natalie1985
Senior Member
Mum of Peter ~ Born 15th Dec 2004
Posts: 470
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Post by natalie1985 on Oct 7, 2005 11:13:09 GMT
Hey Girls, I think a great tip for trying to get through this time is enjoy the sunshine and outdoors. I know that when your in the midst of PNI it's hard to get motivated to want to go anywhere, but i know even if you just sit outside and enjoy the stillness and quietness, it's so relaxing. I also find going to the beach or our local river and just sitting there, it's very calming. It was a big help for me and still is. Brett and i took Peter to the beach the other day, and it was so lovely spending the day together as a family in the sunshine and water. I think just enjoying simple things is a huge help. Love and Light, Natalie xxx
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kate
New Member
Posts: 7
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Post by kate on Oct 7, 2005 12:06:18 GMT
I dont mean to put a downer of things but it is coming up to winter here, i guess being in oz you have your summer in our winter so it is dark and cold and horrible here!! The north sea is chilly at the best of times!! You are right though. getting out does work, i'll just have to remember to put my thermals on!!
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natalie1985
Senior Member
Mum of Peter ~ Born 15th Dec 2004
Posts: 470
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Post by natalie1985 on Oct 8, 2005 6:54:22 GMT
That's true...Didn't really think of that! Well i suppose whether it's cold or hot, it's still nice to be outdoors. We enjoy it no matter how hot or cold it is. Fresh air is fantastic for the lungs and mind Definately don't forget your winter woolies if you do go out Natalie xxx
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Post by cheshire on Jan 1, 2006 19:39:16 GMT
I am trying to think what helped me this year..I certainly think the following helped -have to say though, that these things helped only when I was settled enough to do them..
sleeping, cat napping during the day - not seeing it as a waste of time/ less worried and tired if can't sleep at night then setting fewer goals each day and prioritising better support of colleagues, friends, family and eventually, hubby distraction ie. phoning someone, loud music, etc. fresh air and short walks eating well (healthily) even when not hungry taking control of anxiety and panic - seeing it as me rather than some imposter of external force downloading (on here) to people who understand
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Post by Rapunzelle on Jun 29, 2006 13:15:45 GMT
I took millions of photos because I needed to reassure myself that the children were having fun and I that I did go through the motions, even if I didn't engage. The thing that has helped most of all (though you are not going to like it) is...running! Although I had been on medication for over 6 months before I could contemplate doing any form of exercise. I began walking a minute running a minute for 10 minutes, and can now run steadily for an hour. I think it may have saved my life.
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Post by cheshire on Jul 30, 2006 21:20:16 GMT
Walking is helping quite a bit just now, thanks Rapunzellex
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Post by sifreynir on Sept 13, 2006 14:30:50 GMT
I don't know if anyone else has put this, but I tried to find a constructive focus.....as I self harmed during my PND, this was majorly important!
Rather than sitting there tearing myself to pieces I found little jobs I could do and built upon them. So one day my task would be to get out of bed before a certain time, if I didn't do it I promised myself I wouldn't beat myself up, just try harder the next day.
Once I had done that I set another goal...so on and so forth until my goals got bigger and better.
Don't allow your mind time to fester, it will find the negative things to dwell on and they bring you down, this is difficult at first to find something, anything to be positive about.
Now I could easily look back at all those things I didn't do, but I now realise that I cannot live on yesterdays, it only ruins the tomorrows! So I try to make each day better than the last one...
no idea if that makes any sense lol
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Post by cheshire on Sept 13, 2006 17:54:50 GMT
Hi again, Yes, I think I tried this approach too? I found that distraction in the form of trying to move another step forward really helped - if that makes sense? At the beginning of PNI, I'm not sure how well this would have worked, as I was extremely agitated - I have never had anxiety like it and hope I never do again . I had a breathing problem, which for about 2 weeks, prevented me from sitting down comfortably - so I was moving all the time and couldonly think about my terrible breathing pattern!! But as things eased, I did find distraction and the little steps towards something that felt constructive and like an achievement - very helpfulxx My mind can still go a bit haywire if on my own for long periods? Like you say ' don't allow time for your mind to fester' - good advice! Love Hopefulx
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Post by ambrosine on Jan 11, 2007 23:00:45 GMT
well, i can say a few things about this i think im a master at avoidance ( im sorry about my spelling) 1. my computer /my absolubte friend. I have a laptop, and when im upset, or have anxiety, i will grap the laptop, and just go to maybe gaming sites, play scrabble, or a crossword, ect, and this makes me feel a little better. 2. lavender baths: a must...lavender i think is my new best friend, and i have lavender spray, soap, bubble bath, eye mask, its endless 3. camomile tea.Without this little friend, i would be much much worse. After about 10 mins i immediately feel slightly better. 4. pni boards /internet/ Yes, posting a message and receiving a reply, to settle my mind is one of the most important things . I couldnt get through a day without visiting this site 5.driving my car . I sometimes am shaking when i get up in the morning, racked with anxiety, but i force myself to get dressed, and hop into the car for a drive. Sometimes i have to drive back home, but i try and do this as much as possible, otherwise i beleive i could become a recluse 6.looking forward to things. I am moving in the spring, and at the moment, the things that make me happy is looking at property sites looking for new houses. I know its a bit early, but it seems to take my mind off things 7.my cats: what will i do without them
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ubu
Full member
I have one daughter, born September 2005, she weighed 1lb 9oz. Thank you for being here for me!
Posts: 55
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Post by ubu on Apr 4, 2007 8:10:35 GMT
My doctor (when discussing generalised depression rather than PNI) said to and observe the fact that life is, in many ways, very simple. You are breathing in and out, the sun still rises, the wind still blows and the world is still as good a place as ever. It's all about how you interpret your position in the world, you have the CHOICE to feel good or the CHOICE to feel sad. It sounds daft but it worked - I arrived at his surgery shaking and in tears, but I left his surgery smiling and feeling positive. It doesn't take depression away, but when you're living day to day (nay hour to hour) it helps get through in a small way. Hope this might help someone. Ubu xxx
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Post by cheshire on Aug 31, 2007 23:20:04 GMT
I agree - and it doesn't take it away, but it does help doesn't it (although if I'm honest, different things helped at different points if you know what I mean?): Recently for me: - changing your perspective and challenging the first thoughts that enter your head - pushing yourself past the bad thoughts using strategies like distraction and positive action - believing you will get better coupled with v. good measure of determination!! It doesn't cure it - time is a healer - but really think it helps to manage it & accelerate the recovery ! Hx
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Post by maxine on Dec 2, 2007 14:51:29 GMT
These are some of the things i did to help overcome PND.
I started by getting some routine in my own life, making sure i ate meals and that my partner did at least one night feed so i could get a little bit of sleep.
I drank cammomile tea as i often felt anxious, and cammomile tea is a mild natural sedative.
At the end of each day i would write down the things in the day that i felt bad about, and try to find something positive about them
I made sure i got out of the house with summer once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
At the end of each day i would choose two statements such as, i am a confident mum and fill one note pad page full (affirmations) i would then read that page the next morning and at lunch time
I got a book on baby massage and even though i didnt feel like it, made myself massage summer each night, after the first few times i found it very enjoyable as did she.
I made little blocks of time, just ten minutes at a go, to spend playing with summer, something i found very difficult, and gradually built it up more and more.
I learned to accept that there will always be bad days, but each dayis a chance to start afresh.
I used aromatherapy oils, cammomile and lavender in a warm bath each night. I put a few drops of rosemary oil on my pillow at night as it is good for depression.
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Post by winegirl on Dec 2, 2007 20:18:14 GMT
Thankd for sharing your tips Maxine. Definately gonns give the camomile tea a go for the anxiety!
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Post by Scarlet on Jan 2, 2008 10:17:47 GMT
Things that have helped me with my recovery. Remind yourself that blips are part of recovery. You need to know this because you can tend to lull yourself into a false sense of security when you are feeling well (and cocky ) and then you are apt to come back down to earth with a whopper of a bang. So expect to have a 'lot', but know that they will get few and far between and become less intense as you recover. Even if you are 95% recovered you are still prone to blips, and stress can bring on biggies (even towards the end of recovery), forewared in forearmed so they say Know that during a blip, you will feel like you are back to square one and have never recovered an iota (even if others reassure you ~ you will never believe them), this is NORMAL to think this way, and you will continue to feel like this whenever you have a blip ~ but it will pass. Arm yourself with as much information as possible (information is power), and read the success stories and about all the celebs who had PNI when you are feeling down, and know that it will be you one day ~ because it will. Read up on the PNI pattern in the General thread, in fact print it and stick in on your wall. Don't google your symptoms (and worry yourself sick), just keep the list of anxiety symptoms nearby and whenever you get the urge to google, check the list (in the general thread) ~ you can be sure your symptom is on the list if you have PNI. Get yourself a support network of friends, family, this site, anyone that you can 'use' to help with your recovery. Try to be around positive people whenever you can. Get out and about at least once a day, even if it's only for half hour or for a walk in the garden ~ it really helps. But overall know that it is a temporary condition that will go with time.
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Post by cheshire on May 27, 2009 7:15:24 GMT
Thought I'd bump this thread as found it quite useful a few years ago
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