Shopping for Coping Skills

Starting today, I vow to post once a week here.

Still trying to figure out how to take the most money for DBSA NCA from MyLocalCause merchants myself.  I tried kayak.com for my hotel reservations for an upcoming trip to Chicago.  Got a great price for a boutique hotel that I never even knew existed right in the Magnificent Mile.   I was so excited about the cool hotel and about the commission I thought I was earning for MyLocalCause, DBSA NCA.  But the commission turned out be less than $5!  LOL  Will let you know about the hotel.

Next I’m going to attempt to buy baby shower gifts for relatives here.  We’re having a baby boom in my family.  Like the creature from the black lagoon, I come from the shallow end of my family’s genetic pool.  I’ve enjoyed browsing through the offerings of MyLocalCause merchants, Giggle and Back to Basics Toys.

I’m so fashion challenged at this point in my life that I don’t feel at home even in Macy’s online store.  Did you know that MyLocalCause merchant, Walmart, is the largest retailer of blue jeans in the world?  Life is better in blue jeans.

Enough crass commercial messaging, here’s a piece about feeling better from Sue Bergeson,  President of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance:

Twenty No-Cost, or Low-Cost, Things You Can Do To Help Cope with Depression, Stress, Anxiety or Nerves
Sue Bergeson, President, DBSA

If you are living with depression, stress or anxiety, it is important that you see a professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.  Medication is an important part of a good treatment plan for most people.  The right medication will not change your personality or make you addicted.  However, if you can not get in to see a doctor right away because of a long waiting time, many of these strategies can help you cope.  Many of us also use these strategies in addition to our medication to help us move to recovery.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, it is very, very important that you call 911 and seek immediate help.

1. Sleep:  Getting too much sleep or not getting enough sleep can affect your mood.  Try to go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time in the morning even if you don’t feel like it.  Use ear plugs to help muffle noises and other distractions to help you sleep.  Other tips to help you sleep include:

*Avoiding caffeine, eating or working hard (like exercise) for a few hours before bedtime
*Practice a simple meditation, like a prayer or guided mediation (more information about how to meditate follows), to calm your mind

2. Do One Thing: Depression and stress can leave us feeling paralyzed, powerless and helpless.  Make a list of things you can do no matter how hard things seem to be.  Then do at least one thing each day and check them off your list.  Can you take a walk? Can you write a letter or make one phone call?  Can you make sure you eat?  Make a plan and do one thing to gain back some degree of control in your life.

3. Find One Thing to Appreciate: No matter how bad things are or seem to be, if you work at it, you can find one thing each day to be thankful for or one thing that makes you smile.  Make it a habit to look for that one thing each day and write it down, say it out loud to someone or mention it in prayer.  Did you see a child smile?  Was someone kind to you in a small way?  Did you wear something in your favorite color? Working on seeing things differently with gratitude or joy even in the face of the stress - can help ease your sadness.

4. Exercise:  Walking or other gentle exercise have been shown, time and time again, to increase the amount of natural chemicals in your body that help you feel better.  It also provides an outlet for nervous energy.  You can practice your discipline of “finding one thing to appreciate” as you walk.  You can create your plan to “do one thing” as you walk.  You can walk a dog or even a cat.  You can walk with a child or a friend to spend time with them each day.

5. Journaling:  Writing down your thoughts, hopes, dreams and worries can be very helpful. You can write them down as a way to do a “reality check.”  Is it really as bad as I think it is? You can write them down and then practice letting go of the feelings they are on the page, you don’t have to hold on to them. You can look back in a journal to see that you HAVE had some good days and this can give you energy to move forward. You can write down positive things to hold onto or sayings that help you cope. Putting these things on paper can help clear the mind and heart.

6. Peer Support:  Talking with someone else who has “been there” can help you feel less alone.  You can also learn from what others have found helpful why reinvent the wheel?  Studies have shown that people who participate in support groups are less likely to end up with severe depression, are less likely to end up in the hospital and are more likely to move into wellness.  There are free support groups all over the country.  You can call DBSA at 800-826-3632…

For the rest, please read the full article at the DBSA national site:

http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=empower_20things

 Tagged: better living through chemistry, crisis planning, exercise, foods and moods, gratitude, journaling, kindness, meditation, mood tracking, music, peer support, pessimistic optimism, pet therapy, prayer, silver lining, sleep, socializing, stop negative thinking, suicide, tincture of time