Looking for a healthy release valve for frustration.

[Metalhead]

There is always the gym, but there are times when that is not a realistic option.

I feel a lot of pent-up frustration, and while a part of me wants to express it here in a variety of four, five, six, seven and twelve letter words, I also do not want to face the ban hammer here. People really should learn to appreciate having a wider vocabulary, though.

My landlord would not want me to install a punching bag from my ceiling.

Drugs, alcohol, pornography, those just mask the issue and leave everything unresolved with an extra veneer of shame at the time wasted at the end of the day.

I feel like a live wire and I want to turn off the pent up energy and just chill.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

For me, hiking was great. But, it sounds like you have a lot of sources of frustration around you, based on your other threads. So anything you try may not help much if you're still going into bad situations. Hopefully you can solve some of those problems. It's awful to feel you're in a stalemate and nothing will give.

 

[Metalhead]

For me, hiking was great. But, it sounds like you have a lot of sources of frustration around you, based on your other threads. So anything you try may not help much if you're still going into bad situations. Hopefully you can solve some of those problems. It's awful to feel you're in a stalemate and nothing will give.

For me, the gym is great.

But I can’t step away from some stressful gatherings to run on a track or lift some weights.

Not drinking alcohol is making me feel a lot of what I do not want to feel.

 

[Magna]

Rats, I was going to suggest a punching bag. I don't have one myself but I knew someone who did and it really helped them. I also knew a therapist who said men benefit from exercises like punching bags, chopping wood and other impact-type activities for stress reduction.

How is your diet? Are you getting enough sleep? Have you tried any breathing exercises? Much easier than meditation for some and shorter too.

This one really did help for a period of time after I tried it out of curiosity from a random YT vid that popped up on my feed:

There are a lot of other types of breathing exercises

I appreciate your restraint in keeping your communications to G-rating as is required here (saying PG or PG-13 for this forum isn't accurate). Not because such words offend me in the least. For many (most?) adults, myself included, "adult words" are a normal part of language and expression. It's because I would hate to not see you here anymore. I enjoy your posts and I feel you contribute positively to this forum. There are many wonderful things about being here and they thankfully outweigh the few "cons".

Also, do you take vitamin supplements?

 

[Metalhead]

Rats, I was going to suggest a punching bag. I don't have one myself but I knew someone who did and it really helped them. I also knew a therapist who said men benefit from exercises like punching bags, chopping wood and other impact-type activities for stress reduction.

How is your diet? Are you getting enough sleep? Have you tried any breathing exercises? Much easier than meditation for some and shorter too.

This one really did help for a period of time after I tried it out of curiosity from a random YT vid that popped up on my feed:

There are a lot of other types of breathing exercises

I appreciate your restraint in keeping your communications to G-rating as is required here. I would hate to not see you here anymore. I enjoy your posts and I feel you contribute positively to this forum. There are many wonderful things about being here and they thankfully outweigh the few "cons".

Also, do you take vitamin supplements?

My diet could be better. I eat too many rich foods and not enough vegetables. Not taking any supplements currently. My AA sponsor has been pushing breathing exercises and meditation on me, but sometimes slowing down like that is extremely counterintuitive.

 

[Magna]

My diet could be better. I eat too many rich foods and not enough vegetables. Not taking any supplements currently. My AA sponsor has been pushing breathing exercises and meditation on me, but sometimes slowing down like that is extremely counterintuitive.

B Vitamin complex is supposed to help with stress. Maybe try taking a multi-vitamin daily? Surely that won't cure your ills and solve your problems, but it might help in a small way. Going meatless a day or two per week or cooking meals that are high in veg also can help.

 

[Magna]

Are you in any sort of recovery program currently or are you going it solo?

12 step programs are the most common, but there are other ones that are not based on the need to believe superstitions and are also apparently effective for a lot of people.

 

[Stuttermabolur]

If you can find some isolated spot, I recommend shouting or singing loudly (and I mean really belting it out), maybe some heavy metal song. You might also be able to do that when driving if you have a car, since I find it is a pretty euphoric release valve for pent up feelings which are difficult to express.

I have also heard of companies offering a baseball bat and a roomfull of appliances (like old TVs, blenders and furniture) to go ham on for half an hour to release your frustrations. I don't know if any of them are in your area though. I heard about one in Canada, and they mentioned that there are more.

 

[Metalhead]

Are you in any sort of recovery program currently or are you going it solo?

12 step programs are the most common, but there are other ones that are not based on the need to believe superstitions and are also apparently effective for a lot of people.

I am in AA. But I agree that it is too much of a cult for my liking, and too many people in that fellowship define success by merely abstaining from booze, but still remain asses regardless.

 

[Metalhead]

If you can find some isolated spot, I recommend shouting or singing loudly (and I mean really belting it out), maybe some heavy metal song. You might also be able to do that when driving if you have a car, since I find it is a pretty euphoric release valve for pent up feelings which are difficult to express.

I have also heard of companies offering a baseball bat and a roomfull of appliances (like old TVs, blenders and furniture) to go ham on for half an hour to release your frustrations. I don't know if any of them are in your area though. I heard about one in Canada, and they mentioned that there are more.

I used to do karaoke and purposely picked the most obscene songs available, so I had people cheering me on when I belted out those tunes.

Why harm an old TV? I want a tube set for my older game consoles.

 

[Magna]

I am in AA. But I agree that it is too much of a cult for my liking, and too many people in that fellowship define success by merely abstaining from booze, but still remain asses regardless.

I have little knowledge of the following and have never used such a thing myself, but someone recently suggested in a zoom group I'm in that the SMART method of addiction recovery is non-religious and considered a viable and effective alternative to traditional 12 step. Maybe check that out?

 

[Stuttermabolur]

I used to do karaoke and purposely picked the most obscene songs available, so I had people cheering me on when I belted out those tunes.

I have done karaoke, and to be honest, I prefer singing when alone as there is less pressure (and for you, less drinks around). I am fortunate as I live close to the shore where there is sometimes no-one around, so I can yell towards the sea. Obscene songs should be good as a release.

Why harm an old TV? I want a tube set for my older game consoles.

They use TV's which have already stopped working. To be honest I don't fully get it either, but some people get satisfaction out of breaking things, so it might be worth a shot.

 

[Aspychata]

And remember you can always come here and rant. We all boil down at the end of the day, some a little more, some a little less. But we are trying to be here for you!!

 

[Storm Hess]

I have free-standing punching bags. I kick the crap out of them and it helps greatly! Recording music, painting, drawing, writing,,,anything to release the frustration in a positive way.

 

[Magna]

I have free-standing punching bags. I kick the crap out of them and it helps greatly! Recording music, painting, drawing, writing,,,anything to release the frustration in a positive way.

Excellent idea. I forgot about free-standing punching bags. Your landlord shouldn't object to that I wouldn't think.

 

[Au Naturel]

There is always the gym, but there are times when that is not a realistic option.

I feel a lot of pent-up frustration, and while a part of me wants to express it here in a variety of four, five, six, seven and twelve letter words, I also do not want to face the ban hammer here. People really should learn to appreciate having a wider vocabulary, though.

My landlord would not want me to install a punching bag from my ceiling.

Drugs, alcohol, pornography, those just mask the issue and leave everything unresolved with an extra veneer of shame at the time wasted at the end of the day.

I feel like a live wire and I want to turn off the pent up energy and just chill.

Pushups, situps. Get a cheap set of dumbells and exercise. Get a punching bag that stands on the floor. Go for a run. This is all healthy stuff, even if you didn't need to use up any adrenaline.

 

[Aspychata]

Pushups, situps. Get a cheap set of dumbells and exercise. Get a punching bag that stands on the floor. Go for a run. This is all healthy stuff, even if you didn't need to use up any adrenaline.

Exercise is healthy stimming.

 

[Slime_Punk]

I usually never get angry, but when I do (usually over health issues) I throw a slam ball around.

Using creative means can really help to release some of the energy and expression that's otherwise not deemed 'acceptable'. Have you ever tried playing guitar? Even if you have neighbors, you can always use headphones on an amp and they won't hear a thing (I don't own any amps or cabinets, but I play all the time!).

Also, electronic drum kits are incredible to have around as well. I can literally use mine with headphones while my wife is sleeping in the next room and she doesn't hear a thing. It's also kind of a workout if you like death metal.

Just some ideas. I hope you find something that works for you

PS - I know you can't always go off and workout every time you get triggered, but do you have any luck with doing a routine in the morning before work and then another one after? I find that if I keep the workout flow going, the emotions that I dislike the most (which, in my case are anxiety and fear) creep up less.

I know you're not supposed to replace addictions, but I totally use working out in place of alcohol. If I hadn't, I would've never quit and discovered my new life, so whatever cult that says otherwise can kiss my aspie ass

 

[Au Naturel]

I usually never get angry, but when I do (usually over health issues) I throw a slam ball around.

Using creative means can really help to release some of the energy and expression that's otherwise not deemed 'acceptable'. Have you ever tried playing guitar? Even if you have neighbors, you can always use headphones on an amp and they won't hear a thing (I don't own any amps or cabinets, but I play all the time!).

Also, electronic drum kits are incredible to have around as well. I can literally use mine with headphones while my wife is sleeping in the next room and she doesn't hear a thing. It's also kind of a workout if you like death metal.

Just some ideas. I hope you find something that works for you

PS - I know you can't always go off and workout every time you get triggered, but do you have any luck with doing a routine in the morning before work and then another one after? I find that if I keep the workout flow going, the emotions that I dislike the most (which, in my case are anxiety and fear) creep up less.

I know you're not supposed to replace addictions, but I totally use working out in place of alcohol. If I hadn't, I would've never quit and discovered my new life, so whatever cult that says otherwise can kiss my aspie ass

What's wrong with replacing a harmful addiction with a healthy one?

 

[Slime_Punk]

What's wrong with replacing a harmful addiction with a healthy one?

I guess the general scare tactic would say, "What if you can't exercise? Then are you going to drink?" but I've been in that scenario already after a complicated surgery and it just sucked a little not being able to do it, but I never had any cravings or any of that. It just felt so much better to be back in the flow eventually