Pandie

Hi all,

Well, I fell off the stupid wagon when I was able to get my pills on the 23rd. I'm back on track now, but need help in dealing with stress w/o turning to my old habits.

I'm extremely stressed out with my work and school schedule, and having problems with my roommate. She offered to help me get my car fixed in the Fall and then I got behind in rent when my hours got cut for a couple of months. I'm working more now and trying to pay what I can, but it's NEVER enough. The roommate situation is a complete CODEPENDENT nightmare and my therapist constantly stresses that I need to get the heck out of here. More on the roommate later (she is an emotional basketcase who triggers A LOT of my "mom" issues), another time, another post.

Anyone have any advice on dealing with the stressors of life w/o using?

Hope everyone is having a great week!!

~Pandie

macknacat

i used to call my sponsor COMPLETELY wacked out over my latest drama [don't get me wrong bad **** DOES happen] and he would let me go off on some rant that was speed freakish in its lack of commas and spaces lol . Finally he would just say "breathe honey.... just breathe"

he told me that his first prayer had been "god, please give me a quiet mind"

later on i learned to meditate. to journal....

Pandie

Thanks Macknacat

I do journal and that definitely helps . All will be MUCH better after my mid-term in the morning...

sheerExcellence

good luck on your midterm. for my stressing times i tend to listen to really loud music or exercise until i cant move anymore.

Stopdropburn

First, good job jumping right back in. Never feels good when you fall back on your progress, but the most important thing is not saying "Well I already fell off anyway", you got right back to it. Good job. First thing I would do is have a serious talk with your roomie and explain that you are doing your best to catch up with the resources available to you. Financial stresses can be hard to handle for anyone involved, I know this firsthand too, from all the money problems I created for myself as well. But definitely make a point to explain how negative her comments and remarks are and how badly they are effecting you. Any roomie usually starts as a friend, and if she's a friend she needs to show support and love for you too. Make it known that she's creating a problem in helping yourself get better. I don't know either of you, but hopefully she's not the type to cold-shoulder that conversation. As for stress, have you considered your diet and vitamin intake and how it may effect it? I sometimes need certain types of music, or need a constructive outlet like writing or guitar to help me divert my stress and aggression/depression. I find writing poetry or songs helpful for venting on inner emotional levels. Maybe try some kind of light exercise like jogging or yoga/stretching, just to get your body stretched out and get some good endorphins flowing? Just some ideas, hope they help. Feel better, you're healing, don't let anyone keep you down and out. Take care.

Pandie

Thanks so much Stopdropburn. Unfortunately my roommate is WHACKED, seriously, and yesterday, I sent her an email re. getting some cash for her and she emailed back that "Today is not a good day to talk to me about money"... WTF? She is SUCH a drama queen! I was nice and bought dogfood for our 3 dogs (2 are hers, one is mine). Usually she will take some $ off from that b/c the food we get them is about $50 for a 30lb bag which lasts about 5 weeks. Did she even say "Thanks", NO! I'm working my arse off which is good to keep my mind off of the pills , and helps with finances. Because I'm working F/T now, I've decided to drop Genetics and take it in July with the same professor. That still leaves me with one class, Human Neuroscience, but that's my thing and I can excel in that class if that's all I have to focus on. I'm also UBER lucky this week is Spring Break and while I still have to work, I'm house/pet-sitting which brings in more $ and the bonus is I get to get away from HER! The only problem is I miss my dog . The people where I'm house-sitting said she was welcome to come with me, but I don't want to stress out their elderly dog and bird. Today after work, I went by there to change out of my uniform, and she was planted on the sofa, having a pity party and the spirit of oppression just upon walking in that house was suffocating! I gave my dog a kiss and promised her I'd be back Monday before work (I live 5mins from where I work). I'm just sooooo over it. I want to take the extra $ I'm bringing in and move out then pay her back as horrible as that sounds. :/. She is a teacher and has a TWO-WEEK Spring Break beginning the week after mine. NOT looking forward to that AT ALL. But luckily I'll be busy with work and school. So glad I can't even get my Rx until the 23rd which is when her break is ending, otherwise, leaving those at the pharmacy would not happen. Thanks for listening. Thanks to everyone here at SR. Love all of yall!!

~Pandie