Category: coping skills

Posted in coping skills, insomnia, Mental health, recovery, Uncategorized

The Uninvited Guest

Posted on by Rose

Symptoms they don’t talk about are a lot of times the minor ones that can go unnoticed or even ones that don’t appear to be a symptom at all. There is the nail biting, the foot tapping, or maybe even head scratching, but those are just habits not symptoms of anything. Well with such habits being that minor it can be difficult to even recognize your own symptoms or even recognize  the onset of an anxiety attack.

In all of my years dealing with mental illness it was a friend who lives nearly 10,000 miles away to help me recognize my actions as symptoms and that I was having an attack. I wasn’t hyperventilating, or sweating excessively, or nauseated. No, I was up in my mothers apartment at 3 in the morning cooking and cleaning. I don’t mean just your standard tidying up. I was full on sweeping, moping, and scrubbing. I was making food as if preparing for a dinner party. By the time my attack was over I had managed to make tacos, chicken, deviled eggs and apple sauce from scratch. As I reflect on this incident I can feel the budding tension in my chest rise. (So apparently just thinking about attacks brings on attacks too noted. )

So this observation that had been pointed out made me pause and think, this can’t be a panic attack. I just cant sleep so might as well get some tasks done, that will tire me out. Then once I’m tired I’ll have to pass out. But that’s just it. I am so restless that I have decided to do these tasks to force my body and mind to shut down. In a way this is just my mind and body’s way of distracting me and avoiding the real issue of what has me up. In all my distractions I was not able to even fathom there was a problem till it was brought to my attention. Sometimes it takes a person from the outside to put your actions into perspective so you can clearly see the problems you’re not ready to face because you’re up at 3 in the morning preparing for a dinner party.  It’s also pretty eye opening on how the mind or body will come up with actions to cope or protect itself or cry for help. I can see why you wouldn’t talk about a symptom if you don’t even know there is one.

Posted in coping skills

Coping Skills and the Pandemic (part 2)

Posted on by Rose

Coping Skills 

“that was the new magic word” to focus on. 

cope: “to deal with and attempt to overcome problems and difficulties often to maintain a contest or combat usually on even terms or with success.”

skill: “is the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance” 

Hopefully during the month of January you were able to try some of the coping skills challenges. And pick up a few things to try as we all learn to manage our battle with mental illness. 

And not only that I wonder how most of the world has been managing to cope with the current state of things. 

The current pandemic that has plagued us has definitely affected everyone in some shape or form. In dealing with the pandemic it is obvious that people have had to find or create new ways to cope with the added stress. Even for those who don’t struggle with a mental illness, there is no denying the amount of stress and struggle that COVID has brought  to the surface. For many individuals going out or being with family and friends would be an essential part of those coping mechanisms but, with ongoing stay at home orders, quarantine and slow re-openings finding ways to cope as well as interact with others has been difficult. 

Those who do suffer from a mental illness or disorder the pandemic has brought on even more added challenges. Any mentally stable person could definitely say that this past year has pushed us all to our limits whether physically, mentally ,or emotionally. This also brings the question on how to deal with the constant challenges, stress and emotional rollercoasters. How can one even begin to deal with what life already throws at us on top of the type of whirlwind the past year has been.

Bringing us back to the words we learned earlier Coping Skills. Of course we all know that life will never be short of challenges but trying to form ways to cope and “deal with difficulties” can be a struggle in itself. You’re trying to form a plan and hopefully it’s a positive one to overcome whatever is standing in your way, because there are definitely negative ways to deal with one’s problems.  Developing positive coping skills also takes time and discipline. But if we are able to figure out ways to deal in positive ways to deal with what life throws at us it’s the difference between rising up and breaking down. 

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