29 April 2007

Copes

A few years ago, I was periodically celebrating having found another activity that helped me get through a difficult episode of mental illness.

I would think it was a particularly good one, but when I tried to compare it to others, I couldn't remember most of them.

Eventually I created a simple list of activities that helped me get through difficult episodes.

A list that I could refer to when I needed help -- especially when I was least likely to remember.

A list of things to help me cope.

Eventually, it became something I use all the time -- to help prevent or reduce bad episodes, and so that when the need comes, I have done the various cope activities recently enough that they are friendly and familiar, and so that I don't become bogged down in just a few.

I have a version of the list in an online spreadsheet, with columns for date and how many days it has been since I did them. Some I do quite frequently -- daily or more -- some less frequently.

There are are actually two columns for 'date' and 'since' -- mostly for 'routine' and 'extended' version, but sometimes for explicitly different versions. What those mean can change with the situation.

What it all means can be adjusted to needs -- it is intended as a help, not as a burden.