Last night, the challenge to not watch TV was difficult.  I received some bad news at the doctor's office and I wanted to come home and simply tune into something mindless and tune out from the world and all the bad stuff.  I am happy to say that I did not succumb to temptation, but it made me realize how much we might use TV as an anesthetic to dull the pain of our problems instead of finding a way to deal with our feelings and getting to the other side.  I talked to my husband and I played with my small person until bedtime and then I listened to a relaxing nature sounds CD until I fell asleep.  I did have some ice cream, but this hardly counts as self-medication as my small person had it ready and waiting for me when I came home.  She loves to make desserts for the whole family!  I have a great kid.  I am glad that the experiment showed me that ways in which I used TV and pushed me into a healthier emotional state.