Hey everyone,
I usually don't read this section of the site but I stumbled onto this thread a couple of weeks ago and have been slowly reading through it. I don't have any easy answers (no one does, obviously), but I want to wish everyone the best in their struggles. Without denigrating anyone else, I would like to send special best wishes to you, Rick, since your work has provided so many people so much enjoyment over the years. That is a rare gift and I hope you are proud of it.
I do have a suggestion that hasn't really been talked about here.
Many mental health professionals promote the therapeutic value of spending unstructured time in natural areas. I take it that most of you live in cities. What tends to happen to urban folks is that they get wrapped up in people problems and become detached from the context, the background, in which we humans evolved.
Without getting into the large technical and philosophical literature that justifies this, I can just tell you that there is something incredibly soothing in talking a walk in a quiet woods, or by a lake, or anyplace where you can be in nature. You "go outside yourself" for a time; you de-focus away from your problems and absorb the sights, smells, and sounds (and this is key: if you can go somewhere where you can only hear natural sounds, and listen carefully, after a few minutes you will find, I'm almost certain, a calming effect on your being).
If you can make a habit of doing this regularly -- every day is best -- I think you will soon develop the beginnings of an awareness that we are part of something bigger, something we didn't create and aren't in charge of, that we are at home on earth, and that being here is good. And then hopefully you can begin transferring some of that positive feeling to your own self-esteem, or your personal relationships.
Just to give you an example: I live way off in the woods in a remote part of my state (but only 7 miles from a small university town, where I work). Right now 5 wild turkeys have shown up at our bird feeder and I am looking at one right now standing on the snow. It just looked at me. We're here together, at this moment. What does that mean? Well, there are many meanings each of us could bring individually to this moment. But it makes me happy to know that this beautiful creature is part of my consciousness right know. It makes me want to flourish, and it makes me want nature to always be available.
Of course I can't guarantee results of nature therapy. But I, and many others, find it to be a portal to wellness, and a way to heal the psychological dislocations that are at the heart of anxiety.
It's worth a try!
PS: I meant to add that you don't have to travel far to do this. There are plenty of urban parks and other natural areas where you can get the essence of what I'm talking about.
