Relief and Respite Covid Edition
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Relief and Respite Covid Edition "There must be some kind of way out of here, "
Said the joker to the thief,
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief.
One of the most enduring arguments my inner addict had was I needed to drink to get relief or respite from my life...
maybe I was over tired, or not sleeping, or angry,or scared...or just plain fed up.
I remember thinking of drinking as releasing the valve on the pressure cooker, or 'blowing out the cobwebs'... I also remember thinking it's not fair I can't get any respite when billions of other people can...
and so I'd drink.
I look back now and the truth was there was no respite... not really...
If my drunk-on 'worked' it only did so for a few hours.
The things that drive me to drink were still there...in fact drinking used to add to my fear or my disgust about things and I'd, more often that not, drink some more and 'come to' a week later with a whole list of new problems,
If drinking didn't work (which became the default by the end of my drinking years) there was nothing to help me with the maelstrom of emotions, and nothing between me and the hell in my head.
The really bad thing was that reaching for the bottle reinforced alcohol's place as my number one go-to help tool.
I never bothered to learn other ways of coping ...
like the old saying says
if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail
Yes, there's a lot of links
...but I wanted to illustrate just a small selection of the other options open to everyone besides drinking and/or using 
It's true...none of these ways to gain respite and relief I'm about to post is likely to work instantly.
Most of them will require practice and effort.
I think as drinkers/addicts we got used to immediate gratification, and some of us (like me) forgot that work effort and patience are not necessarily bad things?
The following links are not exhaustive but they might just be that first step in getting a fully stocked toolbox
Edit: I've added some new links, and ones dealing with todays COVID crisis.
mostly Aussie links for now but I'll add more eventually.
I'll fix the formatting when the site is fully fixed
D __________________________________
Anxiety
Put a Stop to Your Anxiety with These 8 Simple Tips
anxiety breathing techniques
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...techniqes.html
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...echniques.html
Social Anxiety
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Res...Social-Anxiety
10 tips for managing anxiety during covid19
https://blackdoginstitute.org.au/new...uring-covid-19
Some anxiety can be helpful - how to manage-your covid 19 fears
https://www.smh.com.au/national/some...17-p54asa.html
Insomnia
10 tips to beat insomnia - Live Well - NHS Choices
Insomnia Tips for Better Sleep!
How to get a better nights sleep during coronavirus
https://blackdoginstitute.org.au/new...ng-coronavirus
Relaxation techniques
Relaxation Techniques For Sleep
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/m...Relaxation.pdf
Relaxation Techniques Home| UMMC Midtown Campus
Calming Techniques and Coping Skills
The Calming Technique: Breathing
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/m... Breathing.pdf
Breathing Retraining
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/m...Retraining.pdf
Building better coping skills | ReachOut.com Australia
Calming Your Emotions covid19
https://covid19.thiswayup.org.au/wp-...r-Emotions.pdf
Problem solving
All about problem solving | ReachOut.com Australia
Knowing What to Say during covid19
https://covid19.thiswayup.org.au/wp-...hat-to-Say.pdf
Stress
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...44-stress.html
Positive thinking: Reduce stress by eliminating negative self-talk - Mayo Clinic
Coping With Stress
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/m...ith Stress.pdf
Exercise your way to better mental health
https://blackdoginstitute.org.au/new...-mental-health
Managing stress and anxiety during COVID-19
https://services.unimelb.edu.au/coun...ss-and-anxiety
Coping with COVID19 Stress
https://headspace.org.au/assets/Uplo...-Stress-v1.pdf
Negative self talk
Thought Stopping: A Technique to Quiet the Negative Voice in Your Head
Challenging negative thinking | ReachOut.com Australia
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/negat...tive_n_3009832
The ABC's of Thinking and Feeling
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/m...nd Feeling.pdf
Unhelpful Thinking
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/m...ing Styles.pdf
Focusing on Solutions covid19
https://covid19.thiswayup.org.au/wp-...-Solutions.pdf
Fear
A Buddhist approach
Dealing with Fear | Mahakankala Buddhist Center ? Meditation in Santa Barbara, California
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...g-rabbits.html
Let Go of Fear by Stopping the Stories in Your Head
managing_fears during COVID19
https://www.harvard.edu/sites/defaul...aging_fears_A2[5].pdf
How do I manage my fear in the era covid 19
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/b...e-era-covid-19
Anger
Dealing with Anger and Impulsivity
http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/...mpulsivity.pdf
Acknowledging and dealing with anger
https://www.relationships.org.au/rel...ing-with-anger
What is Anger
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/m...t is Anger.pdf
anger coping strategies
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/m...Strategies.pdf
When coronavirus anger is displaced
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/b...s-is-displaced
Boredom
Why Boredom Is Anything but Boring - Scientific American
6 Tips for Coping with Boredom.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...coping-boredom
7 ways to beat the boredom blues
https://web.archive.org/web/20180317...boredom-blues/
Boredom is not a problem to be solved. It's the last privilege of a free mind
https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...lege-free-mind
looking for something to do?
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/newcomers-recovery/168498-looking-something-do.html
Building Self Esteem (thanks Kaneda)
http://ideas.ted.com/5-ways-to-build...ign=pockethits
also
the information sheets on many of the topics discussed here from The Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) Western Australia
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Res...rmation-sheets
Please, feel free to add your own ideas tips or methods
D
Last edited by Dee74; 04-30-2020 at 07:45 PM. Reason: format
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