7 - Cyclothymia

Cyclothymia and phobias : a few of my afflictions.
As I said in the intro of this blog, I suffer from cyclothymia.
Sociales phobias aren't the only to give me daily pain, but I suffer or have suffered from many other phobias.

Cyclothymia isn't a phobia but a disorder, in the bipolar range, in which euphoria and periods of alternating depression and irritability.
Or, I can say that I have mood swings, which can be either short or long, and can happen brutally with no apparent cause.




Throughout the years, I found tools to limit the ravages of these mood swings :
Meditation, especially inspired by Mr Spock in Star Trek, but also with '' divination cards '' who serve me as reflective meditation;

• Meditation with or without music (relaxing or not), with or without visualization techniques;
• listening to music is very important to me and link to my moods. Without music, I become very irritable in less than a week;
• Herbal soothing teas plants such as verbena;
• Keeping the apartment clean and tidy - sometimes admittedly difficult because I am a creative person and tend to scatter, but I require a minimum order to avoid dazzling jumps of moods - I have indeed noted the link between these elements ;
• Keeping regular hours every day, such as for meals, and avoid too often unplanned (invitations etc.) helps to reduce the stimuli sources of changes in mood.
• Artistic activities: I tried painting, drawing, and sculpture, late in my life, creating a gap between my vision and what my small talent can achieve. I do not have enough patience to practice and improve, so I turned instead to digital photography.