Walking

[James]

In my days of crazy I found walking to be cathartic. I couldn't go out of my house for 3-4 months (agoraphobia) at one point but when I was able, I went out and walked. I remember the first time I was able to walk my dog again. 

 

We live on a golf course and it's wide open. My doggo loves to run as fast as he can for a long ways. He was stuck in the house whilst I recovered to the point of walking again. I will never forget the time when he and I were able to walk again together. We were coming down a familiar fairway and he just ripped by me at full speed. I had not seen this in so long. I yelled at the sky! Hooray! I was so happy. Doggo was too. We walk on the beach now daily. Even in the fall. We walk every day. I love it and so does he.

 

The beach is the place to be to heal. If you can get to one, you really should make the effort to go.

[WebDevElijah]

Thank you so much for sharing this experience! It's amazing how healing something as simple as a walk can be, especially when it's tied to such powerful moments of freedom and joy. I can just picture your dog racing past you, both of you finally feeling that sense of liberation. The beach sounds like the perfect spot to keep nurturing that connection and peace. I’m so glad you found that place to heal and now get to enjoy it every day with your dog! 

[James]

When I was in the first few months of w/d I developed akathesia. I found that the scenery passing by was the key to keeping me settled. As long as I was moving I was good. If I wasn't moving, I had to move. There were many times I would meet with someone and have to pace throughout the meeting. I actually apologized to a psychiatrist for needing to pace. He looked at me funny and at that point in time I realized he knew I had it. He denied my condition asking who told you you have akathesia? I said, "I'll tell you my symptoms and YOU tell me if I have it or not." He denied I did. That's a whole other story though.

 

The fact I was moving while I walked was paramount to being settled in my mind. Walking served that in a perfect way. Unfortunately I was walking/pacing 20 hours a day. All through the night and day. I even went to a lake house (while I could as I developed agoraphobia) and paced there as well. I heard my daughter on the phone saying, "Yes, he's doing the same thing up here." That was unsettling to say the least.

 

Bottom line though is everyone needs to find their own place and activity to settle their nerves and make it through their day. Nature and exercise have been the salve to my wound. 

[James]

I missed my daily walk on the beach with my doggo yesterday. It was just too windy. On the beach, if the wind is 30 knots or better, your feet and legs get sandblasted. I went but had to pass. Am going today in about 15 minutes.

 

I wish I could post pics in these entries. The sunsets are spectacular.

 

Everyone needs an out. Sometimes you don't even know it's an out until you do it for a while. I am of the bend that if I do something once, I have to do it the next day as well. This is a blessing and a curse. While it helps me stay on target and goes well with consistency, it is also a curse in the fact if I don't do said thing the next day, I feel empty in some way. I know this sounds a bit OCD but it is what it is.

 

This plays really well with consistency in exercise. Something I really like to do.

[Rosalind]

On 11/7/2024 at 6:02 AM, James said:

In my days of crazy I found walking to be cathartic. I couldn't go out of my house for 3-4 months (agoraphobia) at one point but when I was able, I went out and walked. I remember the first time I was able to walk my dog again. 

 

We live on a golf course and it's wide open. My doggo loves to run as fast as he can for a long ways. He was stuck in the house whilst I recovered to the point of walking again. I will never forget the time when he and I were able to walk again together. We were coming down a familiar fairway and he just ripped by me at full speed. I had not seen this in so long. I yelled at the sky! Hooray! I was so happy. Doggo was too. We walk on the beach now daily. Even in the fall. We walk every day. I love it and so does he.

 

The beach is the place to be to heal. If you can get to one, you really should make the effort to go.

 

[Rosalind]

Lovely posts here, thank you.

[Toby]

I also found walking to be healing. I’m currently tapering and got hit with agoraphobia again but I’m hoping to start walking again as it gave me those feel good chemicals. How do we post pictures of our walks ? That would be nice