What do you do when you feel you're about to lose your mind?

Post Reply New Topic

I have a whole week on my own, and these past two days have already been the worst that I've had in a while, but I've no idea what to turn to. I have a pack of valium that I might use to calm me down, but I'm afraid the withdrawals will possibly be even worse. I can't even sleep without feeling awful, either... I get loads of nightmares.

I usually do what i like to do and if it's to bad i go into my room, shut the door, and watch stuff on my xoom. That usually helps.

Sleep.

Or desperately hold on until I can go to sleep.

It sounds like your brain is firing off all of its neurons at once in a vain attempt to keep itself stimulated. Your best bet is to feed your brain, not starve it with a drug-induced sleep. I have a library of action movies with so much action going on at once that a "normal" wouldn't be able to keep up. Action-themed video games also help me "calm down". Games that make you think, such as sudoku or the many timed brain exercise games that run on hand-held video game systems are good too. Anything that keeps your brain entertained and challenged should help you. - LJS

Grab ahold of the nearest handhold and get ready for an adventurous ride!

Seriously, I don't worry about it. I've found my mind is never really lost. Just misplaced for a while. Whatever is making me feel like I'm losing it always passes eventually. I just let go and let it happen. No need for chemical assistance. Been there and done that. Had some bad trips too. Those taught me that no matter how bad things feel, they always pass. Losing my mind kind of feels like that, and it's done me better to treat it like a horrible carnival ride. If you just let go and let it happen, you can actually get into it, and even enjoy it in a kind of twisted way.

Drug induced sleep is not restorative. But normal sleep can be. When my mind starts racing away, sleep seema to allow a return to a lower state of activity. Drugs would interfere I think.

I have struggled with the same situation. A couple of months ago I had become a real risk to myself. I sat down and wrote two lists. One with the things "to do", one with things "not to do". On the to do list I put anything that I could think of that I would normally enjoy- special interest activities, calming activities, tv shows, etc. On the list of things not to do there were the destructive things like alcohol, xanax, hurting myself, watching and reading depressing things, and any other trigger that I could think of.

What I found was that when I saw it in front of me clearly, it felt like I had a plan. My list of things to do had about 15 things on it. I know that when you feel like you are out of control it is hard to want to do anything that is not destructive, but I found with a list that length that there was always something that I didn't mind doing.

The other thing is to go easy on yourself. If you are having a very hard time, getting you through it comes first. And ask for help if you need it. Goodluck.

I need to get away. To a small degree I can be helped with distractions that let me get into an imaginary world, if combined with things I find calming, but at times I need to physically go elseware, away from people.

At home, reading, either in the bathtub or wrapped up in my weighted blanket, can help me.

If I'm angry with myself, then an overly hot shower that almost burns (not enough to be actually painful, just enough that I can't think of anything other than the feeling of the hot water), helps, and hot water puts me to sleep, so I'm more likely to be able to nap after that.

The thing that helps most though is getting me away from people, into a kayak, and somewhere that is very much in tune with nature and water and my boat. This can break multi-month spells of being overwhelmed if its a multi-day trip, though when I get home we need to be very careful to not let me get overwhelmed again because am even more prone to it because of being forced back into a world that is just too much.

The next thing I'm going to try is physically going to another location, except not having it away from people. I know someone who's offered to bring me and my boyfriend to his house for a few days (a bit over an hour away and clearly in a different environment), if at any point I need it. Next time I need to get away I'll be taking advantage of this offer.

Smoke cannabis, listen to music, go for a walk if I feel to energetic and can walk somewhere quiet.

I don't lose my head anymore cause my life doesn't suck so, guess I can't answer this question. Sorry.

Go for a fast and intense workout.

80 or so mile bicycle ride by myself. Clears my mind.

That works too!