What has helped your anxiety the most ? - Living with Anxiety
What has helped your anxiety the most ?
Hello Everyone
This Community is for us all but Admins can only put the polls on
I am always happy if anyone has a poll they would like putting on to do it for you and this poll was what LibertyB suggested she would like asking and I am looking forward to at reading what has helped you most with your anxiety 
x
Avoiding people/situations that cause anxiety and not caring what people think of my decision.
Hello AuntMimi
That is a good one not caring what people think about our decisions
Good for you getting on without worrying what others think
Thank You for your reply x
Hi lulu this is a interesting poll as the results suprised me as i find that having a good family back up that are there for you 24/7 were as on line has opening. Hours keep the polls coming as they are very informative merry christmas to everyone. X
Hello David
I agree that if you have good family support it can really help but it is so sad that so many do not seem to have this 
I am so pleased that you find you have and it helps so much
Any suggestions anyone can come up with for future polls are more than welcome so hope if members think of any they will message me and let me know as it is good to change the polls as often as you can just y thinking cap runs out of ideas sometimes 
Happy Christmas to you to x
Self-help books and websites. I'm not cured but have made slight improvements by working through a book over 10 months. Still got a long way to go, but I feel a bit better.
Hello sunrisesunset
Self help books can be really good , is there any you could recommend that you have found the most helpful ?
Slight improvements is a fantastic result and starting to feel a bit better to
Keep doing what you are doing as it sounds like it is working for you and if you ever feel like you want to join in the posts on the Community your input will be more than welcomed
Thank you for your reply and a Happy Christmas to you x
I have many types of anxiety, but the one that has hurt me the most is Social Anxiety. The book is called Overcoming Social Anxiety: Step by Step, by the Social Anxiety Institute. I wish I'd bought it years ago. I'd be much better off by now.
Merry Christmas to you too!
Thank you for that , so many have Social Anxiety and this will be most helpful x
Hm, meds #1? I wonder if that could be because you didn't list CBT (cognitive behavior therapy), which is a little different than just talking? CBT with an experienced anxiety counselor over the phone helped me. The books Hope & Help For Your Nerves by Claire Weekes, At Last A Life by Paul David, and a deeper, more scientific & Christian based book, Switch On Your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf were excellent and very helpful to me. The 1st helped me to understand, then accept the symptoms, 2nd how to go on living, then the last book is teaching me how to change my fearful & negative thinking, which is the root problem of my anxiety disorder. My anxiety has caused me to pray more and increased my dependence on God which has also helped my anxiety, since it has increased my gratitude, & made me a better, more compassionate person.
Hello
You have seemed to find what works for you and I hope it long continues
I put any others and please comment so people can add the other things as well as it helps us to get talking on here so lovely to see your contribution to that , all opinions matter so much
I hope you have a lovely Christmas x
I use the holistic approach to help my Anxiety. Worry dolls / chakra crystals and also a little angel worry stone I keep inmy handbag. Just to know she is watching over me. Maybe mumbo jumbo to some and not for everyone.But helps me out in times of trouble. Have tried meds but weren't for me. Hope everyone has a worry free day ( we can always wish lol) 😊😊x
No it's not mumbo jumbo if it gives you comfort then that's so lovely All the very best xx
Thank you so much Cat33 ~yep def helps me out .Wishing you well today 😊xx
Thank you -you too love your user name Kitty was my first kitten I had as a surprise Christmas present when I was 7 ! My best present ever If you have a cat do you find that they are so relaxing too ?
I have a rose quartz that I keep with me and I find that a comfort
I'm glad you manage without meds not that I'm against them at all as they help a lot of people but it's lovely that you dont have to worry about taking them I find magnesium helps me
Take care and have a lovely calm day xx
Hello
I don't think it is mumbo jumbo at all if it works for you then that is all that matters
Thank you for your reply x
Self help books
Relaxation videos on YouTube I use one every day and they are wonderful
Constant exposure to anxiety and never giving in to it even though it's so hard xx
Oh yes I use these as well I find the Reiki ones really soothing ~such lovely music ~the tears often flow ~but in a cleansing sort of way 😊xx
Not seen the reiki ones I will look for those I had a reiki session a few weeks ago I was so deeply relaxed it was gorgeous xx
Oh I love Reiki ~but The JustReiki master I used to see has different times now so I can't go. Yes I have 3 cats and can all be tinkers at times. My oldest Poppy is 17 so worry about her. Oh Rose quartz is lovely ~I have a power bracelet made from that.
Just Google Reiki music and it will direct you to the right place. 🌷xx
Thank you will do that
How lovely to have 3 cats I know how you feel about them getting older We only have 1 now Maisie and she is 3 had her since she was a kitten and a real little pickle
Rose quartz is lovely x
Hello Cat33
Relaxation videos on You Tube are really good and there are so many to choose from so you can find one that suites you
Never given in is a great attitude that is what anxiety would like us to do , I sometimes think we have to show it who is boss
Thank You for your reply and I hope you have a lovely Christmas x
Thanks so much for posting this Lulu 😊. It’s been really interesting reading the comments. For me it’s been the HealthUnlocked communities that have pulled me out of some really dark moments. But more recently it’s been my amazing therapist that is so good. At one point I thought I was going to have to go private but I’ve got nothing better to say about my nhs therapist. I wish everyone could have my current therapist.
Also I have to give a shout out to the Samaritans as they have also been very integral to how I’ve dealt with anxiety, depression and PTSD.
Hell Liberty , not a problem posting this and I am more than willing to post more if any have any suggestions as I do run out 
I think it does not matter if a therapist is nhs or private what does matter is if they are good and I agree I think you have a good one , stick in there with them you are lucky to have found her
Thank You for your reply to your poll x
Yes exactly and it’s finding one you connect with. I just wish they were available to everyone.
I can’t let my own poll go without without a comment 😉
Well just enjoy how lucky you have been for now and hopefully that luck will rub of on the rest of us
Good poll Liberty x
Educating myself about it, learning to accept the feelings, learning the role of the critic and to not listen to it and leaning to accept and love myself no matter what. Learning to meditate and practice being in the moment and being able to ground myself in the moment.
Hello designguy
What good qualities to be able to teach yourself and I can imagine this has helped you so much and I hope it long continues
Thank you for your reply & I wish you a Very Happy Christmas x
Hello lulu-1, thank you for the kind words and the same to you. I should add that I do think the anti-depressants and a very small dose of Klonopin that I take also helped in my recovery. The Klonopin was like a switch turned off and the ruminating slowed way down. I knew that on my father's side there was a family history of depression so I knew drugs could be of benefit for me. For me, the benefit is that they allow you to start to feel and see what "normal" is so you have something to compare and strive for. They did not eliminate my anxiety, which I think is erroneous thinking for most people. They did allow me to gain some distance and clarity and allow me to recover. I still take the meds but I get annual neurotransmitter tests through my Functional Medicine Doctor to see if I still need them.
Exactly , you have explained how meds can help perfectly
And the main thing that will have helped is all the work you have put in to
I hope you keep going from strength to strength x
Shocked that medication was ranked so high considering how terrible the results have been--at least for me. We truly live in the dark ages when it comes to medication for anxiety and depression as far as I'm concerned.