tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post7908953361824477550..comments2024-03-23T08:25:22.526-04:00Comments on ED Bites: Tip Day: Getting out of the Worry WhirlpoolCarrie Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02569839838912988783noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post-66294226684744630312011-01-28T15:03:19.997-05:002011-01-28T15:03:19.997-05:00Great tips, thank you... and I wanted to add that ...Great tips, thank you... and I wanted to add that POETRY is a great inspiration/help (either writing it or reading it depending on your interests--or both!)<br /><br />Wild Geese<br /><br />You do not have to be good.<br />You do not have to walk on your knees<br />for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.<br />You only have to let the soft animal of your body<br />love what it loves.<br />Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.<br />Meanwhile the world goes on.<br />Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain<br />are moving across the landscapes, <br />over the prairies and the deep trees,<br />the mountains and the rivers.<br />Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,<br />are heading home again.<br />Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, <br />the world offers itself to your imagination,<br />calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting <br />over and over announcing your place <br />in the family of things.<br /><br />from Dream Work by Mary Oliver <br />published by Atlantic Monthly Press<br />© Mary OliverAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post-29557690524451034972011-01-28T13:34:48.142-05:002011-01-28T13:34:48.142-05:00I like to call my kitty "my therapy cat"...I like to call my kitty "my therapy cat". Similar to how therapy dogs sense when their owner is panicky and in need of tactic stimulation, my cat senses my need and comes to my side. He rubs his head against mine, balls up in my lap, and demonstrates what relaxing looks like. He reminds me that I am needed because my lap is all he needs to be happy.<br /><br />-EmilyEmilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06140656536484404635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post-48403450751307490272011-01-28T11:53:12.584-05:002011-01-28T11:53:12.584-05:00Cathy (UK)- You could try to get things out via em...Cathy (UK)- You could try to get things out via email- I agree- face to face is horribly intimidating and the phone can be so awkward! But when you type you get to take the floor in the privacy of your own home, and then read responses also in private- much easier- it is the process of expressing fears and worries that is helpful, not the method. :)hmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post-8928380704778843392011-01-28T09:26:51.963-05:002011-01-28T09:26:51.963-05:00Animal (cat) therapy is very important to me :) I ...Animal (cat) therapy is very important to me :) I got two kittens in 2007 when I was a year into recovery. They were so cute, so beguiling and needed so much attention that I stopped thinking how anxious I was. They really took my mind off my worries. They're now big cats and less needy, but still absolutely therapeutic.<br /><br />I must admit that talking to others (face-to-face or over the phone) about my problems is something I find really difficult. I have some wonderful friends who tell me "just call me if you need to talk", but somehow it's so difficult. I feel I'm burdening them and I hate showing my emotions in front of others. Sometimes I just call someone for a chat about something else, which is much easier. It means I'm not isolating myself, but also not having to do the 'emotion thing'.Cathy (UK)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post-59585884832977167252011-01-28T09:01:18.442-05:002011-01-28T09:01:18.442-05:00Apologies! I misspelled this wonderful man's ...Apologies! I misspelled this wonderful man's last name. It is Hanh. Too early in the morning to hit the right key.Jenhttp://www.desertdwellergettingon.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post-58755183016950768692011-01-28T08:59:45.335-05:002011-01-28T08:59:45.335-05:00Great tips, Carrie. I add "Mindfulness"...Great tips, Carrie. I add "Mindfulness" (the practice of being present - one tool can be as simple as stroking your hand and focusing on that) to the list and rely on a couple of small paperbacks by Thich Nhat Hang: Present Moment, Wonderful Moment - Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living; and Peace is Every Step - The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life. The first section of the latter focuses on "Breathe! You are Alive!".Jenhttp://www.desertdwellergettingon.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post-9562314937393120772011-01-28T01:31:05.910-05:002011-01-28T01:31:05.910-05:00Great tips. I'm a big believer in yoga breathi...Great tips. I'm a big believer in yoga breathing- oxygen to the body and brain can do wonders- deep, slow breaths all the way down to the gut. Ever hear of alternate nostril breathing? It sounds strange, but is strangely effective and does wonders to "center" and soothe a racing mind. I also love "talk about it"- so true- shadows become monsters when kept in the dark- telling someone is like turning on a light and helps you to see things for what they are instead of as the monsters your anxiety would tell you they are. And "prepare for the worst"- that's got to be one of my favorite coping mechanisms. I LOVE picturing the absolute worst case scenario, and how I would cope with it. It helps me to feel capable and strong. And that lets me know I can handle the more probable, lesser outcomes. Very effective strategies. Great post.hmnoreply@blogger.com