Coping with anxiety

[designguy]

Hello all, this was my answer to a recent post and someone kindly suggested I post it for others to see. Hope someone finds this helpful.

I found medication helped some but did not resolve my anxiety issues. What really made the difference for me was learning everything I could about anxiety and understanding why and how I had developed it. Anxiety can stem from worries, fears, repressed emotions, shame etc... from our past, our present and thinking of the future. I also learned that anxiety/panic is a paradox and the more we resist it the more it persists so the solution is to surrender to it and let it flow through us and desensitize ourself over time. Anxiety is our bodies built in warning system that is malfunctioning so we need to accept it instead of rejecting it and learn how to reset it. Also understand and know that the anxious thoughts are lies and to not believe them, their intent was to protect you but it's most likely you don't need that kind of protection. As humans our natural state is one of calm and not of anxiety. My suggestion is to check out the DARE Anxiety book and youtube videos, or the youtube videos/website of Paige Pradko. I also found the book "At last a life and beyond" by Paul David helpful as well as the youtubes of Dr. Claire Weekes. There is also a lot of other good information on youtube about it. It takes commitment, determination and time to desensitize and retrain yourself but you can do it.

One of the things I found that also really helped my anxiety is getting my hormones (testosterone), thyroid and adrenals all functioning properly and balanced. It really made a big difference in reducing my anxiety and how I felt so I definitely recommend doing it. Another thing that contributes to anxiety is our diet, you might eliminate caffeine and reduce the amount of sugar and alcohol you eat and eat easily digestible foods and see if helps your anxiety. Also know that anxiety is a trickster and will try to make you believe things that aren't true including feelings/sensations as well as thoughts.

Learning and practicing a simple mindfulness meditation can be very helpful for learning to observe your thoughts and not attach to them so you are less triggered by them. It also helps with sitting with the anxious feelings and allowing them instead of resisting them.

[LifeIsThePitts]

Per usual, your advice and insight is spot on!! I will definitely be looking up your YouTube recommendations. Reaching the point where anxiety is understandable and relatable to yourself is monumental in overcoming the control it has over us. But that's the trick and it is so hard to rewire our habituation.

I always love the anxiety guy, Dennis Simsek.

I like Andrew Huberman of the Huberman Lab podcast for scientific research and info into MANY mental health subjects. Currently watching his cannabis podcast and really enjoyed his Psilocybin episode.

[designguy in reply to LifeIsThePitts]

Thanks Pitts, I always appreciate your encouragement. I hope you are doing well and got some of your pain issues resolved.

[Hope4me1]

Your comments are so helpful. It took me so long to find all that info. You have summarized it here! Thank you!😊

[designguy in reply to Hope4me1]

That is so awesome, that is what I was hoping would happen by posting this. Feel free to ask me any questions after checking out the info.

[Hope4me1 in reply to designguy]

Thank you! I will!

[Artistfriend]

Well said! 👍

[designguy in reply to Artistfriend]

Thanks, I appreciate the thumbs up.

[Agora1]

Great post designguy. You and I see eye to eye on the key to successfully controlling

anxiety. The answer doesn't come all wrapped up in a one verbal sentence. It takes

everything you mentioned and more in understanding and researching everything

we can about the disorder. Both mentally and physically. You've helped so many

friends in this community. Thank you for all your input and time. xx

[LifeIsThePitts in reply to Agora1]

Hi agora! Nice to see you today. Learning how anxiety and depression tag team and take turns upending my 🧠 brain and life was, and still is, an ongoing investigation and learning curve. Taking the time to delve into the clinical, psychological, scientific and biological processes that contributed to my particular conditioning, habits and avoidance patterns was crucial to start healing myself.

Once the diseases made sense to me in ways I could understand, they became less of a burden and more of a personal challenge for me to overcome. Less of a mystery and more like a really crappy friend that you just can't shake but still keep around because of such a LOOONG relationship, even though you know they're no good for you. I know I'll never be totally free from their symptoms, but my life doesn't have to revolve around them. I certainly don't have this mastered in any sense of the word...but at least I know what I'm striving for 😁 that's worth it's weight in gold🥇

[Agora1 in reply to LifeIsThePitts]

Absolutely worth it's weight in gold.

We all deserve to someday say "Life is Good"

"Life is Amazing" xx

[designguy in reply to LifeIsThePitts]

Pitts, I love your analogies, you are one creative lady. I totally agree that determining our story and how it was created helps us in healing and insight for how we further navigate life.

[LifeIsThePitts in reply to designguy]

Thanks, man. I appreciate that more than you know 🙏 😊 I'm very blessed to have a group of like minded individuals here, like yourself, that understand the path we're forging. It's rocky terrain, no paved highway for this gal. But I found that following anyone else's path to self discovery was wasting my time. I had to start my own journey. That was a hard lesson to learn.

[designguy in reply to LifeIsThePitts]

You're very welcome, it is sobering and liberating to realize it really is up to us to learn how to walk in our own shoes.

[LifeIsThePitts in reply to designguy]

Ahhh... 👟👟 how VERY astute!😉🍄❣️

[designguy in reply to Agora1]

Thanks Agora and I totally agree, it is multifaceted and ditto to you too for all your compassionate help and advice here also.

[CL3V3R-G1RL]

I’ve found DARE to be quite helpful to me. As the saying goes Knowledge is Power. The more you understand anxiety the more you find yourself being less afraid of it. It starts to sink in that you will not die. You will be okay. Those awful sensations are just that, sensations. They will go away. And you will be okay 👍🏽

Good work designguy 😎 I’m sure this will help a lot of people!

[designguy in reply to CL3V3R-G1RL]

Thanks CL3V3R-G1RL, glad you found DARE helpful and I totally agree with you that understanding anxiety really helps take the fear out of it.

[Dolphin14]

Thank you for sharing this in a post. I read it in a reply and I agree with the member that suggested you mention it separately

It's such valuable information. I'm going to look into some of your suggestions

Sending peace

🐬

[designguy in reply to Dolphin14]

Thanks, hope you find them helpful.

[Amalyy]

Thank you so much for sharing ❤️

[designguy in reply to Amalyy]

You're very welcome.

[ZOO7]

Thank you very much for this post. I’m still working on all of this. I’m glad you found some relief. Thanks again for sharing. I plant to definitely check out the videos and book you suggest. I’m building a “tool box”. Enjoy the sun!

[designguy]

I'll look forward to your nature walk photos and maybe do some of my own.

[designguy]

I am enjoying the sun, love it. Putting together a toolbox is always a good idea.

[tiblo]

Well said

[designguy]

I bet they were driving you quackers - lol!

[Perriex]

"Anxiety is our bodies built in warning system that is malfunctioning so we need to accept it instead of rejecting it and learn how to reset it."

I never thought of it this way.

I have been working on sitting with my anxiety, and not running from it.

Thank you.

[designguy in reply to Perriex]

You're welcome, and you're on the right track by sitting with it. I even started trying to make it increase and be really intense and laughing at the weird anxious thoughts and trying to provoke it with weirder anxious thoughts all of which help take the power and fear out of it.

[Perriex in reply to designguy]

That's so cool.

I love radical methods.