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My first entry will be about my experience so far at the Princeton house. I wish I had written earlier, but I was... too lazy? domokun Okay, so here, I learned how to manage anger, cope, and prevent relapse. The best method for controlling and avoiding anger is in a series of steps. First, You must know what your triggers are, or what things, people, ideas, etc, that cause negative emotions, like anger or depression. Next, is to identify signs and symptoms of developing anger, (ie...do you feel your body tense, get headaches, hot cheeks...etc...). Once you know that information, it is fairly simple. When you encounter one of your triggers, you should be able to predict your reaction. When you feel the negative emotion rising, take a minute to step back and get a new perspective. See what you actually look like. No one wants to negotiate with a violent person, physically and emotionally.
With coping, well coping skills, they take time to find something to replace that addiction. Whether it be cutting, smoking, drinking, taking drugs, binging/poor eating habits, or any other bad habit, they all need something positive in its place. It is not enough to just remove the problem, especially if there are multiple issues. You will just end up relapsing, or going back to old habits, usual with dangerous effects. Coping skills should be things you like to do, good things, instead of harmful ones. Examples are drawing, writing, doing some recreational activity, or listening to music. Many forms of art will soothe the soul, and if you aren't exactly artsy, you can keep yourself busy with sports or "good" friends. Another thing that helps when trying to avoid bad habits is avoiding things that put you in doubt. If hanging out with certain friends/people or at certain places, just say no. mrgreen
I hope this has enlightened you... if you have never been to therapy... sweatdrop and need to be... there... ninja
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