General Coping Skills

[mrscaluza]

What do you or your sufferer do to cope with stress? My husband is having a hard time finding something that works for him so I'm hoping to be able to give him some ideas.

Thanks!

 

[ISupportHer]

Just as a quick starter, Guided imagery CD's. Some that were specifically recommended by my wife's TH. She uses them every night. Let me know if you are interested in the specifics but there are several out there. The one's I am talking of are not readily available in stores.

By all means, check out Amethist's blogs on aromatherapy.

ISH

 

[Cin]

Exercise. Going for a run seems to be a massive stress reliever for my now ex sufferer. Exercise has kept me from crumbling many times also.

 

[Michel]

Leaving xanax aside, the only things that really help when I have enormous stress or anxiety are writing in my journal and going for a walk - the more anxiety, the faster I walk. I have filled many notebooks in the last years, writing out my anxiety, but also frustration, anger, loneliness, sadness, despair, efforts at understanding, plans for making things better, commitments to myself, grief, and so on. Much of the life of my mind these last years is in those books. It helps some to get things out of one's head and onto a page, I find.

 

[mrscaluza]

My husband said he'd try the imagery CD and that hes tried aroma therapy but it didn't help him.

He knows exercise works well for him, but we live in a small apartment and don't have much room. He tries to go on walks but it doesn't seem to help. Just gives him more time to think. Hes planning on taking taekwando ( I have no idea how to spell that) and kick boxing at the community college next semester. That should help alot. We just need to find something to get him through till then.

I thought of offering a journal, hell I thought of starting my own. Might do us both some good.

On the other hand we found something today that was a great stress relief. We just moved into the apt were in now and got a cheap couch off Craigslist. Well we have a puppy who chewed up about 50% of the couch. So today we got a new couch. The old one was big and heavy bulky. Had 2 recliners on the ends and a drawer in the middle. It was the biggest pain to get into our up stairs apt. So my husband had fun with it. Tore it apart piece by piece. Kicking and pulling. Was fun to watch but I was terrified for the rest of my living room. lol.

Plus it would be very costly to do it often . . . :doh:

 

[ISupportHer]

The CD's we use are from: healthjourneys.com

My wife uses the PTSD one about every night. I use the sleep one sometimes.

Kind of pricey but maybe look for used ones on eBay using Belleruth Naparstek as search term?

ISH

 

[Ambience]

What do you or your sufferer do to cope with stress? My husband is having a hard time finding something that works for him so I'm hoping to be able to give him some ideas.

Thanks!

Reiki, Yoga dancing, I love spending time with my animals, reading a good book , sometimes cooking, anything where you are actively doing something to release the energy. Physical movement is good for stress, rather than sitting down doing nothing, which is sometimes what I fall back on. The best thing for stress is not to think about the stress or anxiety. Infact, think of anything but. It's doing affirmations, meditations, listening to relaxing music, anything you want to do , rather than what you have to do-( i.e if you don't want to go out socially then don't. However if you have a massive to do list, crossing things of this will reduce the stress.

Some good tapes and sources are by louise hay, Anthony Robbins, Yogalearningcentre.com ( or just type Yoga learning centre in google), first result I think. I also used the linden method, Goal setting is good and taking action steps.

 

[Ladyhope Somerset]

Our fallback for relieving stress is laughter with the Simpsons or any comedy shows/films.
Physical exercise is good and my hubby uses on line chess which needs concentration - he can choose how many moves he feels like making that day.
best wishes
LH

 

[anni]

I see where the excercize is tough in a small home, but is he at all interested in light wieght training? Distraction plus something good and physical really does help me an awful lot, and when I can't get out sometimes resort to this. I had someone who knows way more than me set up this 45 minute 'thing' with 5 pounders and flying through it can sometimes bring me down. Sometimes when the anxiety is toooo much it can make you too 'antsy' to be able to concentrate properly on purely cerebral distractions.

Please excuse if this isn't helpful. Everyone is different, I know. With me, I just know I can't do anything at all until that stupid adrenaline is worked out of my system a a bit.