MENTALHEALTH, ETHICS & SOCIAL HEALTH MESH / Carol's Personal Behavioral Plan

**Posted by Admin** Fri Feb 21 6:45 am

An analysis of my behavioral health and what I want to do about it.
DISCLAIMER: this is my own plan for me. I encourage you to find your own issues you are dealing with behaviorally and what you want to do about them.

Here's mine:

Recovery Plan:**

I have trouble with intimacy and being too emotionally dependent on others. I think I might have a condition called "global limerence." My main goal is to keep a clear mind. I focus too much outward on others and what other people think about me. I'm even addicted to my own brain chemistry when it reacts to romantic love and approval and disapproval and rejection.

**Key Chemicals:**
- **Dopamine**: Brings excitement.
- **Cortisol**: Related to stress.
- **Epinephrine**: Causes fight or flight reactions.
- **Oxytocin**: Helps form bonds, often low after having babies, o*****, connecting closely with others.
- **Serotonin**: Helps you feel content.
- **Phenylethylamine**: Creates emotional joy when around someone special.
- **GABA**: Helps you relax.

**Behavioral Goals:**
1. Stop looking for too much approval, especially from partners. Build self-acceptance with serotonin and oxytocin.
2. Become less emotionally dependent and more independent. Work on self-awareness.
3. Prevent emotional exhaustion; find ways to calm myself with a mix of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and GABA.
4. Avoid isolation; stay social and adaptable.
5. Change old habits; focus on making conscious choices.
6. Manage anger and try to respond calmly using serotonin, oxytocin, and GABA.
7. Go out only during the day.

**Additional Focus Areas:**
- **Nutrition**: Eat healthy meals.
- **Schedule**: Plan my day and stick to a regular sleep routine (go to bed at a set time and get up at a set time).
- **Self-Care**: Keep clean and think positively about myself. Notice negative thoughts.
- **Screen Time**: Limit online use and only use necessary apps on my phone.
- **Social Engagement**: Face my fear of canceling plans and understand why I avoid them.

**Emotional Health:**
- Stay present and manage feelings of dissociation.
- Tackle tough tasks instead of procrastinating.
- Identify safe situations to guide my decisions.

I will refer to my coping strategies and opposite behaviors to help me move towards healthier choices.

**Posted by Admin** Fri Feb 21 6:53 am

I am addicted to my own biochemistry being a certain way!
Dopamine: I want to feel euphoric and excited and a reward-rush.

Oxytocin: feeling fuzzy and warm. I love that feeling!

Phenylethylamine: the chemical reaction to being romantically engaged or in love. Wow!

Serotonin: feeling satisfied.

I am currently finding other ways to generate these chemicals in my brain without necessarily seeking approval or feeling emotionally involved with someone or being in love or being intimately engaged or romantically involved.

**Posted by Admin** Sat Feb 22 6:41 am

I changed my bedtime and up time.

**Posted by Mr W** Sat Feb 22 6:43 am

Working on mine... .

**Posted by Admin** Sat Feb 22 7:05 am

Mr W wrote:
Working on mine... .

Your bedtime or your behavioral plan Mr W.?

**Posted by Admin** Wed Mar 5 5:52 am

I plan to daily listen to my own meditation that I wrote about self-tolerance:

"Self-Tolerance Meditation"
by Carol

I tolerate self.
I tolerate others.
I tolerate my body.
I tolerate being in my body.
I tolerate the world.
I tolerate being in the world.
I tolerate my life.
I tolerate life.

This meditation is designed for my emotional distress because I cannot tolerate things very well in life and in the world and in myself and in being human at large. It's also good for managing anger and extreme anxiety. It's also good for feeling like ending it. It helps me slow down and not be so panicky.

It also helps me because there are many fluffy meditations about self-esteem and affirmations which may be okay for many others but all they do for me is basically tell me in a fancy way to f myself. "Love yourself..." "Tell yourself you're beautiful and look in the mirror..." Ew.

Henceforth designing this meditation.
It is very straightforward and fril-less. all it basically tells you to do is chill and accept.
It may inspire radical acceptance.
I've never been able to tolerate myself very well due to having been bullied and abused extensively in many ways.
Like my mental wellness process in general, it has been the only thing that's really reached to me.

C.

**Posted by Admin** Fri Mar 14 7:46 pm

I'm leaving this topic open in case anyone wants to share their own behavioral goals or plan. I'm going to continue to check in on this thread to talk about how I'm dealing with my behavioral issues in the behavioral module.

I'm noticing that I'm experiencing something called executive dysfunction. I get paralyzed with anxiety and I don't get things done very well. I will get tired a lot. I will end up canceling plans or just not feeling like doing anything or staring off into space.
Back in the day that was called laziness. Further on it was called depression. Now I think it's executive functioning problems.

**Posted by Admin** Mon Mar 24 7:55 pm

Hello I'm back. It's a struggle getting my circadian system back to normal whatever normal is LOL. For a while I was doing a 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. sleep time but I would like to get up at 9:00 a.m. again and go to bed at night. I still wake up too early around 6:00 a.m. today I ate breakfast at 7:00 and went back to bed and took a little nap until 10:00. I started a mesh session at noon. I'm doing it right now it's 12:55 Pacific time.
Going to check the board now.

**Posted by Admin** Wed Mar 26 9:16 pm

I added going out only during the day to the behavioral plan. Night time outings trigger me.

**Posted by Admin** Fri Apr 18 7:42 pm

Knowing that there is a scientific explanation for all these experiences helps a great deal.

Admin wrote:
I am addicted to my own biochemistry being a certain way!
Dopamine: I want to feel euphoric and excited and a reward-rush.

Oxytocin: feeling fuzzy and warm. I love that feeling!

Phenylethylamine: the chemical reaction to being romantically engaged or in love. Wow!

Serotonin: feeling satisfied.

I am currently finding other ways to generate these chemicals in my brain without necessarily seeking approval or feeling emotionally involved with someone or being in love or being intimately engaged or romantically involved.