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Robdemanc
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25 Jul 2011, 3:05 pm

At the moment I seem to be stuck in some very limited behaviours. I am eating the same food each day. Other than that I am sleeping or watching John Carpenters The Fog. Mostly for the music and atmosphere of the film. Every day I watch at least some of it. This has been going on for several weeks. I cannot seem to do much else. Been a bit depressed lately and money is in short supply for me.

What state am I in? Am I stuck, my brain seems unable to take on variety at the moment.



Jory
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25 Jul 2011, 3:17 pm

It happens to me and probably a lot of other people here. I'll get stuck eating the same food, reading the same book, listening to the same music, watching the same movie.

By the way, I'm the same with Carpenter, only for me it's The Thing.



purchase
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25 Jul 2011, 3:23 pm

It's stuck in an obsessive loop of some kind. I'm in one too. I cannot move forward because I fear what the future holds. Like I am in a field full of land mines and can either only stand still or retrace my steps a few paces back where I'm sure it's safe.

Is there anything worrying you about the future or about expanding your repertoire of life activities? For me there are two things. Fear of failure in writing well and fear of failure in social interactions. And once you've been stuck so long it becomes very hard to even think of other things to do, I know.

For example: only eating certain foods evolutionarily is due to fear of unfamiliar foods being poisonous. Your brain is in the "scared" mode and it doesn't want to try other foods even though you've eaten other stuff before and what is and isn't poisonous is common knowledge to humans by now. So maybe you can start breaking out of the cycle of repetition by, say, going to the store or restaurant and getting something you haven't had before, or haven't had in a while. Same for movies.

As for money being in short supply - I know how this hinders a good variety-filled life. However maybe try to venture out and do some free things. Go to a park you've never been to before. Also try so-called "ethnic food markets" as they tend to have inexpensive food that will also add variety to your routine. Do you like dogs? Maybe you could visit a shelter one day and ask to play with a puppy/dog in the field. Some shelters are in need of exercisers actually. But for a small start, I'd try some different food and also maybe try watching Spanish-language TV if you get it and don't already speak Spanish, that'll get you out of your "The Fog" rut at least for as long as you're watching it!

Then again if music is calming to you don't neglect it entirely, keep watching it a bit each day if it's your "security blanket" so to speak (I certainly have mine), but also venture out.

My advice to both of us. (I'm a hypocrite giving advice to someone in my exact situation.)