Self-help?

[Zemi]

Trying to work out what things I can do to help myself apart from and outside of therapy. So interested in what others are doing, or what has helped you before or now?

I've read some different books and things online, I just want to do more than I am ... tackle more than I am somehow, just not sure on where to begin with it though.

 

[anthony]

The first place to begin is to step back from yourself and assess one point at a time, then master that aspect, master its implementation within your life, then move on to the next. Pick something negative and master it until its instinctively a positive. Then tackle the next point you want to change.

 

[Zemi]

Thanks Anthony, think I worked out the first one thing, now to work on changing it.

 

[ronin47]

For me self care outside of the T office was just a continuation of the therapy sessions. It started out just as simple things you might not even think of as "self help." One thing that sticks out in my mind was an Easter my dad came to visit me at school. He said it "might be easier" for me to go over to his house for the day, and I wrote back and told him, "Actually it wouldn't be." That was self care, that was being assertive with someone who used to have so much power over me in so many ways. By being assertive I was making my own needs a priority.

So as odd as it may sound, my advice would simply be don't try too hard. Just integrate what you've learned into your everyday life.

 

[The Albatross]

I had to learn and demonstrate consistency, in self care and stress reduction.
I had to develop new coping stratgies for stress and depression other than my maladaptive main self harming behavior booze.
I journal.
I set up challenges or mini goals.

I'm in joint therapy... and I'm sort of in "build up mode" and am just writing in the diary whatever pops as it comes... I am trying to plow through the clutter... and get down to a trigger list. I was so cut off for so long, it has been hard, but I've identified a few.