensitivity can be a blessing! What a beautiful pic, where was it taken?

Permalink Reply by Shirley on November 11, 2009 at 11:01pm

I took this at Manatee Bay, Key Largo, Florida. It was such a relaxing place. We saw several Manatee right at the water line and some large Iquanas and the water at the beach at that time was covered with a bunch of really neat jelly fish.

Permalink Reply by Laura Coffey on November 28, 2009 at 8:17am

A really good way of dealing with the winter blues is to purchase full spectrum light blubs and place them in an area where you spend time, reading etc. The full spectrum bulbs mimic the range of light available from the summer sunlight and help deal with seasonal affective disorder, or the winter blues quite successfully. Laura Coffey LMSW

Permalink Reply by Kimlittlehorse on December 3, 2009 at 1:17am

Honestly, pharma doesn't help. I was on EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING for depression. The thing that works best is Fish oil, Vitamin D and B and Bioidentical Hormone Therapy. I feel GREAT now!

Permalink Reply by Marti Langley on December 7, 2009 at 8:27am

I have just been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Probably had it since high school. I was put on Abilify for it, and continue taking 1 paxil a day with it. I am doing great. With bipolar you HAVE to take your meds, or go through what I have been dealing with most of my adult life.

Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on December 9, 2009 at 1:05pm

Hi Marti, I am glad that you finally got effective help and that you can tolerate the medicines. This will make an ENORMOUS difference in your life, enjoy it!
Unfortunately I can't take the usual drugs, perhaps because of my MS. Luckily I found help in homeopathy. It is soooo nice when my brain/mind settles down.
I have found that the peaceful times are wonderful for developing a sense of humor about life. This can help (a little) whenever the old thought patterns come back. Hopefully, with you being able to take the meds, you will never relapse, but being able to laugh about something can really reduce the internal tension.