Chronic Babe Bloggers' Blog Carnival (Favorite and Most-Useful Coping Mechanisms)

I'm hosting the Chronic Babe Bloggers' Blog Carnival on a topic very near and dear to those of us with chronic illness - how to cope when things get too painful/overwhelming.  Here are the ideas that were sent to me!

Diana Lee at Somebody Heal Me: The Musings of a Chronic Migraineur posts about her love of the NCAA March Madness, and how getting swept up in something that isn't daily life can help distract from the daily challenges at http://somebodyhealme.dianalee.net/2010/03/tournament-time-helps-my-sad-sack-guilt.html.

Assiya at For A Fairer Today writes about how studying disability has empowered her to embrace her illness and stand up for her rights at http://fairertoday.blogspot.com/2010/03/studying-disability-my-coping-skill.html.

Selena at Oh My Aches and Pains writes about how she has learned to make various parts of her life fibro-friendly (especially gardening!) at http://www.ohmyachesandpains.info/2010/03/my-favorite-fibromyalgia-coping.html

Vladimir at Wellbook Blog writes about his four favorite coping mechanisms for chronic illness at http://wellbook.org/Note/325/My_Coping_Mechanisms.

Maureen at Mo Is Blogging...I Think writes her list of things she has accepted will never be the same and how she deals with this change at http://moisbloggingithink.wordpress.com/2010/03/21/love-me-the-way-i-am/.

Elisabeth at Redefining Good has a wonderful list of her guaranteed cheer up practices!  I'll have to try some of these out!  Read the post at http://redefininggood.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/coping/.

As for my own personal favorite and most-useful coping mechanisms:

• Taking a hot bath.  I find harsh temperature changes too much to deal with though, so I start by plugging the bathtub and then sit in the shower for awhile.  Once my body gets used to the heat, I fill the rest of the bathtub with warmer water :)

(If only I looked this good doing it!)

• Watching good movies/bad tv/reading.  Unfortunately, the more sick I feel and the more pain I am in, the less attention I can commit to this endeavor.  I'm thinking I might start trying to get my hands on some audiobooks soon.

• I have a very restricted diet.  I have Celiac Disease and something that is resembling gastroparesis.  Since I eat only soft food, I will try to have a special treat of dark chocolate and a nice cheese throughout the course of the day so it feels a little more special.
• Trying to daydream my way through the pain.  Or dreaming of eating some of the foods I can't eat.  Or taking vacations.  Anything to help me cope with my limitations.  

(Images from WeHeartIt)

• When REALLY sick, I plug in my iPod and just try to lay still and let the music distract my brain from the pain.
• Pills.  I know this is a bad coping skill (habit), but I often see no other options.  When everything else has failed and you are too uncomfortable to consider that continuing living is a reasonable option, you take some pills.  I do what I have to do to survive.

Now I want suggestions people!!!  If you have any good coping mechanisms that you want to share, please do so in the comments - I always need new ideas!

xoxo,
Annie