I, too, found that weird music was comforting and the other stuff no longer appealed to me.  At first it was just depressing lyrics and gut-wrenching accompaniment that I listened to as loud as possible.  (My ears were often ringing afterwards.)  It echoed what I was feeling inside.  Then it was ambient music (which I still like) and multi-cultural selections that were very repetitive.  Then, as you say, the music stopped.  The life music.  I fell into a deep hole and it took years to climb out.

I have iTunes now and love the radio stations as well as being able to download some of the songs I always loved.  Pandora.com is also good.  Try that site.  You can design your own radio stations.  The music I like now still seems to have a dark side.  Like some old Emerson, Lake and Palmer songs.  I have about 10 songs by various artists that I listen to over and over because they are comforting and calming.  Aqualung is my current favorite band.

When I feel agitated, I can lie on my bed and put the headphones on and listen to some of this music for about 30 minutes, then I feel much better and able to carry on.  I play it in my car wherever I go.  Sometimes I listen to beautiful hymns from my childhood and sing along.  Like "O Come, O Come Emmanuel."

I also love to write.  My day would not be complete without spending some time writing in my journal or working on my memoir and sending emails.  I think keeping a journal also helps keep me sane.  When I was my sickest I would often spend 8 hrs a day on the journal.  It helped me work out my thoughts and make better sense of what had happened in the past.  I was able to set small goals, although no time schedule for reaching them.  Writing helped me slowly rebuild my ability to think and understand and helped me center myself.

Carolyn