Underrated coping skill: crafting

This is the fifth post in the Grey Thinking series, Five of the most underrated coping skills.

I’m not sure that “crafting” really encompasses the coping skill that I want to mention, but it’s the best term that I could come up with.  When I say “crafting,” I mean any of the following:

1. coloring
2. making collages
3. sudoku /crossword puzzles
4. word searches
5. computer solitaire
6. kitting
7. drawing / painting
8. origami

…see my point?  Semi-creative (and low-stress) activities that keep your hands busy.  I don’t know what it is about keeping my hands busy, but it really helps with the anxiety.

Personally, I prefer coloring & sudoku… mainly because they don’t really require any thought.  I can stress out about drawing because I don’t know where to start or I am worried about screwing it up.  With coloring… it’s way harder to screw up and limited decisions have to be made.  I know people who really get a lot more out of art than just being distracted and it can really be therapeutic for them.  I have days like that, but usually I’m just looking for a good, basically mindless activity.

What does Ed look like?

I know a lot of patients (and professionals) who refer to their eating disorder as “Ed” (E.D.).  I’ve always been a little wary of this… it feels weird to name a disorder that I’m struggling with.  It makes me feel like I have schizophrenia or DID or something.  However, in some ways it helps to thing of the eating disorder as a separate voice.  It helps me to separate what I want from what the eating disorder wants.

My dietitian once told me “don’t bring Ed to dinner – leave him at home.”  I have this vision of my sitting at a restaurant, with Ed at the end of the table with just a glass of water.  Very silly, I know… but for some reason that helps me.  Maybe it’s because I am separating the eating disorder from myself.

People with eating disorders are competitive — that’s (one) reason why you have to be careful who you put in groups together.  I have some friends who I really like, but feel competitive with or triggered by.  It’s easier for me to think of our two Ed’s fighting.  We brought them along with us and now they are arguing.

Okay, now it sounds like I have an invisible friend… and usually I don’t think of the eating disorder as “Ed” — but there are certain situations where it’s helpful for me.  But, my question is — what does your Ed look like?  Do you have a mental image of it?  I’m curious to hear how others envision it.  I’ll draw mine and post it in the next entry…