Bert

I find that in my case, playing the mental game right becomes the most important thing as episodes grind on. Particularly at night. I don't know how chronic people do this. I steal a lot from zen teachers and competitors in precision sports for mindset, and play small attention games if I can manage it. Music with polyrhythms is a useful one, but I was a drummer as a kid and trying to tap along is familiar (and more importantly, each song I can make it through kills a few minutes). Anything to focus on is better than sitting there and taking a beating. Because you're right, that's when you start to ruminate. I try to keep my mind on a very short leash and frame getting through it as just another distasteful and necessary job.

Hi fellas. Just making the newbie intro post. 39 y/o male living on the Front Range, been living with it for 25 years or so, most of which was not really treated. Mid-cycle now, about five weeks in. Getting off relatively easy this time and I'm not complaining. Been lurking for a long time. For many years there were *things* I couldn't realistically try because I'd lose my job, and at the moment we're a single income family with two kids so that's a showstopper. With Colorado changing its laws I'm watching with more interest. Thanks for doing what you do.