Distractions

Distract yourself

It’s not unusual during withdrawal from a psychiatric drug to feel completely fixated on your symptoms at times, whether it’s physical pain, emotional numbness or volatility, mental fogginess, or a host of other possibilities. One of the more commonly reported withdrawal experiences, in fact, is ruminative thinking—obsessive, looping thoughts that become so all-encompassing that one forgets that these thoughts are a temporary symptom in and of themselves.

Some people find that ruminations about their symptoms, imaginings of imminent catastrophes, or worries about being permanently "broken" seem to take over, with no apparent way to stop them. These thoughts may tell them that all is lost, or that even though other people might heal they themselves are too far gone. As such thoughts and feelings spiral further and further out, they may elevate stress and escalate symptoms, setting up a vicious cycle. Overwhelmed and feeling totally at the mercy of their minds, some people find themselves at a point where they can’t imagine a reason or a way to keep going.

At times like these, it can be helpful to have a reliable “tool kit” of distractions to escape to—even if just for thirty seconds at a time. Diverting yourself from obsessive thoughts or mental darkness may help (at least temporarily) to interrupt those looping cycles and offer some respite. There are, of course, an infinite number of distractions to try out, and everyone is different: While some people can only allow themselves to be distracted by things that they also believe are “good” for them such as educational documentary films, others are only able to forget themselves in “guilty pleasure” television viewing. Still others find the frequent light changes on electronic screens irritate and aggravate their symptoms rather than distract from them, and they need some kind of non-electronic pastime. In the end, the best diversion is simply the one that works for you. Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the particular distractions and diversions that people in the withdrawal community have frequently reported as being helpful.