Why do I need mental vacations?

Old 12-11-2008, 08:37 AM
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Why do I need mental vacations?

I feel like sometimes I need a total zone out from life and I need to know how other people deal with life without doing some kind of mindless, often destructive activity-whether it be using or drinking, overeating, sex, gambling. even something physically harmless like watching TV hours on end.

Most of the time I'm content and caring and responsible, but sometimes I just really wanna forget about everything and everyone and just not deal with it at all for a few hours. Is this normal? For me this inevitably means eating like crazy, drinking, using, or having sex. If I don't do these activities then I "zone" out by obsessing over something or doing something compulsively. However I can't easily predict when the time comes? I guess something builds up inside? I don't know.

I wrote this in the secular connections because I'm an atheist and I don't want to have to read people telling me I'm like this because I'm spiritually empty. lol

Thanks,
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Old 12-11-2008, 09:30 AM
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I need mental vacations, too...but all of the things I do to get them are unhealthy. Shoot, I've been on the computer for 9 hours...ever since I got up at 3 this morning after a bad binge.

I wish I knew what to do about it, but like you said, I don't really know when it's going to happen, and when it hits, watch out.
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Old 12-11-2008, 12:10 PM
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I do the zone out and hide under the duvet..
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Old 12-11-2008, 02:36 PM
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I play mine sweeper for hours.

I consider it to be one of the many forms of godless meditation

Maybe I should try the sex one...it sounds more fun!
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Old 12-11-2008, 02:51 PM
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Originally Posted by ananda View Post
Maybe I should try the sex one...it sounds more fun!

Yeah, it does.
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Old 12-11-2008, 03:42 PM
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hooray for sex !!!
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Old 12-12-2008, 03:14 AM
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Sex! Whats that? Im sure I used to know.
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Old 12-12-2008, 03:49 AM
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Escapism is my religion too. I used to think something was wrong with me (and maybe there is, probably in fact) but have come to enjoy my little trips away. Spent a lot of them very much off the planet, but am finding there's a grounding I enjoy, I like the idea of enjoying what I'm doing while I'm doing it AND not regretting it afterward. There are lots of things to invest yourself in that provide great rewards beyond excesses of vice. That's not to say I don't still enjoy the vices, as it seems we all do, but I've started by moderating those things that I know will bring me down afterward. It feels better.
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Old 12-12-2008, 05:39 AM
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Hello, fall.
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Old 12-12-2008, 06:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Bamboozle View Post
Hello, fall.
Hi Bamboozle. I'm quite pleased to be writing here on this forum. You know, I've explored other sites and never found anything comperable to what I find here. People here seem Real. I need more Reality in my life.
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Old 12-12-2008, 03:34 PM
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I have a couple games for my Nintendo DS that allow me to take "mental vacations". One of them is so simple you simply look in a picture for little items. There's nothing wrong with these activities. I think its good to get away in a healthy way.

Fall, glad to see you here in Secular Connections.
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Old 12-12-2008, 04:15 PM
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Being that I'm gonna be on disablilty, I'm on an extended one...

I think it's helping though.
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Old 12-15-2008, 10:26 AM
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I don't know what I'd do with real time off, away from work. I've always thought it would be a grand opportunity to DO something, really invest myself into some project I've long wanted to do but didn't have the time. Though I wonder if I keep myself perennially "too busy" out of fear...

Doorknob, does your disability prevent you from doing something you've aspired to accomplish? Or maybe just taking it easy for awhile is an aspiration in itself.
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