How Do You Cope?

[Jomo]

Having a mood disorder makes coping with everyday stuff more of a challenge than if we didn't have a mood disorder. I guess I can only speak for myself, so I will.

I'm on meds, anti-depressants, which I make sure to take every morning. I can go one day without them, but any longer than that and I'm a blubbering mess. If I didn't have them life tends to overwhelm me and I get suicidal, teary, and generally not very happy with the world. Logic at those times goes out of the window.

Having a disfunctional family while I was growing up didn't help. My Mother also has some sort of mental illness. What we don't know. She's in denial, big time. It's at the point where we don't have anything to do with her because it's too much for my health. I honestly think I'd end up taking a knife either to her or myself.

Over the years I have found different ways to cope with things. Mostly I have retreated to inside my head where I've made up all sorts of fantasy worlds over the years. I live my fantasies in my head. No, it's nothing sexual. Just a need to escape and be someone else who doesn't have these problems and can solve what problems they do have simply and easily. Usually solving problems for my inner self involves a fire breathing dragon, a magical sword, and some good old fashioned magic. It was my way of coping.

I used to lock myself in my room with books, usually fantasy fiction. I spent hours reading, immersing myself into the stories. But then again, that was way before the internet was invented. The internet has changed my life. I've met some really nice people, ones that I can relate too. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one struggling with these issues.

What do I do now? I spend as much time outside in the sun as possible. A lot of the craft I do is portable, so I take it outside and sit with my dog and do it out there. Or I take a book out.

I find that I need to focus a lot on my spiritaul side. A lot of people ignore that part of themselves, but I find it's actually very important in helping keep myself semi-sane. I have started meditating, and find that it's good for helping myself stay centered and grounded. I'm still trying to get into a routine with it, and it's slowly starting to work. But it's something I'm going to make an effort to do each day because it does help.

So how do you cope? Life at times sucks. Mine does at the moment. But you gotta take each day at a time. Even though right now I'd like to run away until this sucky bits over I can't. It's not the right thing to do.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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Brightests blessings
Johoanna

[Chiblue]

Like you, Jomo, I take anti-depressants every morning; although there was a period of time when I was not taking them...then I was in a car wreck and the depression set in again really strong...so I am back on the prozac..it seems to be helping me right now...

Glad to see you here!

Chi
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[Moonvoice]

Stupid question, but have you ever taken actual mood stabilisers, instead of anti-depressants? You probably have, but I've heard they can be helpful.

[Jomo]

Moonvoice, I have tried mood stabilisers, but they tend to stabilise me down. So even though my mood was on an even keel, I was nearly always depressed so my dr took me off them.

My mood does swing, but usually between down and normal. I find being on the anti-depressants mostly okay. If I'm under a period of high stress, like I am now, then that's when the problems start. Thankfully at the moment I have plenty of spinning to do.

I have recently gone through a period where my life has changed a lot. Started November last year. I have had a massive change in religious beliefs and am no longer under the stress that was being placed on me by the Church that I was in. I am also meditating more that I used to (but not as much as I should) which also is helping.
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Brightests blessings
Johoanna

[Moonvoice]

Uck, it's awful that they pretty much kept you down all the time. I'm sorry to hear that.