When it’s 5 O’clock in the fuckin morning…

There are so many things that happen at 5 o’clock in the morning, people heading to work. Coffee shops opening their doors, my great granny takes walks in Arizona at 5 am because it’s unbearably hot during the day. But the things that aren’t obvious are the conversations that occur, the conversations racing through our minds before the day begins, the annoying, gnawing, worries that just stay floating in your brain. Sometimes, I like to do this at night too, right before bed. I seem to panic right before bed or in the early morning; I think about literally everything from what I am planning to do that day to all the people I owe money too or the bills I haven’t paid yet. Then from there I repeat, repeat, fucking repeat, (because of my OCD; which in a way I think we all repeat things that are bothering us). I would let myself worry so often about the same things I would exaggerate them to the point of being ridiculous but I still believed whatever I thought in my head was 100% true. There are two things I suggest, keeping with the theme of TIPS FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, when it’s 5 o’clock in the morning and there is no one around to talk to except yourself, 1. Don’t exaggerate and 2. Recognize and hold onto the truth. When you exaggerate a situation you only make it worse in your head, which ultimately makes the entire situation worse. Try to hold onto what you Know for a fact is true. If you know your grandfather has always helped you out when bill time came around (for example my situation) then try to do what you can and remember that you will have his help because that’s just the way it’s been. The last things I suggest for when you’re alone are 1. Have something to preoccupy yourself near. I keep a basket, literally, of books next to my bed so if I ever wake up in the middle of the night I can pick up a good book and take my mind off of my worries so I can sleep. 2. Remember to Remember! We always forget the things that make us feel better when times get hard. But if you know you have a good support system or a good significant other, try to remember those people will always be there in the morning. If you don’t have a support system, don’t fret now,  Friends make great support systems and if you can’t find any of those I suggest finding a club or a group that meets weekly to have something to lean on and people to count on when dealing with these disorders.