keepingupwithlife

I have to admit, lately I haven’t been coping very well at all. I’ve let the pain take over, and for the last several weeks, I’ve spent most of my time sleeping rather than doing something useful. I let my “anti-depression” methods lapse, and slipped into a suicidal depression, losing the hope that things would ever get any better. I guess the thing that really pushed me into DOING something is that the pain got so bad that I had to do something to make it better or die, and death is not an option. There are people who need me, and I can’t walk away from that.

The fact that we don’t have health insurance makes it more difficult. I can’t afford to go to the doctor, and even if I could, I wouldn’t be able to afford to fill the prescriptions, but I’ve found some options that don’t require a prescription.

WARNING: If you are seeing a doctor and/or taking medications, discuss any herbal or essential oil treatments with your doctor, and check for possible drug interactions BEFORE trying them. Herbs and essential oils have active ingredients that can interact with medications, other herbs/oils, or vitamins/supplements; make diseases worse; and affect lab work. They can also be very helpful if you do the necessary research to make sure you’re using them safely.

• Hot baths: In the last several weeks, the only time I’ve been pain free is the time I spent soaking in a hot bath. (A hot tub or whirlpool would be better, but I don’t have access to one.)

• Lavender essential oil: Lavender is one of the few essential oils that can be applied directly to the skin without causing a chemical burn. I use it in multiple ways, for many purposes. Lavender oil is calming, antidepressant, relieves pain, is antirheumatic, antiseptic, settles the digestive system, promotes healing of wounds, increases the activity of the white cells in fighting infection, is antispasmodic and anticonvulsive, reduces blood pressure, and can be used as a bug repellent.(It should be used with extreme care by pregnant women, as it can bring on mensturation.) I use lavender in the hot baths I mentioned (20 drops added directly to the water), applied to the temples to ease headaches, mixed with other essential oils and a carrier oil for skin care and wound care/first aid, and inhale the scent directly from the bottle to calm and relax myself and help reduce depression.

• Catnip:  Yes, I know, catnip is for cats. It is also a sedative for humans, as well as an antispasmodic which can soothe an upset stomach and ease diarrhea and colic. I use a tablespoon of dried catnip (with 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon for flavor) to make a relaxing bedtime tea. In the morning, I make a tea with 1 Tbsp catnip, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. The cinnamon and nutmeg are both stimulants, so they counteract the sedative properties of the catnip, while still allowing it to calm and relax me.

• Nutmeg: As I mentioned in the catnip entry, nutmeg is a stimulant which keeps the catnip from putting me to sleep. It is also an antidepressant, which helps to control the depression that accompanies chronic illness. However, I have to be extremely cautious with it, since I am also bipolar, and nutmeg can trigger a manic or hypomanic episode.

• Feverfew: I use feverfew (in capsules) to prevent migraines. In addition, if I do get a migraine, I add dried feverfew to an herbal tea with ginger and a bay leaf. (Feverfew is another herb that should not be used by pregnant women, as there is a slight chance it could cause a miscarriage.)

• Muslin tea bags: Not so much a coping strategy as a convenience, muslin tea bags are much better than tea balls if you use ground herbs and spices in your teas. A tea ball will allow ground herbs to escape thru the mesh, clouding your tea, while a muslin tea bag is fine enough to contain the powder, and is still reusable.

• Hot and Cold packs: I have two TheraBeads microwaveable hot packs (one of which is a cervical collar type pad,) and several reusable ice packs I use for painful areas. The hot packs get used more often, but if I have an inflamed joint, heat will frequently make it MORE painful, and I use an ice pack instead. There are also times when alternating heat and cold works the best. (When alternating, 20 minutes of heat, followed by a 20 minute break, then 20 minutes of cold and another 20 minute break works best.)

• Hypnosis CDs: It doesn’t really seem to matter what particular subject the hypnosis deals with, it’s more the relaxation and concentrating on something other than the pain that seems to do the trick.
• Meditation: Meditation relaxes and centers me, although it’s more difficult to focus when I’m in pain. If it’s too difficult to concentrate, I use a guided meditation or hypnosis CD.

• Writing: Sometimes writing about the way I’m feeling is cathartic, but other times I need to write about something else entirely, to distract myself.

• Cooking: On days when I can, cooking helps me to feel useful and appreciated, and allows me to express my creativity in another way. Most of my cooking involves throwing in a bit of this and a pinch of that, and seeing what I end up with. I use a lot of herbs and spices in my cooking, and sometimes choose according to the medicinal properties of what I’m using.

• Reading: I read a lot of non-fiction, especially on the subject of alternative healing, and treatments for my illnesses, but if I really need to just relax and get away from it, I read science fiction/fantasy.

• IRC (Internet Relay Chat): I have a lot of online friends (real friends, that I’ve known for years) that I can talk to about what’s going on with me. Some of them have literally saved my life by talking me thru it when I was suicidal, and some I’ve even met r/l (real life.)

• Exercise: This one is the most difficult for me. I don’t LIKE exercising, and when the pain is extreme, or I’m seriously depressed, the motivation just isn’t there; but I’ve noticed that on the days I manage to force myself into some mild exercise, I feel better.

There’s my list, I hope you find something in it that will help you cope with your own illness, or the illness of someone you care for. I’ll be doing resource pages and/or posts in the near future, with book recommendations and links to websites for more information on the various coping mechanisms I’ve listed.

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