Suzmarie,
I just read your post. Sorry I'm a few days late with a response; however, after reading your post, my heart goes out to you. I am hardly ever depressed or have any uncontrolable anxiety attacts. Why not? I have learned how to be my own best friend. Anxiety Attacts or Depression is not something that make us feel very good. Unless it's a chemical imblance, (which would require a doctor's intervention), it usually not a 360 degree turn a dime. It is a process, that usually starts out slowly and gets larger as it steadly creeps upon us, (at least for me, that's the way it was; it's not something that just drop on our heads, like a piece of sheet rock breaking away from our ceilings, it gives us warning that it's about to pay us a visit.
This warning gives us time to prepare, as we do when there is a severe storm coming and in some cases, we can head it off or stop it dead in it's tracks. The ladies on this page have offered some positive suggestions; allow me to add to their conversations. Do you take vitamins? I know we are supposed to get all the vitamins we need, in our food and doctors may say it's a waste of money; however, this may not be the case for all seniors, that we get enough vitamins in our food.
I take one Centrum, 2 E-vitamins (400 units each), one super B-Complex, one additional B-6, one Niacin, 1,000 mg of vitamin C or drink lots of orange juice every day. These vitamins helps to give unbelievable energy, calm one's nerves and last as long as 12 hours in the body, (urine will be a little yellow, when taking the B-Complex). It may take a few days to a week after starting the vitamins before one realizes, hey, I am feeling so much better, emotionally. I am not suggesting you take you these vitamins. I am not a doctor or even work in the medical field. I am just talking about what works for me.
There are days when I do get tired of popping these vitamin pills and just stop take them. After a few days without them in my body, I find myself sluggish and have no energy, feeling drained and just want to lie around on my couch watching television all day and that's no fun; unless it's a rainy day; then I'm cool with a blanket, a book and something I shouldn't be eating like, a big bowl of butter pecan ice cream, cookies, a slice of pie, candy or something like that, (smile).
Other things, that helps me not to deal with anxiety or depression, is listening to my favorite music. I have my son make me a personal CD, with just the music I love on it, (I mix it up from gospel to country and soft rock); or copy it to my little ipod. This way, I can listen to one particular song 4-5 times in a row, if I like. I put my headphones on; on this way, I am not distrubing anyone else, who lives in my apartment building. We have 11 other families living in my building. They don't have to hear the same song over and over again and I can listen to it as loud as I wish. Many times, I will even put a sign on my front door, which reads, I am busy and listening to music with my headphones, therefore, I cannot hear the door bell or the telephone (even though I do hear both sometimes, but do not answer either).
I am entitled to have some time doing each day, that's just for me. I can choose to share it or I can choose to have it as my private time. I know the choice is mine to make. I even give myself 3-4 hours of this alone time and include this information on my note posted on my door. There are times when I run into a neighbor and they say, I came be your apartment the other day and saw your posted note and didn't knock; when I ask what can I do for you and they say nothing, I was just droping by to say hi; I never feel guilty, because had they called, they would have known, it was not a good time to just drop in; I needed that time, to get my head back to where it needed to be. I have to take care of me, before I can take care of others and their problems; this is what I mean about, being my own best friend.
When I turn the music up, it drowns out the other little voices, that's trying to tell me I am about to get depressed or what ever negative thoughts that are trying to enter my conscious mind. Sometimes, I sing along with the artists or even dance, while I am doing my house work or making a larger dinner for my son and some of our friends. Reading is another way to transform our minds into another place; watching the travel channel, takes us to places we might not be able to visit ourselves and we get to learn something new about other culturals; watching the science channel, teaches us a little more about our earth, both on land and in the seas; watching the home garden show, teaches us how to do many things we thought was impossible and always paid someone else to do it. There is pure joy in trying and completing a task, that we would have paid a lot of money for someone else to do and watching comedy is always a great release of stress.
If you are not in the mood to do something around your home, or reading or watching TV, get in your car or on the bus, (if there is no car, like with me), go to the mall shopping, even if you don't have a dime in your pocket. I call it, wishing shopping and people watching. Many times, you may even run into someone you haven't seem in a long time; offer to have a cup of coffee with them, while there in the mall. This outing can take 3 to 4 hours or more; you are away from being home alone, feeling and thinking about anxiety. By the time you do get back home, your mind should have many more positive thoughts of your day, you can then share with family and friends.
Suzmarie, I hope at least one of my sentences will be of a positive nature for you. If one or to words spoken here helps you just a little, then it will also have been a great day for me as well. Remember what Dr. Martin Luther King said 40-50 years ago, "If I can help somebody along the way, then my living will not have been in nain" I hope this day will be full of sunshine in your heart, Dear Lady.
