Documenting my journey through the mental health system

As I cling desperately to sanity and basic functioning, I remind myself daily of the coping skills I’m trying to incorporate into my life, something with which I’ve always struggled. It’s like the moment I need them, they fly right out of my head and I don’t know what to do.

This is what I have so far:

music
singing
talking with a friend
taking a walk
cleaning
taking a nap
writing
going out to eat
scrapbooking
making jewelry
reading

Some of these things I haven’t done in awhile. I used to make a lot of jewelry and sell it. I still make scrapbooks as I tend to keep mementos of events, trips, and the like. Sleeping is hard when I’m hypomanic or high energy or just dealing with insomnia. The one I rely on the most to help me cope is music. I sing well. If I’m hearing voices or buzzing, I can usually drown them out. But I am also being challenged by Dr Black not to run from them, but to play therapist with them. To be nice to them. This is hard when they say mean things sometimes.