dealing with time

[rabbar]

elderly on my own with ocd and anxiety. Little sleep, would welcome advice on how to fill

the days

[Hidden]

Hi

What sort of interests do you have? I find self help books a boost when Im feeling down with anxiety. Can loose hours reading them and self helping at the same time! two birds with one stone??

From

Ashh

[rabbar in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. I'll try one

[Hidden]

How elderly,what age if you don't mind saying,how long have you felt like this?I,m 63 and feel I,m the oldest on here!Depending on your age I could tell you how I pass the time.

[rabbar in reply to Hidden]

I am 71. You are young. I look forward to hearing from you

[Hidden]

How elderly,what age if you don't mind saying,how long have you felt like this?I,m 63 and feel I,m the oldest on here!Depending on your age I could tell you how I pass the time.

[Hidden]

How elderly,what age if you don't mind saying,how long have you felt like this?I,m 63 and feel I,m the oldest on here!Depending on your age I could tell you how I pass the time.

[Deecey]

I like your postive pro active approach to your ocd/anxiety....Firstly write a list of things you love to do, what makes you smile, takes your mind of away from your illness...then set about doing them....get out and about, be amongst people, if you dont mind joining in groups why not source one out...Age Concern are great as is your local library for advertising local interest groups...Plus dont let age be a barrier, get exercising if you can, swimming, walking, dancing...stick the radio on, radio 2 is great most days, has a good debate on Jeremy Vine between 12-2pm, always gets my heckles up some of it ha, plus good music....stick some comedy on, I like silly humour never fails, Norman Wisdom kind of thing....hope this helps Dee

[rabbar in reply to Deecey]

Yes - thank you

[Hidden]

If I am busy I feel better,I have a dog and yesterday I went out for a walk for about 2hrs and I have passing conversations with other people,lots of other people want to stop and chat too.About an hour after I got home I did feel bored and lonely,I read books and do crosswords and easy puzzles,this is an IPad I am using and it is a blessing,I must be on it a few hours a day ,always at different times,if I can't sleep I use it in bed.i watch soaps on tv at night.I retired about 18 months ago and this is when my anxiety got bad,I hate not working but don't want to do charity or any other kind of work.I think it has a lot to do with my worrying?I did think about taking other people's dog out for them but know it would not work as I would get into a state thinking something would happen when I had them,my dog was 4 before I even let him off his lead.

[Hidden]

I'm 50 and just had to give up my job. Finding it difficult with so much time on my hands. I find hvg a plan helps so that I hv something to achieve every day. I too hv a dog and she gets me out and about. She's also very funny makes me smile and gives me someone to talk to! Have you thought about some voluntary work. There are plenty of options and you can usually pick how many hours you do. Good luck. X

[rabbar in reply to Hidden]

agoraphobia - so find it hard - i need to plan as you do

[joella]

I'm 68 and recognise the feeling of 'filling in time'. Radio 4 Extra is great because many of the programmes transport me back to the kinder, less aggressive world of my younger days. And BBC radio World Service seems to have the older values. I also get a lot of pleasure from reading - (e-books and audio books are great). I try to write a review of everything I read which helps keep the old brain box ticking over. If you just want human contact, I'm sure there's a way to chat online on this site (though I don't know how to do it!!) and I'd be happy to talk to you.

[rabbar in reply to joella]

sorry have only just read this. chatting on line as we are doing does help. I had forgotten to look.

[Hidden]

Hi Rabar,

I am 65, I spend my time on hobbies,

Yoga, swimming and walking, plus occasional trips to the theatre.

I have arthritis, and the walking group is a NHS one, and they are usually for 1 hour, they have them in all different areas. Its good to be outdoors and we have formed a good group of friends, and go to the local cafe for coffee. I have to take pain killers and anti-inflammatory pills, but it helps to keep my muscles going.

Have you a choir, that you could join??

Have you an Age Concern near you as they offer you help.

Is there a local night school or community centre?

I hope this helps.

Eunice

[Hidden]

Oh,glad I am not the only older person with this,no one really to talk to about it unless on here,it's a blight on your life ,more so for others,I have to force myself to go out,I did not realise this until few weeks ago,I always thought or got myself to believe I would be better staying in the house,just makes you so unhappy.I try to hide it from my family,or the worst of it,I have two daughters one of them has MS,so can't worry her and the other daughter has worries of her own.My best friend who I can tell anything and she always has been supportive can't help me now as her o/h had 2 brain haemorrhages and has been left with brain damage and has been in hospital the last 6 months ,he will be in for a very long while and it is now my friend that needs support from me

[rabbar in reply to Hidden]

I am sorry Lindalou. Very hard for you. Hang on in

[joella in reply to Hidden]

Life simply isn't fair, is it? It must be dreadful for you. Like you, I have two daughters and, like yours, they have their share of troubles. And again, like you, I don't really tell them much about how I'm feeling. But I'm coming to the conclusion that this might be a mistake. When they're young, obviously you protect them as much as possible and I think we mums carry this over to their adult lives. In a way, I think we lose the art of actually telling anyone about ourselves (except anonymously on sites like this) and put a shell around ourselves. Perhaps they would actually like to know so that they can feel they're giving something back?