How do I deal with sadness healthily?

[Honey Bunny]

A little history. I've been dealing with anxiety for most of my life, though it really became a problem once I hit puberty. That's when it spiralled out of control and roped in other things (i.e. depression, insomnia, eating disorders, etc.). Finally got help a year and a half ago, started taking medications shortly thereafter. A couple weeks ago, I was told by my psychologist that she thought I was doing well enough to stop seeing her, unless, of course, I felt the need to. Basically, as long as I am taking my medicine, I am able to think and act like a healthy person.

Unfortunately, me being healthy doesn't make my world healthy too. But because I grew up handling things with unhealthy impulses, now I don't know how to handle problems normally. I can't cut or binge or starve or have a panic attack. So when things get rough, when I get sad, what do I do? How is a healthy, normal person supposed to deal with those emotions without going overboard? Do I just sit here and wait for it to pass? I feel restless and listless at the same time, in the same sort of uncomfortable, itchy state that usually sends me off into a bad episode, but that is no longer an option. I'm supposed to have moved past that. So now what?

[WildChild]

I find writing and exersize and stretching or yoga very helpful.

[CHANDLERS WISH]

I think it's great that you are not "tempted" to go backwards, rather looking for additional solutions.

EVERYBODY goes through sadness spells, everybody... Smile in that knowing.

Go for a walk... clear your mind and see the beauty around ,be it a tree, a flower, the sun, something that makes you realise it's OKAY... Everything will be okay....

Find something a hobby that you only pick up and do, when you feel down, something that you have always loved to do but never have....

And, send out your love to people you know, a smile, for no reason other than you wanted to feel what it felt like to change the pattern from sadness to doing something good and therefore feeling that.

CW