How do I deal with the stress? That is a really good question. I really don't know how I have dealt with it. So far this year I had a 6 day hospital stay with fusion surgery, had to put my dog to sleep, my grandmother passed away (we weren't very close though), my husband may be getting laid off from work soon, we are moving out of state, & the medical bills are starting to roll in from surgery. I'm surprised that I haven't totally snapped yet.
I have seriously mellowed out over the years. When I was younger, I was known for blowing up over relatively small things. I noticed that after I got hurt the first time around, the more stressed out I got, the more my muscles tensed up & the more I hurt.
I made decisions in my life to avoid/rid myself of those who caused a lot of stress/drama for me. It helped but I was lonely. So I adopted a beagle. Boy oh boy she was a handful. She created a lot of stress for me but I loved her & eventually after a few years she mellowed out some. Pets are truly the best stress relief a person can have. Sadly, I had to put my beloved Peanut to sleep 1 month after having my fusion surgery. I miss her terribly & still about cry when I talk about her.
When I was going through my appeals with BC/BS & the NYS Insurance Dept. to get approval for ADR surgery, I was working 40-45 hours per week & going to school 3 nights per week as well. In the middle of all of this, I got married as well. In the end, I lost my appeals & continued the downward spiral with my spine.
I concentrated on finishing school which was a huge accomplishment since I always hated school. I even made the Dean's List & managed an academic citation. Holy cow was all I could say
I think I deal with stress in an odd way. I have always had or created my own stress for years. I guess I have just dealt with it for so long, that my mind has just accepted it as a daily thing. I am not on medication for it. Been there, done that, hated it.
The only way that I was able to deal with the stress of surgery was to more or less disassociate myself from the reality of it so to speak. Not necessarily a healthy thing to do I guess. I tried to not think of the bad things that could happen. I more or less live & think on a day to day basis. I can't look at things in a long term sort of way. When I think about too much at once, I get hit with anxiety.
I do suffer from depression. It can get really bad sometimes. It's usually worse at night. I just cry & let it out. I also listen to music. Anything from classical to death metal. I'm more of a metal chic though
I use to play keyboards & I'll have to try to get back into that again as well as drawing. When the moment strikes, I write poetry.
I don't know if any of these things will help you to relieve stress. I say give it a shot & see if it helps. Please know that you are not alone in your struggle. There are a lot of people here who have walked down the same road. We are a community & we are here to help. Please do not be afraid to reach out.
I wish you well & hope that you are able to get some rest!
Karin