I need to stop coming here - I'm too angry.

[backscatter712]

It's literally getting to the point where politics is eating me alive. I'm extremely angry with the Bush Crime Family and all they've done to our country - I'm not gonna go through all the grievances - we all know them. But it's destroying me. I'm full of rage, all the time. Relentless. It never stops. There's no release. I'm at the point where I fly off the handle, I hit things, I damage my stuff. Thankfully, I've never turned my rage on people or animals, just things. I broke a bookshelf the other day, now I have a dent in my wall, and my neighbors complained because they hear banging and such. All the time, I'm drunk on rageahol, and I can't make the anger stop.

I'm at the point where I feel I'm going psychotic. I'm losing control.

I can't take it anymore.

How can I stop being angry and start living normally? I'm being eaten alive. How can the rest of you cope, having taken the red pill and knowing all the crimes committed in our name? How can you stay focused? How do you calm yourselves down. How do you shift focus to other things so you can work, play, etc? I can't. It's an obsession for me, and it's literally driving me mad.

By all rights, I should be getting counseling, but I'm distrustful of shrinks after the last one put me on SSRIs and Wellbutrin, and the combination turned me into an emotionless, unmotivated, nearly inert zombie. I'm not going back to that.

Help! :( :mad:

But discuss. Bush's actions have real consequences, on us. Not just on the troops, or on people directly affected by his insanity, like those in New Orleans. Certainly, I don't want to belittle what they've went through - they went through hell. But just normal folks on the street, like me, are being driven literally to mental illness because of this. How do we cope?

[The Straight Story]

1. Buy a gun, get a target, shoot the shit out of it

or just get drunk like I do :)

[aikoaiko]

75. I recommend both strategies, just not at the same time. ;-)

[whistle]

2. If you don't come here how will you deal with your anger over the

...political situation that inflames you? Just keep coming back, even to just if it is to validate your anger

[flashl]

3. You are smart

Work on impeachment. He who laughs last laughs best.

[backscatter712]

17. It seems like it all isn't working.

I've pushed for impeachment, but Pelosi and Reid and the rest of Congress, with the exception of Kucinich and a few others, have made it clear that impeachment isn't going to happen - they want to take all that unlimited unitary executive power for themselves.

:banghead:

Like I said, I don't know how to cope anymore. I'm alienating people, I'm breaking things, I'm bruising myself. I just feel like I'm going to have a complete mental breakdown.

I literally can't take it anymore.

I'm afraid I'm going to lose it. I don't want to get evicted. I don't want someone who hears me smash something call the police on me. I don't want my pressurized rage leaking out at my workplace - I'm afraid I'll get fired! It's literally DESTROYING MY LIFE, and DESTROYING MY SANITY! I can't make it stop!

[flashl]

22. Start impeach resolutions with

the Boy scouts, local DEC, local county commissioners, local city council, work your way up to the state legislature.

[CTyankee]

33. I'm no psychiatrist but it looks to me like you are in crisis. Do you have a local crisis hotline

you can call? If you can't communicate with your doctor you need to find another with whom you CAN communicate. Your feelings are important and you need someone who can truly help you.

I am so sorry that you are suffering. Do try a hotline if you have one. Someone might be able to help you with alternate therapies. I'm afraid the bad political situation won't change in time for you.

Good luck to you! Let us know what you work out for yourself.

[backscatter712]

37. I'm sorry,

but I just don't trust the mental health profession anymore - when I got put on meds the last time, they screwed me up - made me into an emotionless zombie. I was unemployed for three years because I couldn't get the motivation to do anything. I had to move in with my parents, and they saw the personality changes the from the meds, and made me come off of them.

It was fucking horrible. Never again!

[dog_lovin_dem]

48. There are mental health professionals

who use their training to help without the use of pharmaceuticals. I'm surprised that the psychiatrist combined an SSRI (antidepressant) with Wellbutrin, another antidepressant. Not a good combo, I'd think.

[papau]

59. Actually 2 prozac at say 4pm go well with Wellbutrin at 7am and 9 pm - I gave a call

to my pharmacist and she said the above and noted that she has many on that combo.

Your statement made me curious as I am on a combo for cholesterol (bad heart after heart attack - with near 400 cholesterol) that has 6 different drugs daily -some twice a day). Seems combo's are popular these days in many areas! :-)

[Quantess]

55. Oh, wow.

Sounds similar to what happened to me on anti-depressants. I think they are designed to prevent severe emotions, which can be useful for a depressed person. The lows are not as low, and the okay times are still okay, which is great for a depressed person. However, once you stop needing them, though, it's good to try to wean yourself off, in my opinion.

Good nutrition, sunshine, exercise, adequate sleep, are some things I make sure to get enough of, to keep depression from returning.

[CTyankee]

56. That is awful! I certainly can see what you are saying!

I wish I could offer more consolation to you, but I just don't know. Your situation sounds so desperate I was hoping a hotline would get you somewhere else; at least you could TALK to someone about he failure of the mental health professionals you have already had.

It is terribly depressing. Perhaps when you call a hotline you can express your feelings about the meds that DIDN'T work for you and how bad they were. Maybe you can make some headway with them and get to a better doc.

Good luck!

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Do something

Join your local protest group.

Write your congress reps.

Freeway blog http://freewayblogger28.cf.huffingtonpost.com/

Don't get mad. Get active. It's great therapy.

[WCGreen]

5. I feel your pain, brother...

I have to pull back a lot or else I would lash out...

But I have come to the conclusion that the people in this country truly believe having a Mickey D's, a WalMart and Gas readily available is more important than what goes on in Washington...

You know, 'cause all politicians are alike and our vote means nothing...

Do want fries with those three double cheeseburgers....

[lips]

8. Hopefully you don't mean...

Even if it's only temporary comfort consumption...I don't think they've killed anyone in an unindustrialized country. Not by stripping the environment anyway.

:evilfrown:

[flashl]

24. Thanks

Just looking at that bottle of Mickey cured me of all that ails me.

[WCGreen]

44. The memories I think I have.....

After drinking Mickey's wide mouths at University...

[lonestarnot]

6. Seek a nice rock cave and stay there for a few days. Maybe it will mellow you out.

Or keep the fuck fighting! IMPEACH!

My friend said they shoot horses don't they?

[Frustratedlady]

7. Keep coming back...we're all in the same boat, so you might as well have company.

One good change is that friends and relatives have now caught on, so I can vent my anger without their eyes looking toward the ceiling, clucking their tongues or saying, "Oh, Mom!" Now that their grocery bills and travel expenses have gone through the roof, it is a different story.

You aren't loony, but quit hitting things, as you'd just be making Bush happy. You sure don't want to do that!

[Ishoutandscream2]

9. I hear you

I had such high hopes for the country around 2000. I was so excited about my future, but especially my children's future. Now, we have an enormous deficit, and college costs are skyrocketing. Jobs are scarce, and our men and women are losing their lives in Iraq. All of a sudden, I see a shitty future for Robert, Rose, and Madelyn. Seriously, I am attempting to pay off this house within the next 7 years and use it as a base for my kids. They will always have a home to come to, paid and cleared. I don't want them to have to do something drastic like, God forbid, join the military to become cannon fodder when there's a terrible job market.

I hear you, man, I hear you. I am at my wits end concerning the state of this country, thanks to the Republicans and Bush and Cheney especially. They have destroyed this country, and worse yet, the hopes and dreams of our children. It's going to take a miracle to get us back on track. And first things first, we have to have control of the congress and the executive branch. That's our only hope.

[seemslikeadream]

10. It is a continuous struggle

Think about what's come before, what others have had to deal with,



It is wrong to expect a reward for your struggles. The reward is the act of struggle itself, not what you win.
Phil Ochs



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOE--NoTJY0


The Foggy Dew

As down the glen one Easter morn to a city fair rode I
There Armed lines of marching men in squadrons passed me by
No fife did hum nor battle drum did sound it's dread tatoo
But the Angelus bell o'er the Liffey swell rang out through the foggy dew

Right proudly high over Dublin Town they hung out the flag of war
'Twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky than at Sulva or Sud El Bar
And from the plains of Royal Meath strong men came hurrying through
While Britannia's Huns, with their long range guns sailed in through the foggy dew

'Twas Britannia bade our Wild Geese go that small nations might be free
But their lonely graves are by Sulva's waves or the shore of the Great North Sea
Oh, had they died by Pearse's side or fought with Cathal Brugha
Their names we will keep where the fenians sleep 'neath the shroud of the foggy dew

But the bravest fell, and the requiem bell rang mournfully and clear
For those who died that Eastertide in the springing of the year
And the world did gaze, in deep amaze, at those fearless men, but few
Who bore the fight that freedom's light might shine through the foggy dew

Ah, back through the glen I rode again and my heart with grief was sore
For I parted then with valiant men whom I never shall see more
But to and fro in my dreams I go and I'd kneel and pray for you,
For slavery fled, O glorious dead, When you fell in the foggy dew

[Az]

11. Your frustration is due to your powerlessness

The only way to counter it is to take action. Complaining about the situation will never alleviate your frustrations. In fact that will just make you feel all the more helpless.

So go and do something about it. Do partake in protests. Do freeway art. Do culture jamming. Do write letters to your representatives. Do write letters to your newspapers. Go and do. Be part of the change not part of the chorus complaining about things.

[backscatter712]

14. I've done all that, but it isn't helping.

I do write letters and engage in protests, but it seems like I'm banging my head against the wall.

Yeah. I'm powerless. No matter what I do, it doesn't help.

I just see things in this country and the world getting worse and worse and worse... I feel like I'm imprisoned.

[Whisp]

60. do something powerfully nice for someone you know.

gets you all charged up again.
get centred, return to earth for a bit. Hell can wear anyone out in long spaces of time and it always awaits when you decide to visit again. I know hw you feel.
What works for me is having the simple things and macro enjoying them and then back into the abyss. Try not to take for granted, Anything.

[shaniqua6392]

12. Take the weekends off!!

When I get burned out on all of this crap, I just keep it to Monday through Friday. No political shows, news or internet surfing of news on Saturday or Sunday. I just do stuff around the house and spend time with family. It does me a lot of good. Start with that and see if it helps.

[backscatter712]

26. It's like an addiction.

I can't make myself take a break from it. It's damn hard.

[babylonsister]

13. Here's a DUer's coping mechanism that must feel pretty good:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2204220

[ChiciB1]

19. Just Checked That One Out... Really Great, But What I Posted Mirrors

almost the same thing I'm saying here!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. Here's something that works for me and my wife.

http://kiva.org/

It's a cheap, effective, way to end the "I can't do nothing" blues.

Much more effective than waiting on politicians and other "leaders" to do something.

[lligrd]

61. Hey, That Is Pretty Neat

Have you had good results?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

65. We have 16 loans out now. All are being paid, or have been paid.

When one is repaid, we put out another loan. There have been no defaults.

[Blue_Tires]

78. interesting

thanks for posting that

[Cha]

16. Don't stop coming here...that's

the only thing that keeps some of us sane..best therapy in the world and drug free. It's carthartic and DU is actually why I got a computer in 2002..I'd be blissfully unaware if I weren't here, but that's not good cause we need warm bodies.

Don't you feel better just having done that Rant?

[ChiciB1]

18. My Husband Tells Me About THIS All The Time! I Feel Exactly The Way

you do! It's really insane, all the anger and pent up emotions and NO WHERE to go with it! Nothing you can DO about it! The feeling of complete HELPLESSNESS!! He tells me I'm too consumed and I tell him that he can ignore it all he wants, but it affects US ALL in one way or another! And that's the truth!

Believe me, I KNOW what you're going through, and I DON'T think I'm crazy! What REALLY worries me is that NOT ENOUGH people GIVE A DAMN!! Maybe that's not really true, maybe they're just trying to AVOID it, HOPE it will go away, I don't know! I've tried getting involved locally to "make a difference" but nothing happens! It's just "let's have this meeting" you go to the meeting and then they say "let's have THIS meeting" and you just want to SCREAM! Then you see how D.C. seems be so useless and NOTHING ever happens to those who are REAL criminals!! I'm a BOOMER, and I'm sure that has something to with it, John Lennon and his songs about PEACE & REVOLUTION and all the other rock stars who were there! It hurts to the bone!

WE NEED ACTION, or at least I do! I need an outlet to rid myself of this RAGE, and sitting here at my PC blogging IS NOT helping at all! Believe me, I've tried other activities to get my mind off of this stuff, but it just stays with me! I grow a lot of plants and even when I'm outside working my MIND won't shut down!

You know that song about "they're coming to take me away, ho, ho, ha, ha?" That's how I feel much of the time! But I'm NOT crazy... no I'm not crazy... I don't think I'm crazy, do you???

[HCE SuiGeneris]

20. Your anger is justified, we are being betrayed by our government.

Find a punching bag to let it out on... then refocus on what you can do to initiate change. Start small. Help out on a Habitat for Humanity project, or dedicate a couple of hours to a soup kitchen. The people you meet there will have a great calming effect. I know the anger you feel. Find that heavy bag to beat up on. Your anger needs to come out.

[sam sarrha]

21. meditate... you will learn to disassociate your emotions from thoughts, th rethugs want you to react

the way you are, it is is mind control and brain washing.. to be effective in this world you must be in control of your own mind

meditation is the best method for training the mind..
the Buddhists are the best keepers of the method, ..meditating doesn't make you a Buddhist... but it is very doubtful you can be a Buddhist without meditating.

check out http://www.bubbhanet.net they have instruction and a little video.. also on the Buddhanet Audio tab there are recorded teachings on meditation.

check if there is a 'mindfulness meditation' group in your area.. some unitarian universalists churches have meditation groups.. which is zen,, if it doesn't click with you try theravada groups.. zen isn't for everybody

it is best to have a teacher and a group to work with

essentially what happens is that you will soon begin to live in a world of 'solutions' instead of a world of problems.. DU didn't cause your present mental problems.. you brought them here... being here just showed you how pervasive the problems are, and how bat the fascist bastards in the WH really are.. it seems overwhelming.. get busy, taxi voters to the polls, work at the party offices, protest..assist the forces of good, make good friends

in the end we will be judged on how well we tried in the face of overwhelming odds, not the outcome..

good luck fellow DU'r

[A-Schwarzenegger]

23. My humble suggestion: Learn to meditate.

For me there's a reality separate from and deeper than politics.
When I experience that reality in meditation, politics is easier to deal
with, with all its frustrations, anger, disappointments. When politics
has been my only or highest reality, I've been in the same state
you're in. Peace.

[DCKit]

25. I find it's best to avoid any articles mentioning any candidate's names.

Stay informed about what * and Co. are doing, general social issues and ignore the rest.

Between the actual infighting and the freepers, it's not worth spending time on.

[noamnety]

27. Sounds like you've lost your balance

which happens to all of us at times. Taking care of yourself - so you can continue to be a productive activist (rather than just a pissed off activist) is important, so you don't burn out. There's nothing wrong with taking a break to spiritually recharge yourself.

I don't know what balance works best for you, 50-50 is a goal for me. Mass movements depend on little drops of water from various people getting combined - letter writing, protests, online activism, etc. - but it can feel like your efforts aren't making a difference. It's good to balance that with local actions that directly help people where you see results of your own efforts. Habitat for humanity, working in a soup kitchen, volunteering as a tutor, anything like that gives a more immediate sense of accomplishment, and working with the other people there renews one's faith in humanity, and helps us connect to other people. If you can swing it, take your next vacation doing relief work somewhere. You will meet amazing people, both in the volunteers and the survivors.

[The Inquisitive]

28. Rechannel you passion!

I admire that you can get so fired up, I lack that ability which is something I lament. I'm by nature very mellow and contemplative. I watch the world as an observer merely trying to make sense of it rather than jumping into the furnance and shaking things up. My advice is take that anger is focus is it back into building yourself up in all regards so you will be undoubtly qualified and knowledgable enough to be in posititions of power where you can affect change. Turn yourself into a leader, you've got the passion and motivation, and that's 50% of what it takes right there.

I think another poster who claimed that your powerlessness is what is frustrating you, and I agree completely. I say go get some power!

[YvonneCa]

29. Watch this...

...video. (And join a Dem. support group somehow.) Good Luck!

http://www.pepperdine.edu/pr/releases/2006/september/kerry.htm

[goodgd_yall]

30. Well, taking an SSRI helps me

Just because a shrink put you on stuff that didn't work for you, don't give up on the medication relief. Wellbutrin is not good for people who get agitated.

I can do all the things people suggest---get out in nature, meditate, take a break from politics---but I apparently have some chemical stuff going on that an SSRI takes care of. The only one I've tried that works well without side effects is citalopram (aka Celexa).

Oh, yes---I'm not in denial land. An SSRI just helps me from uncontrolled rage and obsessing.

[backscatter712]

32. SSRI's don't work very well for me.

I've tried several different ones when I was seeing shrinks, and they all made me emotionless (actually, the rage was still there, but I wasn't expressing it, which is actually WORSE - it leaks out in all sorts of subtle passive-aggressive ways.) They also killed my libido, and they give me tinnitus.

The last time I was on them, I was so apathetic that I ended up unemployed for three years. I'm NOT going back there.

I've been taking St. John's Wort as of late - it seems to give me a little more control, without the obnoxious side effects or the zombification.

[Quantess]

47. The SSRI Effexor

is extremely difficult to quit and even to reduce the dosage. You will likely experience an increase in irritability, grumpiness, impatience, and possibly fits of rage, if you quit or reduce your dosage. This withdrawal is worst in the first week, and gradually gets better, withdrawals lasting about a month. This is my personal experience. I was very easily annoyed when reducing the dosage of Effexor-XR. That's only the mood part. There are other terrible withdrawal effects.

FYI

[backscatter712]

50. On the bright side,

I've tapered off of SSRIs two years ago, so none of them are in my system. Yes, I've heard that Effexor is one of the worst in terms of side-effects and withdrawl symptoms - tapering off of Effexor can take months.

[Quantess]

52. I went from 75 mg to 37.5 in June.

I feel like myself now. The Effexor was making me lazy and indifferent, and now that situations have changed and it's feasible for me to quit, it was a great move to reduce the dose. After the terrible part of the withdrawal went away, I've lost a little weight without really trying (probably because I feel like moving around more and not being so lazy), and I feel more of a range of emotions, instead of a constant 70 degrees in the head.

The last 37.5 will be eliminated next Spring. I'm not ready to go through the discomfort of withdrawal again for a few months.

I'm posting my story in case anyone is considering taking Effexor.
Think twice!
You will be hooked.

[AlCzervik]

31. to be honest i think you need to get some help, being full of rage and anger all the time

is a seriously unhealthy state for you to live in, i understand your anger but the only thing rage and anger does is hurt you.

[backscatter712]

34. I think I'm going to take a break from DU for a while.

Take a break from politics altogether.

I just can't take it anymore.

I just have to figure out how to break the obsession.

Don't get me wrong - you're all great, thanks for all the support!

It's just that every time I come here, or to other political sites like Kos, I read something that triggers me and gets me into yet another bout of destructive rage. It has to stop. I've got to be careful readding Digg or Reddit as well - what really gets me are all the stories lately of police brutality - every time I read one, I break something, and I have murderous thoughts towards police officers. I've got to stay away from the triggers.

So I've gotta take a break for a while, until I can regain some balance.

[AlCzervik]

35. you know what helps me? Exercise, i use my treadmill everyday for about an hour

and no it's not a cure but it really helps my stress level in all areas of my life.

[ChiciB1]

40. Just Came Back From Running My Dog 4 Miles... I'm STILL Rather

P.O'ed! Plus I'm sweating now too! Bath time, I guess! Drowning might help!

[bunkerbuster1]

53. Running really helps me.

It always has. I can work out my anger, clear my head, feel good about what I've accomplished if I can push myself to go a little farther and/or faster.

Weightlifting can be a great release as well.

In short, maybe you can't force these obstinate elected representatives to behave, but you can become a faster/stronger muthuhfukkuh, and that's always useful.

[Joanne98]

62. I know how you feel. I have a son in prison and it kills me!

But I can't stop watching the horror. Other people are going thru it for real. If nobody watches then nobody will help the people who are suffering these awful injustices. When i can't take it anymore, I get a bottle of wine and watch youtube music videos. I won't take anti-anything. I don't think they work and the doctors treat us like guinea pigs..

You know I just thought of something funny. We should all show up at are local churches with our rages and ask the pastors to pray it away for us since they are the ones who voted for Bush and caused our dieases. lol

Seriously. Have u tried taking walks or playing a video game. You just need to get your mind on something else.

[rug]

36. Go here immediately:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=236

[A-Schwarzenegger]

38. Or give THIS a try:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=624815

[Stardust]

68. How many DUzys did THAT thread win??? Greatest thread ever!

[A-Schwarzenegger]

71. Oscar was waaaaaaaay befoere DUzys.

Prehistoric.

[Kip Humphrey]

39. Visualize the future you want... Then, do something every day to realize your future vision.

[applegrove]

41. Try and rebuild the balance in your life. Volunteer serving homeless people

food or such. That way you will have a sense of actually accomplishing something while the political system in the US is locked up in Bushworld. Balance. You need balance.

[shadowknows69]

42. I have been and probably still am where you're at my friend

and if you find the answer before I do, please let me know.

Barely coping,
S

[backscatter712]

45. My current prescriptions:

I know, people are wondering what I'm still doing here, since I'm meaning to take a break.

Right now my remedies are:

St. John's Wort - like I mentioned, the side effects are less than those of prescription antidepressants, and they're cheap - you can just buy them at any grocery store for $20 a bottle instead of giving an arm and a leg to the pharmcos. They do help me calm down a bit. And it's a far better way to medicate than alcohol (I drink a little, but I'm not going to let my rageahol addiction turn into an alcohol addiction.)

Taking a break. After I'm done with this post, I may stick around to read a few more replies, but then I'll be aliasing democraticunderground.com and www.democraticunderground.com, along with a bunch of other political sites, to 127.0.0.1 (localhost) so my browser will just throw errors instead of surfing to them. Dunno how long this break will last, but it's going to be a while.

Poker game with some coworkers. I just need to switch to some mindless entertainment for a while, and some basic partying, debauchery and fun. Keep watching politics long enough and you'll forget how to laugh.

Thank you all for being here. It's not DU I'm mad at, it's the circumstances that make places like DU necessary. I have to take a break before I lose my mind.

[Guaranteed]

43. It sounds like you're just entering into this.

Given time, the rage will subside. You need to get a little bit jaded, and accept that this garbage is just going to happen, that our country truly is getting flushed, and that there's not a whole lot to be done about it.

That's not to say you shouldn't have hope. But after you've seen all this so much, day after day- for years- it's just par for the course. It's a joke, really.

[BluePatriot]

46. Suggestions

I too have trust issues with psych-docs (long story involving misdiagnosed thyroid disease...) It's been a long road figuring out do-it-yourself herbs/supplements and I can really say I arrived at this "crazy herb lady" point after being dismissed many times by conventional doctors who don't care about pharmaceutical side effects or my daily wellness. But I hope my advice is useful. **Disclaimer: not medical advice, etc, etc, YMMV

It does sound like you could use something to bring you back into focus. I have had an anger problem and these help me calm down enough to analyze the sources of my anger and anxiety problems (powerlessness, no one listening or taking me seriously, my environment and relationships, etc) and then I can take baby steps toward solutions. I remember a quote somewhere, that anger tells us when injustice is being done. If we look at the world honestly all of the time we'll really burn out. This will only prevent us from ever getting justice in the first place.

First off if SSRI's are not for you there's a great herbal arsenal out there. I noticed you mentioned St. John's Wort. I have never taken that because it can interact with the Pill, etc, etc. So for anxiety, daily use, I take Holy Basil (I love this stuff b/c it doesn't turn me into a zombie) and for "omg i can't take it" moments I take Kava Kava (which i guess does have a bit of zombie effect...it's like the herbal Xanax) I also seem to be having a positive experience with 5-HTP, which is an amino acid that triggers seritonin production. But the bottle says that's similar to an SSRI mechanism so YMMV on that.

I firmly believe herbs/drugs are never a solution in themselves. The website below is a great do-it-yourself cognitive therapy spot. I encourage you to check it out b/c it has some wisdom w/o having to brave the office of a condescending, insensitive doctor. And it's free.

http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/

Good luck -- and try to take a break from here!

[alfredo]

49. The lounge is a good break, so are the special interest topics.

You may need more catsup.

[smalll]

58. Good suggestion. It has natural mellowing agents. /nt

[alfredo]

63. I dip my buttermilk biscuits in catsup. I can handle anything.

[lunatica]

51. What you are doing now to cope...

Is very helpful. Find a way to laugh a little, get lost in mindless movies, but you should also do things you have control over, so you don't feel powerless. The way to get control of your life is to start with something you can actually start and finish and can see the results. Here are some suggestions:

Paint a room in your house, the bathroom could be a good place since most people don't clutter up the walls with pictures or furniture. Paint it a completely different color to change the mood, and if you have to get some new towels and a shower curtain to compliment the new color. It's cheap and you'll feel a sense of accomplishment.

Shampoo your carpet. Rent a Rug Doctor and clean one room, one hallway or the entire house. The feeling of being more in control when you're done will be worth it. Everythng will feel clean and fresh again.

Here's a great site for staying in touch with what's going on and still laughing about it.

http://cagle.msnbc.com/

You can get the daily cartoons by clicking on the Daily Editorial Cartoons in the column on the left. Laughter really helps.

But those who have suggested you meditate are right. It gets you in touch with your higher self. It's the way to go within yourself for the widom and the comfort you need. Everyone is the embodiment of the healer they need. You are already doing what you have to do. There is more you can do.

[scarletwoman]

54. Breathe. I'm serious. Notice how you're breathing when you're feeling rageful and consciously work

to change it. When you're emotionally upset, you are most likely breathing rapidly and shallowly and high in your chest. This kind of breathing is part of the physiological "fight or flight" response to stress.

A very efficient and fast-acting method of counteracting that physiological response is to remind yourself to pay attention to how you're breathing and then consciously change it. As soon as you notice that your breathing pattern is high and shallow, take control and slow down your breath by breathing from deep in your abdomen.

Sit still, close your eyes, and just concentrate on doing abdominal breathing -- it will help alot, I promise. Keep your mind busy with controlling your breathing, instead of with all the thoughts that are getting you worked up.

The other essential thing to do is to get outside and go for a walk. Admire the trees, listen for birds, look up at the sky -- do some grooving on the natural world, even if it's just some flowers in window box. Redirect your mind to the beauty of the natural world, and push thoughts of politics out.

Balance is essential. If you have a pet, take advantage of the fact that there's a proven blood pressure lowering affect in just stroking and petting their furry bodies. Give your dog or cat some quality time and loving, it helps YOU by calming you down and taking you outside yourself and your roiling thoughts.

Read something fun and frivolous like a good mystery or fantasy novel. Lose yourself in a non-political, non-violent movie -- historical costume drama, romance, comedy, fantasy -- something that takes you out of present "reality". Read, watch or do something that makes you laugh. Laughter is definitely therapeutic!

Control your thoughts, don't let them control you. Get out of your mind and open your awareness to things outside yourself.

sw

[ladjf]

57. "backscatter", you post is a beautifully written piece.

It's obvious that you ability to express your feelings so poignantly and precisely shows that sites such as the Democratic Underground need your participation. You aren't the only one who feels the way you do but, few are able to express it as well.


Stay with us. Your honesty is a relief from what we generally see here on D.U.

You are not alone.

[backscatter712]

64. I'll eventually come back,

but right now, I need a break. If I don't, I'll have a nervous breakdown.

Anyways, this will be my last post, for a while.

Thanks, everyone!

[Swamp Rat]

66. I REALLY know how you feel

I'm from New Orleans. :mad:

[magellan]

67. You need to step away from DU & all things political for a while

I've taken a break twice since joining in '04 because I got to where you're at. It's not fun. I hate being angry all the time. So I pack it in. First time I walked away for 5 months. This last time (I'm just recently back and don't know how long I'll hang around) was 4 months. I don't watch the news during that time either, except local news.

More than anything, you need to accept that there's nothing you can do to change things. Oh sure, you can vote, you can email, you can fax and phone, you can protest. Then...you realize it's pretty much all for naught. The system is out of our hands, rigged against us by those in power. We truth-loving Americans were left behind long ago. It took decades for them to destroy our government. It's going to take a hell of a lot more than a general election, or even several, to fix it.

You need to go into self-preservation mode. Seriously. Don't let what you can't control suck the joy out of the life you've got.

[Swamp Rat]

69. Excellent advice

I need to do this too.

[Quantess]

70. That's really wise advise.

A lot of people here could use a break from the frustrations of politics. It's really a depressing topic these days.

There really is a lot to enjoy about life! The Bush Administration hasn't managed to ruin everything.

[NuttyFluffers]

72. "if you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain..."

well, if you're not into yoga but still have half a brain, i might suggest making love after midnight. but not at the dunes by the cape -- sand chafes.

seriously, do you laugh anymore?

you could go through the cycles of grief from anger into despair. go read something depressing like Ecclesiasticus, Plath, or Baudilaire. it'll cheer you up once you figure out your dust in less than 100 years. the world is a horrible nightmare of a place, filled with delightful torments masquerading as diversions. wallow in the agony of futility and impotence and suddenly even small pleasures, like the crying of sad children and the death of flies, will seem all the more momentous and sweet. this will prepare you for the coming of The Acceptance.

or you could take up a hobby, like boxing... the release would probably suit your style. ;)

[riverdeep]

73. Actually, I've always though that if at some point in your life

you don't go mad, you're either exceptionally well-adjusted or, more likely, you just haven't been paying attention. Most people aren't upset because they seriously have NO clue. They're like cows chewing on cud before the slaughter. IOW, your reaction is perfectly within the bounds of normal. Of course you're filled with rage. All those people who came before and lived and died trying to make this nation into an example for the world are having everything they worked for destroyed. They are being spat in the face. And the perpetrators are not even being called for it. It's natural to be filled with mind-numbing angst.

Up to a point. It sounds like that point has been transgressed. We need people like you who get it. But you have to think in the long term. You can't burn white hot and then burn out, it has to be a steady glow. There is no shame in recognizing you have limits. None. When it's affecting you like this, your limits have been surpassed. It's ok. Give yourself permission to back away. The world isn't resting on your shoulders. You need pleasure right now. Whether that's riding a motorcycle down a winding lane, or running with your dog, or ordering a chocolate malted. Whatever you need, do it. Focus on the simple, and the physical. Get enough sleep. Keep yourself in shape. Etc. Then, come back to the mind.

[riverdeep]

74. Also, here's a thought experiment that has worked for me.

It's been really effective at giving me perspective.

Imagine that the entire contents of your consciousness is simultaneously being experienced by someone else in the world. But they have absolutely no control over it. They will only experience what you experience; they are a slave, if you like, to your consciousness. You don't know WHO it is. Just that it is definitely someone. Would you allow another human being to experience that kind of agony if you could avoid it? Having negative or difficult sensations is an unavoidable, and to some degree, necessary part of life. But when it starts to make us decay instead of grow, something is wrong.

Treat yourself at least as well as you would treat someone else. You deserve that.

[Dox]

76. I Was, Too

This is precisely why I had to drop out of all things political following the 2004 re-coup.

I'm still getting back into things cautiously, and trying to keep a level head.

[bdamomma]

77. get some professional help, and try, try to not let these thugs

do this to you, cause this is what exactly they want to do to us, break us down morally, do not or try not to give in to them.

[ecstatic]

79. I've been there. Some tips:

1. First and foremost, do not engage in debate with RWers at all for the time being. Don't debate online, by phone, or in person.
2. Avoid all RW media--that includes radio, websites, emails, TV shows, Fox News.
3. Ease yourself away from national news and liberal sites too, until you feel better. Avoid "wishful thinking" posts--like posts about how Al Gore will run, etc.
4. Try to live the life of a blissfully ignorant citizen for a while. Know that no matter what happens, you will be OK.

[MindPilot]

80. Yep, I know the feeling.

And the last thing I would do is go tell some "mental health professional" I'm mad at the BFEE. I'll be under investigation before you can say "ask your doctor".

I learned a long time ago psychologists and psychiatrists are all about conformity...if you don't take the correct drugs, worship the correct god, or have the correct attitude, you have some "disorder", are "in denial" and need "treatment".

And those drugs they give you just make you feel so shitty, you can't care about anything else.