What do you do to cheer yourself up?

[Changing4Best]

I like you too, @JadesJewel. Thanks. Music sometimes is something I like, but pure silence does me peacefully calmly into a good mood sometimes too. My husband always had to have the TV on, like just about 24/7, so I kind of love the silence in my place now. But once in awhile I will turn the radio on with some classical music or maybe some contemporary Gospel or Praise or something like that.

 

[Lionheart]

Personally, I cry and I get moody then, I listen to some music and eat chocolate ice cream. Works to cheer me up....even if just a little...depends on the depth of the situation, I suppose.

Asking for hugs from others can help cheer me up as can a good Disney movie. These are the things that come to mind.

 

[Friday]

I refuse to die this f*cked up, this broken, this useless. Find the fight. It's there, somewhere.

 

[provencepearl]

@hodge I WISH I could have a dog, but a las, I cannot afford the vet bills. I do h...

I have a service dog for ptsd. I did not pay for one from a school. I had rescued him and did some training as best I could. He still has some issues with barking. Before he was my service dog, he hardly ever barked. But when he is out with me and someone makes a noise like knocking on a door, a door bell ringing, or walks too close or too fast, he barks. I have a muzzle I put on him when necessary. He is getting better. But still. Some place will intentionally make him bark. Even though I get him quiet quickly, they throw me out. (at library) I started going to a new church and am tempted to take him. But I am afraid he would have issues. Normally, he just sits at my feet. How did you train your dog for being in a church?

 

[Changing4Best]

@provencepearl I didn't really train her, she just "got it." She was REALLY smart. She was a dachshund, actually, and they tend to be lap dogs, so I would just sit at church with her in my lap and she was happy there as could be, as she always was when she was in my lap.

I bought 2 books on training one's Service Dog. I found them on amazon.com, but I don't recall the titles exactly. One, I think, was called HOW TO TRAIN YOUR OWN SERVICE DOG and the other one was of a similar title, but it had the words MENTAL HEALTH before SERVICE DOG or something like that.

These two books helped me a lot, but really, most of it was Babygirl's doing, she just caught on really quickly what she should do and did it. She was the smartest dog I ever had. No one ever threw us out of anyplace except one Dr. He didn't believe me that she was a Service Dog, so after that, I got her a little tag that said "SERVICE DOG" and sewed it onto a halter and always had her wear that. After that, we never had a problem with her being accepted except one time in MacDonalds when the manager didn't see her tag. When I pointed it out, he left us alone.

She was the BEST, I miss her so!

 

[provencepearl]

@provencepearl I didn't really train her, she just "got it." She was REALLY smar...

Thank you so much, Sheila Kathy. I have a document (for dog to be service dog) from doc that diagnosed ptsd. even so places discriminated. Library especially. I took him to county for tags as I had moved. They accepted records on shots. Said no charge for tag for service dog and have receipt from them showing county accepted him as service dog and his shots are up to date, tag, etc. (I am keeping tag in safe place, not on him). I still need to get him a vest. He pretty well trained himself, too. He used to chew any leash I put on him. Now it is like a service vest. He knows it is "on duty". I take a little rug/bed thing for him if I am going to be someplace any time. He knows to lay on that and stay. But I don't know how he would do with so many people and all the noise at church. It is a new church for me and I am waiting until they know me better. I took him to quilting group. They accepted him there. So I might be able to start taking him soon.

I wish you could have given the business/home to someone other than bank. The banks these days are crooks. But, medical facilities are just as bad. So glad you had some control and were able to dispose in way that pleased you. Probably your only two options.

My quilting is my therapy. Don't have a place now except the once a week group at new church I have taken up crochet to help in the meantime. Reading is also my therapy. And cooking. If I could have a garden, that would be another outlet. Some day, when I have a home again...

I will have to look for books on training him. I have been working on "Quiet!". He is getting better. I found a long list online of things service dogs can do for someone with ptsd. Exercise (walking the dog) is one. Safe touch is one. Many of these do not require special training. It is getting harder and harder to interact with people. I have no one to go with me anywhere. Having him with me makes it easier to go places. Had someone ask me yesterday if he bites. Seemed like a strange question. If people like dogs, they come to him and talk to him/pet him. If they don't like dogs they keep their distance. Got bad vibes from the guy, so I told him he (dog) will protect me if anyone tries to harm me. Guy said he would sue. I replied if he tried to harm me he would have no case.

So glad you are no longer homeless. I was homeless for 4 days and nights. Was a nightmare. Am staying in someone's home for now and hoping to have a home of my own again. For years I had been fighting banks as they stole my home and contents and then my second home. All illegal. Made no difference. Went to court with cancelled checks and asked judge to require them to give an explanation of why they started foreclosure. Judge said he would not look at my cancelled checks. Said if they said I owed, that was that. So illegal, so crooked (the whole system). I have been giving to homeless individuals and organizations for a long time. Suffered with ptsd due to legal abuse syndrome and car accidents for a long time. Have childhood issues also.

Thank you for showing kindness to another. I try to show kindness. But so often it seems there are no other kind people. Which adds to feeling that the world is not a safe place.

I'll stop rambling now.

 

[Changing4Best]

Feel free to ramble, @provencepearl that is what this thread is for, for anything that cheers us up. If rambling on cheers you up, go for it!

 

[CaringMomma]

I try to remember that seeking comfort externally means it can always be taken away or...

I would like to say thank you, Tornadic Thoughts, for writing this. It seems that you have articulated much of what I have had such a hard time piecing together myself. I read this and I'm encouraged because I know that there are many out there who think and feel the same as I do! Blessings to you!

 

[CaringMomma]

I have to admit that there are many days in which I spend in bed, due to physical ailments, reading, coloring and communicating via Facebook. I have used this as an excuse, often, to not go places, or be around people.

I was always the one who wanted to help others and make them happy. Unfortunately, I became the proverbial doormat, because I couldn't discern whether people were genuine or they were wolves in sheep's clothing. I was abused (mentally, physically, sexually), often, by people, even my mom and sister took advantage of my compassionate heart!

I still have a very hard time processing thoughts, words, motives, etc. My memory is horrible as well, especially my short term memory! I have an extremely slow response time when talking with someone face-to-face. I really appreciate being able to communicate via text, fb, messaging, etc. It affords me the time I need to respond in a way that reflects my true feelings.

My t and I went through a 12 week course called CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy), a few years back. I truly feel that this, particular therapy was

Continued from previous post..

This particular therapy was the key to unlocking the door that held back so many memories, that if allowed to continue festering, were going to literally destroy me! I marveled at the result of this therapy. I mean after, over 30 years of therapy, this process took me deep enough to clean out some of the puss and infection that was wreaking havoc in my mind! Don't get me wrong, I still have problems with c-ptsd symptoms and behavior, but I no longer feel, completely, out of control. I recognize it, much more often, and do what I need to do in order to stay safe and stay calm.

I really hope that this all makes sense!

I invite responses but, please no unsolicited advice! Thank you very much

 

[Grabballe]

Melodic music cheers me up :D

 

[Deleted member 8714]

I'm in the deepest pit right now and almost called a hotline. I opted to play a word game online and that helped me some.

Trying to find a therapist when you're desperate isn't a good way to do it.

 

[Deleted member 37085]

I try to remember that seeking comfort externally means it can always be taken away or made unavailable and out of reach, yet again, as it has so often in the past, which then prompts me to dive even deeper within my own self to start focusing on root work again.

Post EMDR, I am now just discovering that I never was ever taught by "caregivers" how to self-soothe let alone self-care @SheilaKathy and I am having now to learn this as I go - and through the school of hard knocks (life) and also through genuinely caring others here in forum and out here where I live. So I had always looked outside of myself (externally) for solace, nurturing, caring, etc. and even for the temporary fixes and short-term back then distractions and anything to keep me from having to feel anything and look deep within myself (now all being a process in recovery). And I used to turn to at first healthier then father ran them off so unhealthier people, places, and things to get me out of myself and I was running as fast as I could back then. And I even drank, ate, sexed, spent (monies), danced, etc. to unsuccessfully try and numb my mind and my body to what was lying just underneath the surface - ptsd. And I never stayed in one place very long accept to sleep (which at present time sure seems to be alluding me).

Now I have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide from my thoughts, feelings, and reality and EMDR has catapulted me into the present here and now (moment to moment, tick, tick, tick). And I know it is time now for me to face ptsd and myself and the difference today is I want to try and learn to like me, love me (huh?) and also try and face myself without most of my above-listed previous crutches and former addictions. I want to learn what makes me tick, instead of focusing on perps/abusers, and blaming everyone else for my unhappiness and also short-term fixes (which never worked for very long). I am learning in forum here that I am ultimately responsible for my own inner-peace and happiness (relative) in the here and now. And I have recently learned that I don't have to be - doing something - to find inner peace and contentment. I can just sit down and again listen to some music, pick up a book, or now can readily take a nice shower, eat a healthier meal,

I have loved to make jewelry (not so much as of late, still can pick it up) and I use to love to volunteer (not so much now) and I am now discovering that working out physically is something that gets my motor running so to speak. I am in a pottery class right now (but not making pots I do hand-building and will take a hand-building class next session). I love aerobic exercise workouts and the happy fast-paced up-tempo music that's played while we're all working out and trying to get healthier. The intense exercise also pushes back on the depression, and increases the serotonin and dopamine levels and also helps me with the continuing ptsd symptoms of which I daily and sometimes minutely deal and must learn to live/cope with ie. difficulty sleeping/insomnia, startle response (grrr), negative self-image (working on this in T), short-term memory loss (help!), poor concentration issue (WT?), self-imparted/inflicted social isolation (hate this), cognitive distortions (mentally beating self/others up), etc.

Just knowing that I am not crazy anymore and that it's ptsd is very comforting to me. Even with undiagnosed a.d.d. and also dyslexia (don't need a Ph.D./D.M.D. to confirm aggravating and at times exhausting symptoms) I still like to read self-help (discovery) books, articles, and learning a lot in therapy now about myself. I love music @SheliaKathy always have, and also love a hilarious comedy D.V.D. ie. The Money Pit, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Madea, etc. and also intense mystery movies too; and a good stand-up comedy act and Jeff Dunham's puppets. I am learning to come to peace with solace and quiet-time with just my thoughts and feelings depending on the day/evening and what's transpired in it. I used to hate spending any quality time with myself and am trying to learn to do so now in the moment. Hard...struggling...but doable post EMDR. Thank you for this thread for it tells me I have more work to do on learning how to self-soothe, and self-care.