I wanted to apologize for taking a while to write this post; after my last post about going to the hospital for my procedure, I got disappointing results, and that’ll be for another post (probably), and I didn’t have the energy to write about it, and didn’t have the energy to write posts in general, as this post will explain…
Anyhow, I’ve been going through a mental health slump. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, Complex PTSD, whatever you want to call it, I’ve been feeling antsy and not myself. I’ve been feeling like something is missing and having a hard time. Possibly part of it is a result of the medical procedure, possibly some of it is the result of coming back from a wonderful trip abroad and needing to readjust to normal life, and part of it could just be the cycle of mental health issues… who knows…
And I found myself looking for solutions, looking for things that give me dopamine hits, in ways that aren’t ways that I should be looking for them, that don’t align with what I want to be doing.
So I discussed with my therapist ways to get dopamine in healthy ways, and I wanted to share some of what I’ve been doing with you, to give some suggestions to anyone who might also be struggling with the same thing.
Adding More Fun to My Life
First off, I decided that I needed to add more fun to my life. Not just spend time doing everyday life, but actual fun things. So I took my daughters bowling, and it was a lot of fun. It wasn’t too expensive, and I plan on doing it again regularly. I gotta think of other fun, similar ideas, but bowling was a good one.
Exercise and Opposite Action
Exercise is another healthy way to release dopamine. I hadn’t been swimming in a long time, and I knew I needed to get back into it. It was also the last thing I wanted to do. But according to DBT therapy, sometimes what you need to do is opposite action, doing the exact opposite of what you want to do.
So I made a deal with a friend, who was in a similar situation, not wanting to do something that she also needed to do for her mental health, that we would each do it and check in with each other and let the other person know when we did it. Having a buddy system is a good way to ensure that you do the opposite action… and it worked. It even worked when my daughters wanted me to come home already and I didn’t have time to swim before—I came home, picked up my daughters, and ended up going swimming with them.
Running Events and Atmosphere
There was a marathon and a bunch of other shorter races in a city near where I live recently, and my kids wanted to run in it, either the 5k or the 10k, so I decided to sign up and run with them, or walk it, as much as I could. More exercise, more dopamine release, and listening to music and being part of the atmosphere were a good way to release dopamine in a healthy way.
Seeing Friends and Getting Hugs
Seeing friends and getting hugs is also a good way to add both dopamine and other happy chemicals to your body and brain, and I’ve been trying to do this more often. Too often I get bogged down with life and don’t see friends enough, but I’m trying now to see friends more often.
Getting Out Into Nature
Going out into nature is also a healthy way to release dopamine. I’ve been trying to do that. For me, it’s not just going into nature, but specifically foraging, and not just foraging, but sharing my love of foraging. So I decided that despite being so behind in my other work, I decided to make a foraging class open to the public, something I don’t do so often anymore, because I get on such a high after the classes, because I knew it would be good for me, and I did it, and it was wonderful.
Music and Laughter
Listening to music is also a great way to release healthy happy hormones, and I’ve been trying to turn on some happy music to get me in a better mood.
Lastly, watching comedy shows on Netflix or YouTube is another thing I’m trying to do, since laughing is also really good medicine.
Is It Working?
Slowly.
Not entirely, but somewhat.
And when it isn’t, my therapist suggested that I work on practicing being ok with this lack of dopamine, reminding myself that it’s ok to be feeling this, that this feeling isn’t dangerous, that there’s nothing unsafe or dangerous about it, and that I’ll be ok. It isn’t pleasant, but the more I do it, the more I build a tolerance for it, the more I can deal with it without trying to fill the lack with unhealthy ways of seeking dopamine.
Thanks for listening.
And if you have any more suggestions for healthy ways of seeking dopamine, I’m all ears.
