oh u used to be a PhD student? did u get a Masters at least?
also more importantly yes what are some good coping mechanisms for when bad stuff happens n life and how do u resist cravings/urges/relapse for addiction
i think ppl say just anecdotally that u gotta try to maximize the good stuff in your life while also trying to minimize the bad stuff but i feel like im only trying to minimize the bad stuff and it leaves me feeling empty and exhausted instead cuz i just feel like im spending a lot of mental energy trying to resist the temptations of my addictions
I did get the masters lol. Although to do the really cool stuff I’d have to finish the doctorate (fun fact my username is Dr_Professor bc I of grad school lol).
Those anecdotes are correct in making yourself happier. (Exposing yourself to positive stimulus and reducing negative stimulus contact). But the way you should probably go about is take anything you do and compare how much negative feedback it gives you to positive. Find things that just naturally give you mostly positive and stick with those and avoid activities that cause negative. (The ones you can).
But as far as how to actually deal with cravings and relapse and stuff, your best friend is going to be cognitive therapy (actually what I stated out going for), basically you train yourself to think differently. You’d basically need to talk things out with someone and let them show you alternatives ways to think about these things, mindfulness of your own maladaptive thought patterns, and learn to recognize them and counter them with the alternative truths of the matter. (It’s actually how I deal with myself a lot of the time. I’m bipolar and have bpd and it’s done wonders being able to rationalize myself out of my crazy thoughts patterns even if it isn’t a miracle fix). It’s not a quick fix, you need to constantly train yourself to do so, and also talk things out regularly with someone about it who can be that voice for you early on.