I sleep a lot. Sometimes I sleep through the night and nap for most of the day – sleep is one of my primary coping mechanisms. Sometimes taking a nap when I’m stressed or sad or angry can help but sometimes I can’t sleep no matter how much I want to. In those cases, I put Netflix or TV on for a couple hours to take my mind off of whatever I’m thinking about. I like to watch something funny in a stupid way that I’ve seen a million times, like Family Guy, Friends, American Dad, or Futurama. Those shows make me laugh and I’ve seen all the episodes at least once (I’ve watched Friends SO MANY TIMES) so I can fade in and out without getting confused. I know they all have a happy ending so I can’t get stressed out about the conflicts – it’s what works for me. I have to remember that I can’t watch anything too sad or too angry when I’m feeling particularly depressed – I was watching House all the way through and had to switch to Friends because I was getting too sad. That’s one of those things I had to learn too, how to stop myself from spiraling down a sad scary hole of my own making. If I get too sad or too stressed, I re-watch Friends!
Sleep and TV are not perfect coping mechanisms because too much of either actually make you more depressed (because mental illness sucks) and relying on distraction is just a bandaid. I’m learning how to rationalize my depression and anxiety so I don’t need the bandaid as long or as frequently. I’m not super good at that yet but baby steps!
Stay tuned for more slightly above average coping mechanisms!
The Life of a Mourning Dove 