Skip to main content

Finding Ways To Help Myself Cope With Daily Stresses

Lately, I've been under a lot of stress with work, volunteering, family life, and promoting my book. My mental illness seems to enable me to do what I want and need to do, but I feel I need to tweak my medication, because of my challenging thoughts and depression. Whenever I experience a lot of unwanted thoughts, anxiety, and a lack of motivation to keep my house neat I know I must focus on managing my stress. To help myself with the stress, this week I organized my work into one binder opposed to keeping a lot of folders and loose papers. It helped a little for my work environment. However, my mood and home environment are my most difficult concerns, because I am less accountable to keep a clean house, and I could make up a series of excuses as to why there is a mess.

Last week I cancelled my doctor's appointment because of a valid reason that I will not go into detail about. I will reschedule my appointment ASAP because I feel like some of my symptoms are gradually returning- the irritability, anxiety, lack of my motivation at home, and strange thoughts. I do a series of coping skills to help me cope with my daily stresses including listening to music, writing a journal, forcing myself to make time to talk to friends and to hang out with them even for a short while such as less than an hour.

Last month my work gave me an opportunity to go to the Atlanta Zoo. Initially I was not excited about going, however after I put myself in that environment I realized it helped me get out my box and to experiment with alternative activities. Even thought the rain encouraged me to leave the zoo early I enjoyed it and now I look forward to going back again this summer. Below are some pictures of my adventure at the zoo...









Labels

Labels:

Comments

Unknown said…
Wow, you are so inspiring! I have bipolar I disorder, and I've experienced symptoms of psychosis, so I feel like I relate to you on a level. But MAN! I can't imagine what you go through. Thanks for being so strong and such an example to others!
June 3, 2014 at 1:43 PM
Unknown said…
Wow! You are SO inspiring! I have bipolar I disorder, so I've experienced some symptoms of schizophrenia, but MAN! I can't imagine what you go through. Thank you for being such an example to others and sharing your experience!
June 3, 2014 at 1:44 PM
Unknown said…
Wow!! I am glad that I was able to meet you at the peer of the year you are so amazing I have bipolar mix and borderline personality disorder so you are in inspiring person to me cause what you went through in your life and you are able to do what you do I know I can do it to I was going to give up on applying for the cps cause I was turned down so I got upset about it but hearing you tell that you kept on for four years before you got it really made me think about not giving up on anything cause if I don't get it the first time I need to keep on keeping on thank you for that I needed to hear that for someone and you happen to be the one I heard it from
August 22, 2014 at 10:42 PM
Ashley Smith said…
Maddy Stutz, I love your encouragement...Thank you!

Shanan Corso, I enjoyed the conference too! I am glad you will re-consider the CPS training, keep pressing forward in your recovery and goals.

September 9, 2014 at 12:04 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

by A Guest Blogger: For Addicts, Recovery Means Creating a New Life

If you’re struggling to maintain your sobriety, you aren’t alone. There are millions of fighters just like you working toward reclaiming their lives from drugs and alcohol. There are a few common traits that many successful recovering addicts share. Keep reading to find out what they are and how you can follow in their footsteps. They establish new patterns You can’t continue to live your life the same was you did when you were using. You must change and adapt to your newfound sobriety. Consider a career change; many recovering addicts find they have more success by starting their own business. One career that is easy to enter is dog walking. As a dog walker , you’ll reap many rewards including getting to spend time with dogs, which can actually boost your recovery efforts and stave off depression. Dogs have been used as part of a treatment plan for users as young as 11 and come with the added benefit of helping you stay physically active. Plus, being with ...
2 comments
Read more

What Is Remission?

Remission is the absence of symptoms for at least six months with the support of medication. In other words, a doctor who has never seen you before may not diagnose you as a person with schizophrenia anymore. Remission is also high functioning in several aspects of life, living independently, goinig to school or to work, and socializing with other people. However, this does not mean the patient is cured or the illness has went away, the illness is still present, however, under control. Remission is achieved with the assistance of medication. "Published studies suggest that 10% to 20% of people with schizophrenia have remission of their illness as they get older, 20% get worse, but in a large majority (60% to 70%), the course of illness remains relatively unchanged." To reach remission it is recommended that you aim for a stress-free environment. Therefore, do things to relieve stress such as journaling, exercising, talking to friends, listening to or creating music, making a...
9 comments
Read more

Religious Preoccupation

After a talk, a woman asked me if my faith contributed to my recovery because she noticed that I mentioned it throughout my speech. In addition to that, she told me that she observed people with faith as having a better outcome in their mental health recovery. First, I came from a family with Christian values. My faith in God started to get intense during the latter years of high school, which in my opinion, is when I started having symptoms. In my experience religion plays a major role in my mental health- its delusions, its coping skills, and in my recovery. In medical terms they call my religious rituals and delusions "religious preoccupation." Before I was diagnosed I was highly religious. In fact, I wanted to be an evangelist and to go to a Christian college. I would read my Bible for several hours a day throughout the day, listen to hymns, and meditate. Sometimes I would ignore people if they wanted my attention while I was meditating I was in such deep thought. Also, I...
15 comments
Read more