(Back from a siong day in the office... PATS inspection coming
up so will be online less often)
Wow! This thread is certainly growing... plus the posts are so long
thanks to contributions from benefactors such as our uncle bear
(Who is incidentally PES A and doing admin *EVIL glare*) anyway, I
walked, or rather hopped (with my crutches) along the corridor and
I realised something that might be immediately useful for you
recovering people... three things can virtually dispel the pangs of
unrequaintance if applied diligently to our lives:
1) Monotony - Find a constructive thing that you have a passion of
sorts for and repeat. For me, journal writing helps absorb the
stress in my everyday life. To date I have over 12 volumes, each
one a 400 page hardcover. Interestingly, I keep finding old
memories facinating as I turn back the pages once in a while to
recall what I had done before. Perhaps someone would like to
try?
2) Escapism - Read fantasy, sci-fi or indulge in some fiction that
would take one to another place away from our mundane plane of
existence. Inspirational non-fiction can help too, for instance
"Chicken soup for the soul" gets me feeling up when I'm down.
Likewise, a more complete sensual escape would be to watch
sci-fi/fantasy VCDS or games. Good starts= Braveheart, Matrix,
(Japanese Anime) Neon Genesis, Trigun, Blue Submarine no.6.
Whatever you do, avoid romantic comedies or love stories like
plague... I think you should know why.
3) focus - Concentrate your attention on any one given point of
your life and think of ways to make its progress better by using
all that charged up negative energy and putting it to good use. For
example, I run to expend the agitation that stress begets. Running
makes me tired and causes me to feel fully alive; sort of an
adrenal high. 
Try it!
I hope you folks found that useful!
