How does everyone keep their stress down?

[danie17075rm]

So I'm a complete nut over everything that is going on.  I'm think my constant state of nervousness is making things and symptoms worse.  Everytime I get any kind of weird twinge or pain, I think OH NO what is happening now ha.  I just wonder, what you guys do to keep your stress down?  Any ideas for stress relief, before I damage other things =).

[tangrammz]

I exercise. . . . do Yoga. . . . work in the garden. . . .

Just find something physical to work clear my head plus it helps my body.  This may sound odd.  But don't knock it until you try it. . . skip. . . yes, I said skip, like when you were a kid.  Don't know why it works but there is something about skipping that has a positive influence on ones mood and energy level.  

Laughing is supposed to have very healthy benefits as well.

Taking up a new hobby can also be a way to relieve stress. . . .

[DLA]

MJ14--I like that...shoot people.  Considering it! ;)

Venora-- oh, do I miss the cigs!  Think that is causing me alot of stress right now.  All I have to do is say something about it and have tiny militia people all over me about how I'm never going to smoke again.  Dang it!

ChitChat--I'll be right there with you on Tom Cruise!  Idiot!!  Think he deserves a good flogging from the Chicken Club!  bach bach

Love the antidressant/antianxiety meds.  Couldn't live without mine!!!  Am back on Celexa now.  Have been through LOTS of different ones and all have had some kind of bad side affect on me except Celexa, so guess I will stick with it.  Have to have my happy pills.  Am mildly bipolar with emphasis on depression so being on just an antidepressant works for both.  Have horrendous, here let me rephrase that HORRENDOUS! anxiety attacks without my meds

Danie--hope it all gets better for you soon.  23 months is a fun and very stressful age.  But REALLY enjoy them while you can.  The old adage about them growing up in the blink of an eye is soooo true.

Dac

[MJ13]

Good analogy about the car!! Physically you may look okay, but emotionally...well that's another story.  Try adding menopause on top of TT and RAI in less than 4 months.  For stress, I shoot people....JUST JOKING!  This weekend I went out and saw a friend's band play, got drunk on a drink called Caribbean Breeze, and danced a little...so that was good to forget things for awhile.  Once a month I get a massage...love that!!!  

[dart frog]

lexapro is for deppression and anxiety. I thought prozac worked better but the family doc wanted me to try this...I took it for awhile and thought ...nope doesnt do a thing for me....then I STOPPED taking it and I was like WOW maybe it did a lot better then I thought so I'm willing to keep taking it.

[Nicki1433]

I think lexapro works for both...it did for me at least.

[artsyrose]

I take prozac and buspar...for derpession and anxiety...works fairly well...but sometimes the stress still gets to me...especially at work...I have to just stop...take a few breaths and go on...at home I read books...read this forum...use candles....and pet cats :)...you guys help alot though seriously

[kitcurious]

Well, I take my med at about 6:30 AM so a few mornings a week, since we can't eat for an hour after the med and I have about as much energy as I am going to get first thing in the AM, I hop on my bike and ride. I have been doing about 20 miles a week total and, if not that I start off with some Yoga/aerobic/pilates shows that I record from cable so it's always available on my time.
Some mornings I almost fall asleep during the cool down but I keep doing it anyway.

Books were also mentioned before and I lose myself in them too. I read them and listen to them.  I have a long commute to work and on those mornings I have CD's of books checked out of the library to listen to. I avoid the news because it's always bad and always the same type of bad. I find it stressful.


Relaxing baths  with music and a nice atmosphere ( which would include candles) are good too.

This forum helps too because it exposes you to people who understand and actually do listen. Most people don't get it about thyroid.


I have a shiny  new blue car and I compare it to how the car looks just fine and dandy, but drain the oil or put water in the tank and see what happens..it still LOOKS fine but it can't go anywhere.

[danie17075rm]

Thanks for the ideas!!!  I'm seriously thinking about asking for the drugs.  I'm consumed with worrying.  Then I look things up and imagine all the horrible things I may have.  My doc looked at me like I was crazy.  He said why are you so nervous??? Well because I have a mountain growing in my neck.  It's concerning. I don't know if the nodules are hot or cold, or anything yet.  He said CALM down, you will be ok.  UGH.  I like to read, and that would probably work, I just never have the time to with my son =).  The wine sounds good ha. It may actually help.  You guys are lucky you have good husbands because if I was married i think he would leave me in a second right now.  Not only do I look bad, I'm obsessed with my health ha.  Sometimes I slow down take a deep breath and tell myself everything is OK.  I think I need to stop looking things up for a while until I know for sure what it is.  Looking at possibilities just makes me think I have EVERYTHING.  You guys are great though.  I'm so glad I found this board.  I don't feel ALONE in all this.  

[ChitChatNine]

Maybe you can write us a meditation passage to copy ... you seem to be able to take care of others so well and keep your own stress under control ...You have your act together all the time .. well, the cookie incident keeps me laughing still months later hee hee hee!!!!

Chicken Club is waiting ......... ::: bach bach cackle cackle ::::::

C~

[Venora Moonwind]

Cigarettes and beer!!! Seriously I meditate everyday especially before bedtime.
We have a hot tub too soooo relaxing.I take celexa and zyprexa cause I am bi polar.What a difference they have made in my life.
Love Venora

[ChitChatNine]

Is lexapro an antidepressent or a relaxant or both maybe? C~

[ChitChatNine]

Maybe we could "storm" Tom Cruise and his thoughts on anti-depressents .. we could "attack" as one huge tinfoil bearing chicken club carting Lexapro in one hand and Synthroid in the other .. what do you all think?  ::wink wink::,

C~

[Nicki1433]

Until about 4 months ago, I always thought that antideppressants were a joke.  I certainly never thought I'd be on one, but without it...I was a mess.  I actually told my husband to leave b/c I thought I was ruining his life.  That's when I KNEW it was time to call the doctor.  

I also like to read, but I rarely make time for it...always something that needs to get done.

[dart frog]

I take lexapro and right now I would hate to see how I was without it!! Sheesh!

For me I like to lose myself in books. Ok so some days I read the same sentence 3 or 4 times but....

I have a lot of elderly neighbors so I try to help them as much as I can. I weed flower beds alot! I also help water the gardens . When I'm busy helping or doing for others then I'm not as stressed out AND it keeps my mind off of me. Because right now if I take the time to "think" about everything going on with me I start to feel panicky and I start freaking out.

Rhonda

[skymax2000]

I try to make sure I sleep atleast 8 hours at night and never drink caffeine. A cup of coffee will put me on edge for 2 days. I have the worst insomnia so I use medications to sleep. I also warn my husband about my mood swings and remind him it's not my fault. I know I'm about to have an episode when I start obsessing about clutter and dust. Then he knows to leave me alone. If he confronts me, I could argue for hours which then gives me the worse anxiety and headaches. I'm alot better and calmer now that the doctor has upped my meds.

(I just read what I wrote and I sound crazy!)

[Nicki1433]

I haven't completely figured it out, but I KNOW that Lexapro helps!  :)  No really...it does!

My husband and I (when he has any reasonable amount of time...at a decent hour...off) go for walks with the kids in a stroller.  That helps tremendously.  I also like to have a glass of wine from time to time.

To ease my health woes...I just now figured out that I have to take charge of my body once again...the more I sit around and think about what next...the more that goes wrong.  So, I am now taking the approach that I am in charge and that there is NOTHING wrong (although I may be kidding myself a little).  I am going to the doctor as I'm instructed, but I'm going to quit running to the doctor for every little thing.  I need to quit looking for things to go wrong.  In the past three years (almost 4) I've had everything from my reproductive organs, to my thyroid, to my stomach, and now my skin fail me...I'M 22 YEARS OLD FOR GOODNESS SAKE!  Time to take charge and get back to the healthy me that exsisted 4 years ago.  Now, when I start thinking about something (a symptom) I don't go online looking for what it might be...I wait and IF it continues then I make an appointment, but usually after a walk (even to the mailbox), a shower, some lotion, and a glass of wine...SURPRISE the symptom is gone and I feel less stressed.  

I think most of my rambling I just did didn't make any sense.  But, bottom line is...I'm back in control...self-appointed.  

Nicki

[danie17075rm]

Yes sign me up in the how to rid stress club =).  

[danie17075rm]

Well that is a major bonus.  I gained weight too.  I'm a single mother of a 23 month old son.  Although I have no energy, he keeps me going everyday.  I try to relieve stress that way (sometimes he causes it ha).  I just need to do yoga or something.  I feel like I'm ALWAYS nervous.  I see that you are not that much older than me, so it really sucks when your body starts betraying you.  I guess there isn't an age on these things, I just didn't expect it at 28!!!  It makes me question all the "unhealthy" choices I made back in my college days.  Ahh.. well.. maybe someone will have a good stress reliever.  Be happy you aren't losing your hair AND gaining weight like me =).  I ate so healthy during my pregnancy.  I would chomp on carrots while this pregnant girl next to me ate junk.  I gained like 100 pounds.  AHH a lot was water, but now I have huge stretch marks.  Now I will probably have a neck scar on top of it and no hair, and fat.. and ha... it really sucks to be single at a time like this.  

[danie17075rm]

I'm so sorry you had to go through all that.  You will definitely be in my prayers.  It seems like everyone is getting cancer, and I just keep thinking what is causing this?  How are all these people getting it all of a sudden.  It's probably from preservatives in our food or something.  I don't know, it just seems every where I turn lately someone has cancer.  
     Candles are NICE.  I love them.  I take hot baths in the dark to relax, but I have a 23 month old (and I raise him myself) so its hard for me to use candles anymore.  I used to get them ALL the time though.  

[ChitChatNine]

We both typed our response at the same time, you can join the "how to rid stress" club, too if you want!

C~

[ChitChatNine]

We both typed our response at the same time, you can join the "how to rid stress" club, too if you want!

C~

[ChitChatNine]

In the winter I enjoyed lighting and buying candles, candles and more candles .. Yankee Candles to be specific LOL but now that the weather is warmer I don't care for the scent in the heat ................So when we figure out something together we can try it.  

If you scroll down to appts, etc., you will see I am a bit {{{{stressed out }}}}} myself right now .............................I started saying to myself last night as I suffered insomnia, "If this mole is Melanoma I just do not understand how I can get TWO Cancer diagnoses within 5 months??? .. it kept playing over in my mind over and over..............."  Finally I shook the thought and fell asleep but sometimes it is our "insides" that get the best of our cognitive thoughts ...

Nightime can be the worst if you let your fears take over I find,

Cheryl

[shaerich]

If you figure it out, let me know.  I just want to be the same carefree person I was 5 months ago.  How can things change so fast!?

I have a great life, a great family, a great job... but I'm not enjoying any of it b/c my body is letting me down left and right... first the thyroid, now the hairloss... UGH... thank goodness I'm not gaining weight or I'd be really in a bad state!