Hi everyone,
Was in a really bad place last few days! Im scared!! need something to keep me sane so this morning i remembered post about colouring so my question is what i would get from it. The only thing is my hands dont work very well but i will willing take on extra pain if i thought i would get anything!! Feeling desperate please give me your thoughts.
Thanks
Hi anneadams
Firstly, I am so genuinely sorry to read that you are feeling in such a bad place and it may help to talk to somebody about this? I was wondering if your GP or Medical Specialist were approachable?
As for colouring, well my wife colours in a lot. She has a regular subscription to an adult colouring magazine that gives her hours of pleasure creating and colouring, and she finds the whole experience so relaxing.
She suffers with Primary Progressive MS, and her hands are not too good either but she puts her pens down and lines up the colours that she wants to use for when her hands are feeling more cooperative. From what I have observed from her reaction, is that it is akin to a mixture of returning to earlier days in her life when things were innocent and peaceful, and the calm that people say they experience whilst viewing an aquarium. I think that is the way that I would sum it up!
It does not have to be colouring if you fancy doing something else? Anything artistic that you feel that you could do and find relaxing may help? However, please remember that it must be relaxing and enjoyable, and not something that will frustrate you or get you anxious as this will surely defeat the object of the exercise.
I want to genuinely and sincerely wish you all the best of luck with whatever you decide to have a go at?
All my hopes and dreams for you
Ken
Hobbycraft may do them, I'm sorry you feel how you do, Remember we are all here for you if you need to talk x
First link is for shops that sell them and 2nd link is for ones you can download google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid... 2nd link google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid...
The works do a great reasonably selection ,I have found it relaxing takes your mind of things,leave it out all the time, I colour whilst watching the TV, I know seems odd,but it surprising how easy it is,no different than lots of people doing knitting and stitching.have a go ,my granddaughters think I'm silly,you will be surprised how many people have taken it up. Best wishes.
Had a colouring book for my birthday, I love it! Not very good at it but it is very soothing and relaxing. Mine was a small book that you can take with you, but there are lots available. Most of the supermarkets stock them and the pens or pencils. Have a go!
Hi - having suffered a brain illness on top of everything else I would certainly recommend the colouring books as a bit of therapy - wish someone had told me about them in my first few weeks' of recovery ! .... best thing for me then would have been to have something creative to do - that was non competitive - no right or wrong - easy to pick up put down and some sense of achievement. I ended up doing some basic cookery - as I could just follow recipes rigidly and added benefit of something homemade and yummy at the end of it - maybe try different types of colouring ?
Good luck 
Hi there. Hope you are feeling a little better now? You have my sympathies for your struggle right now, just know things will improve.
I used to do art. Proper art, painting in oils etc. but my hands cramp up now and it's hard to focus much, let alone for a long period of time. So a few months ago I picked up an adult colouring book in Tesco and a large pack of sharpies they had on sale at the time. Since then I've extended my range of pens, mostly because the sharpies went through onto the next page. Ordered them online along with a colouring book dedicated to cats. I have quite a few books to choose from depending on my mood. I also have metallic pens to give a different look. It's been great for my anxiety levels and for diverting my thoughts away from pain. I do struggle some days with the cramp and as I suffer twitching, that means pen can randomly be diverted outside lines, lol. But I do recommend it. My hand cramped quite badly for the first week but then improved. It's not always cramp free but the benefits outweigh the problems.
P.
I have seen somewhere that if you have problems holding a pen or paint bush to make a hole in a ball and then push the pen into the hole. you can then hold the ball instead of holding the pen.
itried it out with a tenniss ball of the dogs and found that it was too big. Thinking about it the solid balls come in allweight and sizes and would hol the pen more securly/
Scuse typing new glasses that might yet end up in the bin. 
Think ken has summed up completely
I love using acrylics / oils & water colours they free flow without too much effort have foam holders for the brushes.self expression & beautiful colours ...I tend to get lostin my art .
I really hope that dark place gets some light I have been there
Hugs to all
Hi Did you find that it helped you. I have loved painting for years but I get frustrated when I cannot do it.
I have found it therapeutic and calming. I started with a book from Amazon which was okayish but choosing one from The Works, (other stationery shops available), meant I bought one that was more tailored to me. There are ones with animals, gardens, patterns, even a wallpaper one! Also different sizes so you can slip one in a handbag.
I use colouring pencils, there are ones that don't break if you use more pressure. I also bought a couple of rubbers and a nice pencil case so I can take it all anywhere. It did feel like I was going back to school though!
I can thoroughly recommend it.
I love coloring beads lace making knitting crochet writing anything which helps me to create and calm my mind, if it appears child like it doesn't matter.. I have reached an age ''thankfully'' where what others think doesn't matter if it makes your heart sing, do it Gentle hugs xx
Problem is what to do first. Iam Needle Tatting at the moment to get some practice in. I can do it but its untidy.
I have crochet and cross stitch projects on the go and its time that i starten on xmas pressies.
I am going ti be the odd one out as usual. The zentangle books dive me mad with all those fiddly little bits, but would love to get my hands on an adult colouring book that has fant lines forming the basics of a picture.
When i was in my teens i used to get some from stourbridge but i hvnt seen any for years.
I took up colouring a couple of months ago and find the benefits are great. Very calming and peaceful.. Even if its not perfect( for your hands I mean) it will still benefit you I'm sure. Have a look on Amazon for books and pencils etc. Good luck.
I'm really sorry you are feeling so bad, I do feel for you.
My hands are terrible now and it's difficult to do much at all, but I do find watercolour painting is possible as it is so soft and flowing. However, it is important to do it for the sheer enjoyment of it! I've always been a dreadful perfectionist and I've had to accept that if my painting just looks a mess at the end, it really doesn't matter as long as it gave me pleasure - and just messing about with the pretty colours of the paints is a pleasure in itself.
Another suggestion is jigsaw puzzles as it is difficult to think about anything else once you're absorbed in doing one.
Hope you find something to do that will relax you and that you can enjoy.
Mim
You may like to look at my reply futher up that suggests using a ball.
Hi there,
I was suffering from very bad depression about this time last year, and a friend sent me a colouring book. At first I wondered how on earth she thought I, as an adult would do colouring, surely that was for children, but no, once I started I found that I became completely absorbed and the thoughts which were so troubling me seemed to go away as I had to concentrate on the colouring. Then I got well and truly hooked and went on to doing Mandalas, quite intricate ones and the more intricate they are the more I forgot the things which were making feel so low. I really can recommend this as a form of therapy and know that it is now being used by some therapists to help their clients.
If you look where Lin-63 has suggested you will find a vast array to choose from, and also you can buy crayons, gel pens, of various felt tips suitable.
I really sincerely hope you try this and that you find the same solace in it that I certainly have and that I know others here have done too.
Sending lots of positive soothing and calming vibes your way !
Foggy x
Sorry you are in a bad place, try and find something that will stimulate your mind, colouring should be good. find a hobby, something that your hands are occupied with. did you do anything at school that you liked? i did kumihimo which is Japanese braiding. it was a lot of laughs.
Hi yes give colouring a go I find I can b distracted from every thing can onlydo it for a short time as the hands r painfull. Have fun and b as colour full as you like perfection not required. Have fun
Tty using a ball, ive explained on a reply near the top of the thread.
Hi colouring is so calming and I become completely absorbed. I had a very bad thumb injury due to a fall and was unable to do any of my crafts (it had to be my writing hand). However I downloaded a free colouring app. This enabled me to enlarge the picture and I just tapped on the colour I wanted and touched the relevant area with my good hand.
The works do a good selection and I have also seen some at Asda so you can browse these first. However if you put in adult colouring pictures on google or pin interest you will find adult colouring pictures. Zentangle is another area of colouring and less restrictive.
I hope you are feeling better.
HI PEACE2014
THANKSFOR YOUR REPLY, I WILL LOOK INTO THE PLACES YOU HAVE GIVEN ME.
HOPE YOU ARE AS WELL AS YOU CAN BE
hi everyone, thanyou for all your replies. I am going to give this ago,take it slow and see what happens. I kinda feel excited about it, at least thats a start!
Once again thankyou
Gentle hugs on their way
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