We will adapt.

After I have my son I had no coping skills other than alcohol and painkillers oh and some benzodiazepines, and I abused it all, but it didn’t satisfy me before long I was mixing pills and alcohol alcohol and taking quadruple the amount of benzos prescribed to just to stay calm.

Then one day my therapist had me take a sprig of rosemary from her herbal garden and just rub it between my pointer finger in my thumb and then inhale. That moment gave me more relief and Hope then any of the alcohol drugs and smoking had ever been. So I decided to plant a garden and I decided to change my work from associate Director/ wife secretary to head of landscaping. (I could do that because I was the bosses daughter.) The feeling of the cool earth under my knees and seeing the buds start breaking through from under the dirt… I gently felt it all, let my senses experience it, and it was all magic. I loved that job, I was very sorry to leave it behind. But I learned something about nature. I knew this already having been raised by a Dad who was a total tree hugger and wouldn’t even let me pluck Young leaves off the trees. I wouldn’t let my kids do it either after the lessons he taught me. But as far as coping skills at the moment I’m homeless sort of, living with my parents until we sort out separation and divorce. I have needed those coping skills so badly today. My kids are still in Virginia… I don’t know when I’m going to see them again. But I’m ill. Very ill. And until I can save my disability checks in my own account and get a job I can’t move back down to Virginia. My husband basically kicked me out for being a burden, no apologies whatsoever. But I don’t care about him right now. When I moved back here to New Hampshire, I packed my diffuser because scents do so much to help me cope.

-Nature’s Magic

-the smell of essential oils such as rosemary, peppermint, lemon, and of course lavender.

If you haven’t ever tried, inhaling the scent of lavender can soothe you within seconds. It is used in psych hospitals around the world and has been more effective to treat PTSD and all sorts of other distressing disorders. It calms and is better than many medicines could ever be.

-I’m very scent oriented, and so I must have many candles. Unfortunately I left them all behind and my husband will probably try to get rid of them.

-the last one, OK second to last one, is new for me but has been so so effective. That is having a cup of tea with honey. The calming teas are the best for an anxious heart, such as camomile with Valerian in it to help you sleep or just to help you calm in a moment of panic. Sitting down and taking the time to drink a cup of tea is an amazing way to cope with stress.

-I promise this is the last one, but behind nature, perhaps the most important: Listen to music. I like to do it on my headphones so that I can feel like I am connected to the music, if that makes sense. It surrounds my senses and even with a migraine I can listen to angry heavy metal and still feel more calm, validated. Music is also Magic. Be careful what you listen to. If it brings you down, then don’t listen to it. But if it gives you a fire and validation then please Open your ears.

I hope this helps someonein someway. Again I apologize for the typos and the grammar. I just needed to write. Thank you for reading.