For other people's problems/my coping: Grace under fire, nerves of steal, resilency and my antidepressants! A good lawyer wouldn't hurt.
For me:
1. Good humor to consider everything a learning experience and know the reason.
2. Permanent avoidance of the reason for my trials/tribulations.
3. New friends with similar experiences to keep my hope alive. It's emotionally empty and barren now. Would like long-term company of one opposite *** relationship but weight gain puts most women on the doggy list here.
4. Continued drive to work towards my goals: finish computer certification, plentiful volunteer internships, continued success at my gas-money job, wonderful people in my professional organization, abuser's stress reduced/finally taking hint from restraining order so I can resume exercising and reduced stress so I have the energy to put into meal preparation, weight loss to I may easier maintain my home/stand at a job, enough sleep to still feel like a human despite my chronic and constant health problems.
5. Drive to switch from my needle crafts to artistic expression. I find the needle work calming. I was hoping to switch to exercise to soothe (and reduce weight) instead but injury after injury have made this difficult.
6. Ability to hold onto new, healthier habits when the stress from the abuser has worsened to the point of police threatening me with imprisonment. It's hell to give up the old coping tools with this crap going on.
7. Just break even each month until I can get enough part-time hours to get a little paid off on the credit card every month. Maybe think about full-time when my abuser has been charged or his family places him in mental facility permanently.
