(no subject)

[noahgibbs]

This week, Rob says:

If you're like most people, you have an ailment you've learned to live with. It's bothersome though not incapacitating. Maybe you've tried various treatments for it, but it never quite goes away, or it recedes for a while and returns in force. That's the bad news. The good news, Gemini, is that you now have extra power to zap that nagging malady. I suggest you start the process by having a dialogue with the affected part of your body. Explain to it why you really want it to heal itself now. Next step: Devote yourself to doing the research and getting the help that brings a total cure.

I have something along these lines that I've been pondering. Not fallout from my accident - that's all healing quite well. No clue how I'd *cure* that one, though.

I do best when I'm in crisis. When I'm overstimulated, my stomach is knotted and hurts from stress, I'm underslept, and I have three things that need to get done *now*... My mind just sings. When things suck and I'm bracing for impact, I'm also up - my heart beats faster, my mind works better, my motivation is *way* better...

And this doesn't lead to a calm life. It leads to drama. It leads to an all-or-nothing problem-solving approach. It's part of the reason I say things like "I'd rather set the drapes on fire than be bored." It's why if you ask me, "what would you like to do for a living if money was no object" I give uniformly life-endangering answers like "firefighter".

I've been settling down to a more and more normal life, to a life with some degree of stability, and some amount of stuff that works right, and some number of people (friends, girlfriends, even coworkers) I'm not in the process of moving on from... And that stability is pretty naturally incompatible with that set of reactions.

How do I get around that? I have no clue. No idea.

Comments

[sillymesaysme.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on most of that. What is this boredom thing people keep talking about? Get involved in more/new stuff? That seems to be where my time goes every time I get bored where I'm at.

[angelbob.livejournal.com]

Indeed. I just do this in some fairly unhealthy ways, as well as the healthy ones.

[plantgirl.livejournal.com]

If you come up with any possibilities, let me know.

I grew up learning crisis management as a life-style. I've learned (largely) not to create crisis in my life just to have the clarity they bring, but I haven't learned how to function in day-to-day life without a level of crisis to help me make decisions. At this point, my day-to-day life often snowballs out of control until that, in itself, becomes a crisis, and gives me an out.

It's better than what was, but I hate the pattern and I don't know how to break it.

[angelbob.livejournal.com]

Ditto. There are people who refer to things as an "angelbob crisis" - specifically, when you let a small problem go ignored until it becomes a big problem, thus generating a crisis to deal with.

Peep

[miss-mimsy.livejournal.com]

Ever try controlled freefall? Your body doesn't know that you aren't in danger and it reacts the same way as though you were really in free fall. The Drop Zone at Great America is the only close simulation I know of. The Edge (the previous free fall ride) was better for heart clenching terror.

Of course, once you rode the ride 25 times trying to do the quarter trick on Physics Day, it loses its ability to get the reaction. Moderation is the key, you can only trick yourself so many times before you have to up the odds.

Would it be possible to do something similar for your crisis mode? Create a simulated crisis area in your life, a personal roller coaster if you will, that you can visit when you need a little vicarious thrill but doesn't actually spill into your reality, so you can keep the calm stuff that is working for you.

The only other suggestion is to take up knitting (or perhaps chainmailing). I find that knitting on a pretty regular basis makes me feel like I don't have to be in crisis mode to get the creative bursts. I get a steady stream instead of random gushes. Again, still gathering empirical evidence, not making reccomendations.

I know I have been quiet recently, however dropping automatically into flight or fight is something I have been looking at for myself, since the constant crisis mode is wearing me out. Figured I would share what is working for me.

(Me, I am trying out the acutal roller coasters, not simulated ones.)

Re: Peep

[rightkindofme.livejournal.com]

Ooooh oooh oooh@ He could make chain mail bracelets!!! :D