I know I've been talking a lot about Mike's obsessive thoughts and suicidal thoughts. What I've been most distressed about is I have felt like I'm running out of ideas on how to re-direct his thinking. I told him that we need new language to describe his feelings. Suicide isn't really what he is considering he says that in order to convey how anxious he is. So I suggested he simply tell me he is anxious and that he needs to talk awhile. I told him this because I'm afraid he will say suicide to the wrong person and they will immediately send him to the hospital.
What I see occurring is this. His day is fairly structured for most of the day.
7:00 am - Up and eats breakfast.
8:00 - 9:00 - Goes to Subway for his lunch sandwich or the grocery store.
10:00-11:00 (Monday Wednesday Friday) to the gym
11:00 - 12:00 Lunch at home or out with his friend.
12:00 - 4:00 He will take a 30 minute walk or visit the next door neighbor. Usually takes his shower. He may watch tv or do some household chore.
4:30 - He eats dinner.
4:30 - 8:00 THIS HAS BEEN THE TIME HE GETS ANXIOUS
So I'm coming up with a schedule of things to do between 4:30 - 8:00
5:00 - 6:00 Straighten up the kitchen. Watch tv, listen to music or read. Basically let his food digest.
6:00 - 7:00 Do yoga (He has done some yoga at his gym) So I created a yoga manual for beginners of poses that are good for anxiety complete with pictures so he can do them at home.
7:00 - Take medications
7:00 - 8:00 - Drink his hot Sprite and write in his journal about his positive thoughts. All the things that are good in his life. (He's been doing this for awhile now in an effort to distract him from his negative thoughts)
This all sounds pretty basic but he follows the clock. He's very regimented and it is time that he doesn't know how to fill that gets his anxiety up.
I told him the other day about how the right side of our brain is our creative side and the left is analytical. I told him he has given my right brain such a work out that my head now tilts to the right. I'm always trying to think of something new to try.
8:00 - Go to bed!
I just finished making him a yoga manual of simple basic yoga poses that are supposed to be good for anxiety.
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5 weeks ago
4 comments:
You are perseptive and creative, indeed. Someday you will have to write a book.
Think you are probably right on. He appears to do well as long as there is structure. Smart of you to extend his schedule. Hope it works for him.
What Olga and Patti said. He is so lucky to have you!
maybe a 1 to 10 scale for his anxiousness would help, like a pain scale
get him a dvr or netflix and maybe old movies to keep him calm
teach him to knit
solitaire
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