To list or not to list things I must take care of

[mabess01]

i often think i need to write a list of all the things i need to do to climb out of this anxiety and depression hole I am in. The sheer thought of writing the list causes anxiety. how will I ever get any where if I dont start somewhere. grrr. I guess the biggest thing I have to tackle is driving phobia. There is so little help for this. I bet a 100 people over the years have said I can help you drive, and or offered some form of advice. yeah no you can't feel so helpless.

[BonnieSue]

Are you determined to tackle your anxiety and depression without meds? Depending on the severity it seems you might want to see a doctor and find out if yours is strong enough to need meds. Especially since you've developed a phobia, that's a sign that your anxiety may well be quite strong.

Whatever you choose to do, I'm all for your success, wishing you great results! I'll be your cheering section!! I have GAD, bipolar II, some OCD and PTSD. I do understand a lot about how difficult these problems can be to live with, how they can make you suffer. But I've seen a lot of success in my life and I wish you the same!! ;o)

[jodilynnaz in reply to BonnieSue]

good point about the meds!!! For unknown reasons, I thought there was some virtue in white knuckling it. When it became impossible to do so, I wondered why did I wait so long, all that agony did not help me and I could have been feeling so much better.

[jodilynnaz]

If you haven't already, #1 on the list is finding a therapist you feel comfortable with. One hard part is deciding if you are uncomfortable because it's a new situation, facing your fears with a stranger, or if it's just not the best therapist for you.

My experience with lists is they become unrealistically long and then I felt discouraged at making so little progress with the list. So I have just a few little things, like I don't have the energy or motivation to clean up my house, but when I get off the couch, sometimes I remember to put one thing away. I check my email every morning to see if I have any from a friend. I check for activities I can realistically do that would be a good distraction. And if all else fails, I hide in the TV. I never used to watch TV much at all, but it's there if I need it to distract myself from sadness and loneliness.