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Simple Pleasant Activities

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Hi sunny123

Well so much for me sitting back and keeping my mouth shut. I'm glad paxil worked for you and it sounds as though you don't need it any more. Some times that is all it takes to get over a bad streatch. The only one I was ever able to stay on was celexa and that one I had to stop because of the sideaffects, The worst being muscle pain. The negative thought patterns are hard to get away from when there is so much negative happening around me. I love to garden but of course I can't do that in the winter. In winter I do woodwork and as I age my work has got smaller and more detailed, more concentration, less time to worry. I think I am managing most of the worries older people get like, am I getting fat and ugly, are people staring. Am I standing in the way. Do I look silly trying to get this parcel in the car. Where can I lean my cane. Where is the nearest washroom. At least I don't have to worry about my makeup. All just silly right. In july 2008 I had the world by the tail. The arthritis had gone into remission I had aquirred some money and was happily busilly spending it. Big plans. Then I shattered my femur. (upper leg bone just below hip). Well they fixed that but I got staph infection and spent 4 months in extreme pain on opiats. Getting off them was not easy. Now I have nerve damage and phantom pain plus real pain. The only good out of this is that I'm still alive. How do I deal with the limitations now. Hence the depression and some times it is bad. And Christmas is coming up soon. No tree this year. (maybe). I think sculpture would be a very good pastime. Painting too, if it wasn't so messy. With a digital camera and a computer with a good photo edit program, that can be good too. But mostly people need to get out and socialise. (and get some sun light). The hard part is saying "this will be fun" instead of "this is a chore". Chores are just a fact of life.

Being a single person with only one income has left me too serious with too much concern for the next dollar. I am far too serious, I need to live a little. (I find most people are too seious, could it be a product of our lifestyle). I don't have a dog to walk any more (2 cats) so I go to the grocery store (general store) for conversation and licorice or cookies. I did think about getting a Chesapeke (can't spell that) but thought it would be unfair to it. A person needs someone or something to do things for. (hard to go against nature) Maybe we can talk other members into expressing what they do to stave off the winter blues that so easilly turn into depression. Hang in there, spring is only 5 months away.

Davit.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2606

Hi Davit,

Thanks for your post. Everyone's experience with panic is a different one. Although you may feel like you don't necessarily fit in here, all members have the common experiences of panic. Your life experiences are unique to you; however, you can benefit from what other people on the site have to offer. Also, positing about your experience helps others. Please do stay close to the support group as you have made some great contributions and we appreciate it.

Samantha, Health Educator

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 192

Hi Davit:

I'm so glad you just posted your message! I find that we do have similarities. I also am retired, neither do I have panic attacks anymore. However, this past yr. I had not been well and needed surgery. It took several months before I finally had the surgery in July. I feel very well now but leading up to it, I had symptoms of my anxiety disorder coming back, such as tight chest when walking my dog, breathlessness, negative thought patterns, restless sleep patterns. I've been off meds for yrs. I had taken Paxil successfully and had done CBT also. When I saw this site, I thought this would be a great refresher course for me and to be able to voice my ups and downs was a plus.

You wonder if depression is part of the anxiety disorder. Yes, it certainly can be. They often go hand-in-hand. Sometimes the depression comes first and the anxiety later - as your world gets smaller, fewer outings and contacts. Sometimes the anxiety starts first and because of fewer contacts, shrinking support system (if this happens to an individual) feelings of inadequacy, shame, hopelessness, etc. often can lead to depression. Which comes first? Illness, trauma (as in physical disabilities, accidents) or mental anguish (death of loved one, divorce, loss of job) can lead to anxiety then depression or vice versa.

I too am looking for something to keep myself occupied these long winter months. I have done volunteer work for over 10 yrs. and am still part of an organization. They say giving to others helps, but sometimes I don't feel filled anymore. Sometimes I feel at a crossroads - what to choose next? This yr. I was thinking of taking oil painting classes. I already do sculpture and have tried pottery. Let's put it this way: I am not looking forward to winter. Maybe I need a SAD light too. I don't want to be depressed so am looking for something whichwill keep my interest. I have all this time and hate to think I am wasting it. Although, a little silliness/fun is important too. Not everything has to have a deep purpose - lightheartedness is my goal. I tend to take things too seriously and am a practical kind of person. I think I am that way because of my past challenges. My dog helps too, she needs to be walked, so I can't say no, even if I won't be walking as far in winter because of the cold (I have asthma, makes me cough if it's too cold and windy - never smoked) I still try 10-15 minutes. I don't know all the answers - sigh - wish I did.

I hope you keep posting - you just reached me as I was beginning to wonder what to do this winter. Keep the faith....

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Hello all.

I am about to leave this site. It is a good site but I don't fit in so any thing I might have to say other than the fact that panic can be cured or at least reduced to the point of acceptability. The reason I don't fit is that I am so different from all of you. I'm retired, I have no job related anxiety. I have some store anxiety but since I can cloose my time it doesn't count. I'm a cripple, and have hypertension, so I don't fly much. Last time I flew was by Air Ambulance. ( Lear jet ) I was drugged for the 55 minute trip. I live in a small village where every one knows and accepts and helps me, I'm only 15 minutes from any store and they're small. Driving doesn't bother me. I get all my exercise on an exercycle or bicycle because those I can do. My panic is so minor it's not worth counting now. It was major and was once a day for a few years. Now depression is a different storey. It sneaks in on me. Right now I have Major depression, and I think it's from the lack of creative activity. I would love to be able to do something I like till I am so tired I sleep, but right now I am so enemic from having Staph infection I can't do much. I'm not on medication and probably should be. Some depression can only be cured with pills. Winter is coming and I will be spending a lot of time inside so I will buy a SAD lamp and see if it helps. I'm curious to see if panic and depression run together and hope some members will take the time to comment. Just posting this has put the depression in my face where I can deal with it. And of course I'm looking for other peoples ways of dealing with it. I'll still be reading posts so I hope to get some replies. Best of luck to everyone.

Davit.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11214

Dear members,

According to some experts, depression is caused by a lack of pleasant activities. What are pleasant activities? Pleasant activities are simply things you like to do.

The basic idea is that when people are not depressed, their lives are made up of a wide variety of activities, some pleasant and positive, some unpleasant and negative, and some neutral. According to the theory, in order to feel better you need to have at least some positive activities in your life. Also, people stay depressed because they have at least the usual share of unpleasant activities but not enough pleasant activities. One of the solutions to overcoming depression is to try to schedule more positive and pleasant events in your life; this will help to get the balance between pleasant and unpleasant activities closer to what it is for people who aren’t depressed.

One of your most important jobs in this program is to take the risk of actually testing some of your predictions about what will happen if you try to do something pleasant. Because any experiment can go wrong, we’ll want you to repeat some experiments to see what happens each time. You don’t have to believe that you’ll enjoy the activity; you just have to be willing to try and see what happens. Think of yourself as a scientist who is performing experiments on your moods.

If you’re having some trouble coming up with some activities, here’s a list of some simple activities to get you started:

Going for a walk

Getting dressed up

Meeting someone new

Going to a concert

Having coffee with a friend

Going shopping for myself

Going to the beach

Playing golf

Climbing

Reading sacred books

Going to see a sports event

What pleasant activity would you like to do?

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

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