Moderator Emeritus Jemima Posted November 19, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Posted November 19, 2012 This article appeared in the enewsletter, "Dollar Stretcher", yesterday (Sunday, November 18, 2012). It certainly struck a cord with me as I have a comfortable life aside from going through withdrawal. I know that being thankful can help those feelings of "Why me???" and a tendency to get anxious and depressed and so I'm going to make a determined effort to be more grateful, starting now. Being Thankful for Less by Shaunna Privratsky The silver lining of thankfulness We live in a nation of plenty. We enjoy an abundant food supply, and virtually any material good that we desire is available at the right price. Just by waking up, we have so much to be thankful for. Celebrity talk show hosts and life coaches urge us to keep a gratitude journal. This is simply listing five or so things that we are grateful for every day. Being grateful on a daily basis puts us in an optimistic frame of mind. We are able to focus on the positive side of every situation. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year to stop and reflect on the goodness in our lives. We can celebrate with family and friends and make a special day of togetherness. Yet, if we extend the gratitude to encompass the whole year, we give ourselves the gift of joy. We often hear about "glass half full" type of people. They are the ones on the Titanic that go under smiling. They look at every setback or disappointment as another opportunity to do something different or better. They are so Pollyanna-like that we sometimes want to strangle them! Yes, bad things happen to good people. However, if we can glean some nugget of good from even the most tragic event, we can actually train ourselves to be happier and more optimistic. It is a noted fact that patients with a positive outlook and hope for the future recover faster and heal better than sorry-for-themselves-Sallys. People who smile a lot feel better and more hopeful, so even if you don't feel like it, fake it. Eventually the genuine feeling of happiness will catch up. But how do you make yourself be happy when all you want to do is crawl under the covers and never come out? You have to do some mental housekeeping. First, sweep out your self-critical thoughts where you snip and degrade yourself. "You'll never make enough money." "You're a pig!" "You're so lazy; you look like a lump of lard." "Your hair is so frizzy the light company could charge wattage." We are our own worst enemy sometimes. Instead, concentrate on the good qualities you know that you possess. "You're so organized; you paid all the bills on time." "That's a great color on you." "You deserve a break, so rent your favorite movie." When you're good to yourself, you're at peace. That translates into serenity, which helps you face whatever life throws at you. Next, let go of all your past mistakes. Many of us dwell on things we did wrong yesterday, a month ago, or even a decade ago. If you can't do anything about it, just let it go and move forward. Each day is a brand-new start on a better life. Take a look around. What makes you happiest? Is it that new plasma television set that you'll be making payments on until the youngest is in college? Is it a shiny new car or house bigger than the neighbors? Or is it your family and closest friends that bring you the most joy? Often, doing with less material things can actually make you happier. For instance, if you drive an old clunker, but it is completely paid for and reliable, you are saving money and stress from high monthly payments. If your house fits your lifestyle and you can easily make the mortgage payments, you will be happier than if you have to scramble each month in a bigger, but not necessarily better, house. An easy way to do this is by asking a simple question each time you plan a purchase. Ask yourself, "Is this item a want or a need?" If you stop and think about it, you can quickly decide if you really need the very latest game system for your kids or if they are doing just fine with their old one. Being grateful is like opening the door to a fuller life. You learn to be thankful for your health, which we take for granted until something goes wrong. You wake up thankful for what you have, instead of longing for things that are out of reach. No matter what's in store for you, you can find the silver lining when you are thankful for less. Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's RazorIntroduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/ Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers.
Nikki Posted December 28, 2012 Posted December 28, 2012 Jemima.... Thank you for posting this. This morning I needed to read something like this. I am not feeling any gratitude lately, only anxiety, fear and worry. Thank you for posting/answering me in my thread as well. I feel stuck in a bad space and the more I think about it the more frightened I become. Making a gratitude list is hard when I feel this way. I am grateful for being able to come to this site. For being able to share at a deep level, and for the caring people on this site. My mother, friends and dogs and daughter. Grateful I have a small part time job at TJMaxx. That paycheck every Friday is nice. I am grateful for my customers in my business. (truth be told I am afraid of being on my own and of where I am going). Being sick and working I think is what scared me. No sick time pay..... Thanks Jemima:) Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1902-nikki-hi-my-rundown-with-ads/ Paxil 1997-2004 Crossed over to Lexapro Paxil not available at Pharmacies GSK halted deliveries Lexapro 40mgs Lexapro taper (2years) Imipramine Imipramine and Celexa Now Nefazadone/Imipramine 50mgs. each 45mgs. Serzone 50mgs. Imipramine
Administrator Altostrata Posted December 28, 2012 Administrator Posted December 28, 2012 Excellent article, thanks, Jemima. Often we compare what we have to what we want and it makes us feel bad, even though there's good in what we have. How about moving this to Finding Meaning for everyone to see? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted.
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