Rewards with Depression/Anxiety
So I did a lot of thinking about rewards for myself and came up with basically video games. They're a hobby, I don't get to buy them often because they're spendy, and they don't really require going out.
While I was thinking of rewards, I also thought of clothing, or a mani/pedi, and ended up throwing out the ideas because I have pretty severe anxiety (that was brought on with weight gain), and forcing myself into a situation where I felt uncomfortable just didn't feel like a reward. I have also suffered from depression since I was around 15 years old, possibly longer, but that's when I started going to therapists. I'm now 29. The only medication I take is 40mg of Celexa.
My question to folks who are in similar circumstances would be, how did you deal with depression/anxiety and rewarding yourself? The anxiety I feel is often strictly related to my appearance. With a mani/pedi I'll start worrying that the person doing my nails is laughing at me, as many places have employees that will talk in another language with other employees and giggle. Clothing I get frustrated with as well, and if people see me using a fitting room I always worry that they think I shouldn't be spending money on nice clothes.
Basically I'm entirely too concerned with what other people have to think, and I'm not sure how to really cope with it, or change that frame of mind, and over a decade of therapy hasn't really helped. Maybe I'm just seeing the wrong therapists. My mindset right now is that it'll get better as the weight drops off, but I don't know for sure that'll happen. Eventually though, I'm going to need to clothes, and I would like for it to be a good experience, not a negative one.
|