Share your most successful coping strategies

[LyndaLu]

Hi Lynda again,
Just wanted to point out a couple slight differences in what I learned - We really are on the same page but these slight variations may be helpful to some- The changing of our thought patterns in essential but it is changing them to be more objective and realistic not positive that makes the difference imho. The other small variation is that while distraction is effective in the short run it works like a band-aid and can undercut treatment as the key for me was experiencing and confronting my moods and problems. I learned that avoiding them through distraction tends to reinforce their validity and make them stronger going forward and was told to avoid it. However, keeping busy is good in general and a valuable skill regardless of where you are in your life.

Thank you again for your advice, you have such a nice way of writing things on your posts.
I am going to start opening my mind to good advice and others points of view, instead of working word for
word on the "program". The program is a great resource, but there is also so much more out there.
I will be learning a lot on my road to recovery. Are we ever "recovered" or will we always be in "recovery" ?.
Lynda

[tina martin]

You raise a very good question. There have been people who maintain they got well, maybe relapsed years later, and so return. Good for them to try again.

Sam Obitz maintains he must do TEA forms every day. I know I must repeat learned principles every day, if not in writing necessarily, at least in my head. This can happen during daily meditation, daily exercise. The conditionings of a lifetime are not likely to disappear in a few weeks. I must recondition myself daily or I relapse.

[egriff]

You raise a very good question. There have been people who maintain they got well, maybe relapsed years later, and so return. Good for them to try again.

Sam Obitz maintains he must do TEA forms every day. I know I must repeat learned principles every day, if not in writing necessarily, at least in my head. This can happen during daily meditation, daily exercise. The conditionings of a lifetime are not likely to disappear in a few weeks. I must recondition myself daily or I relapse.

Great post Tina. I am in complete agreement. I am a huge fan of Obitz's TEA forms and now that I have been doing them for several years I don't do them every single day anymore, but I do still try and do them at least four or five days a week and it seems to be enough for me to stay on top of my anxiety and function at a high level. It took years for my bad ways of thinking to ruin my life so I imagine it will take just as many years of TEA forms to completely rid myself of the bad ways of thinking and supplant them with my new ways of thinking by default. I am thankful for how far I have come already and maybe down the road I won't need to do the TEA forms at all but I am not close to ready to take that chance yet. I'd be really interested to learn if Obitz still does them everyday to this day?

Lynda,
I think from my experience we gradually get better and better if we stay on top of our anxiety. Like I said above it took time to get those bad habits ingrained so it makes sense that it will take a while for them to be completely replaced. WW has been a big help to me as well as other here and he's much better at getting his point5s across than me

[tina martin]

Glad you agree, egriff. We don't know about Obitz today, but judging from my own experience I know I must keep alive every bit of CBT I've picked up from just about anywhere, including Obitz. What I esp. like about TEA are the Error categories, his and some I've added from elsewhere or on my own.

If we are prone to.....whatever.....it is my belief we must keep at it as best we can just about every day. After all, this is not surgery; it is reconditioning as I see it. I meditate twice a day without fail. Can't praise it enough.

[LyndaLu]

tina: Did you always exercise and meditate all of your life, or is this something you are just learning now ?
The reason I am asking is that exercise has never been a part of my life on a regular basis and I know that
during the short times it WAS in my life it was just fantastic. Several years back I was a
bicycle riding / walking / vegetarian and it was a great time in my life - - - a lot of postive enery all
around me ! How can I get my mind to tell my body to take that first step again ?
Lynda Lu

[tina martin]

Lynda, exercise is my drug of choice (joking). I'm convinced it stimulates those good chemicals in the brain that nature can give us. I came to it the year after 9/11 when I was so down and my daughter suggested yoga. Took a class and that was the start. Got into the gym, learned some Pilates, fit ball, etc. with books, DVD's, to favorite music. Also insist on walking every day, meditating every day. Is it always easy? No. But it can become a hobby and a habit.

Take one little step and the others may follow. It does not matter how many days you missed. Every day is a start, an opportunity to grasp. Wishing you the best.

[LyndaLu]

tina: Thank you for the advice. You sound very dedicated !
Have a great Spring and hope you are enjoying the great Spring weather.
Lynda

[lilchrissy]

You raise a very good question. There have been people who maintain they got well, maybe relapsed years later, and so return. Good for them to try again.

Sam Obitz maintains he must do TEA forms every day. I know I must repeat learned principles every day, if not in writing necessarily, at least in my head. This can happen during daily meditation, daily exercise. The conditionings of a lifetime are not likely to disappear in a few weeks. I must recondition myself daily or I relapse.

Excellent points Tina and very true in my early experience with CBt and the TEA forms as well!

[lilchrissy]

Hi Lynda again,
Just wanted to point out a couple slight differences in what I learned - We really are on the same page but these slight variations may be helpful to some- The changing of our thought patterns in essential but it is changing them to be more objective and realistic not positive that makes the difference imho. The other small variation is that while distraction is effective in the short run it works like a band-aid and can undercut treatment as the key for me was experiencing and confronting my moods and problems. I learned that avoiding them through distraction tends to reinforce their validity and make them stronger going forward and was told to avoid it. However, keeping busy is good in general and a valuable skill regardless of where you are in your life.

I am in complete agreement. Excellent distinctions!!

[LyndaLu]

Anyone have any more successful coping stategies out there to share, I sure could use some .

Today I took my own advice and actually decided to go outside to sit in a chair and soak up some

sunshine. Sunshine and fresh air are supposed to be good for you and are supposed to combat depression.

BUT, I live in Arizona and today the temperature probably reached over 100 degrees and I sat outside in

the afternoon. Needless to say, my "going outside" was cut short after about 15-20 minutes due to the fact

that I was going to die of heatstroke or severe sunburn . I guess this WOULD HAVE been a successful

coping stategy if I had decided to sit outside at 8am in the morning instead . I can't exercise outside

here in the summertime, I wouldn't be able to handle the heat. It seems hot outside even in the evenings .

I guess the next time I decide to go outside of my apartment I had better head in the direction of somewhere

that has air conditioning .

Lynda