Good evening @Patches59 @Gypsywildflower ,

I'm a ruminator, too. Although I am getting more skilled at distracting myself/using mindfulness to bring new, more healthy thoughts and feelings into my conscience.

I'm a firm believer that mental health recovery is a 24/7 job. This is in contrast to my usual day job, which, although my workload is larger than the hours I'm paid for, I can still schedule blocks of 'work-free time' for relaxation, dancing, music, walking, eating out, etc.

@Gypsywildflower , you're right when you say that everyone projects their own backstory. In medical school, aspiring doctors learn that someone's phenotype (how they present) is a product of genotype (genetics) and environment. Environment includes personal  experiences, upbringing and the emotional vibe that you grow up in under your parents, wider family, friends and community. The ideas that someone speaks about reflects their history and experiences, and are also influenced by their brain chemicals (neurotransmitters), mood and what is at the forefront of their mind.

And art, music and dance are so good for healing! We can learn so much from other peoples' expression and even better, we can also develop and hone our own expression through these art forms. Creative expression is healing for mind and soul. You can get off what's on your chest/mind and you can be cryptic enough about it to weave it into the layers of your artwork/piece of music/dance, so that it's not always your heart on your sleeve(, if you don't want it to be, that is).

@Patches59 I did a group session in hospital yesterday on Schemas, it was really interesting, and I identified a few unhealthy schemas that I've been carrying for a long, long time and just assumed that they were truths. 

In terms of enjoyment and pleasure from activities, my clinical psychologist taught me that sometimes, even if the thought of doing an activity might not make me happy enough before I start it, once I start it, then I may start to feel better. I have found this to be true for my piano playing. I've been playing the piano here in hospital every day, and I'm not the only one who gets enjoyment: other patients and staff enjoy my playing, too. I've received several compliments from others, even my psychiatrist walked in on me playing when he came for my consultation yesterday morning. He was impressed, too. I've been his patient on and off since 2007 and this was the first time he had heard me play.

@tyme 

'The power of dance'

Losing myself in the sultry rhythms,

I surrender to my lead and go where he leads me.

Without a care to how the dance will end,

Focused on the present, free as can be.

I'm spun around, and lead on and off the track,
The chemistry flow,

Building and ebbing with the song,

The looks between us, only him and me know.

When I'm on the dance floor,

I'm as free as a bird,

I let myself be free

And I feel heard.

The song cadences to an end

But this is just the beginning,

I thank my dance partner, and walk away:

Inside I feel like I'm winning.

@creative_writer @The-red-centaur @Shaz51 @Oaktree @Glisten @PeppyPatti @Former-Member @MJG017