what kind of coping stratagies do you have

[stephaniec]

I have a few things I do that seem to help enough to get me through.  I tend to be way to sensitive about things. Sitting in my coffee place and watching the students from the University has saved me a whole lot in the past and present. Movies at the theater 4 blocks away helps, working on my hobby helps. I think mostly for me its just sitting and watching all the young people from the University starting out in life with so much future to experience. Just curious what techniques others have developed to escape the bottomless pit if any.

[Jill F]

Realizing that I have all the hope in the world now, when before I had none.  I know my future is going to be awesome now and that there is something to look forward to instead of thinking that my best days were all in the rear view mirror.

[skin]

It used to be heavy drinking and suppression, but I'm trying to be healthier.  Now I try distracting myself with writing, comics, games or movies.  The drinking still happens, but not nearly as frequent or as heavy.

[Wild Flower]

Eating. Going through the motions. Fantasies.

I dont have good coping skills since without work ill be in my room all day dreaming.

[Seras]

Realizing that I have all the hope in the world now, when before I had none.  I know my future is going to be awesome now and that there is something to look forward to instead of thinking that my best days were all in the rear view mirror.

Thanks.

[suzifrommd]

Just curious what techniques others have developed to escape the bottomless pit if any.

Doing nice things for myself on a daily basis. Warm herbal tea with meals. Listing to my favorite music. Reading. Letting myself just veg and relax when I need to. Talk with friends if they're available. Play computer games. Sit and read posts on Susan's.

[LilDevilOfPrada]

Well back in my teens it was cutting myself(Not a pleasant time in my life) but these days it building and developing games/applications because its like genetically designing your own baby .

[Jennifer.L]

Alchohol, Bunny Charities and Hard Core Gaming.  THat and when I'm feeling really grumpy I go for a ride on my motorcycle.  That almost always helps.

[Eva Marie]

Nowadays i'm learning how to cope with regular life issues and complications instead of issues and complications surrounding gender dysphoria - you know, the life skills that most people begin to acquire in their teens and early 20s.  As i've said before transition did not solve all of my problems nor did I expect it to, but it did solve the biggest one and solving that one let me move on to living a much more normal life.

So now that i'm living a "normal" life i've got normal life problems and I just don't have much experience in how to deal with them. One way i'm "coping" is to keep myself entirely too busy; doing that leaves little time to dwell on the things that bring me down (such as being newly single). Another is having a network of friends and doing stuff with them. Another thing that i do is to stay involved with my church and the activities that go on there.

The one thing that I do NOT want to ever happen again is to return to my old self-destructive ways of coping with life. I've come entirely too far and have made too many changes to slip back into those old habits again. Making those changes released me from those habits.

[DanielleA]

I listen to music while focusing on something  time taking . Like this comic that I am creating. I can't focus on my inner demons if the full extent of my mind is on a completely different set of tasks. Or I could go shopping with someone.... At other times I try to remove emotion from a situation and complete the task ahead first. I can worry about the things that emotionally hurt later on when everything isn't coming at me all at once.

[ImagineKate]

Whenever I feel I need to de-stress I grab a box of ammo and a gun or two and head to the range. Ammo is getting cheaper once more so I can go more often, and I need to qualify 2x/year so I like to stay sharp.

[Luna Star]

When I have had a stressful day, a cup of coffee helps me. If this fails->talk to a friend if this fails...->I write my emotions out in the form of a poem if...-> then I go lay down by my window and stargaze while I am being phylosophical. Seeing the stars shimmer, always calms me down to the point I can tear up seeing shooting stars (long story short, shooting stars mean a lot to me).

And this all while listening music....

I'm weird :/