Tips For Dealing With Anxiety

[PhuturePriest]

I've been having a bit of anxiety lately. Does anyone have any recommendations for how to deal with it? Sometimes I have anxiety over absolutely nothing, like once I saw Emily hadn't responded yet and it had been over a day. I knew she would respond either that night or the next day (She's very busy), and I didn't have any reason to worry, but I did anyway. There have been other non-Emily related things like this as well. Usually I just relax or talk to someone, but when I'm alone at night and I can't talk to someone I can't really do much for it.

[OnlySunshine]

I have had anxiety disorder for over 13 years.  I've tried everything from pills, therapy, meditation tapes, prayer, etc.  I've found the best things that work long-term are low-impact exercises such as walking, prayer, and cognitive behavioral therapy.  I rarely have an attack nowadays.  When you start feeling anxious, distract yourself.  I've even used laughter therapy by watching my favorite comedians and that makes me feel better, too, because of endorphins.  Try to pray a decade of the Rosary very slowly, also.  :)

[PhuturePriest]

I have had anxiety disorder for over 13 years.  I've tried everything from pills, therapy, meditation tapes, prayer, etc.  I've found the best things that work long-term are low-impact exercises such as walking, prayer, and cognitive behavioral therapy.  I rarely have an attack nowadays.  When you start feeling anxious, distract yourself.  I've even used laughter therapy by watching my favorite comedians and that makes me feel better, too, because of endorphins.  Try to pray a decade of the Rosary very slowly, also.  :)

 

Thanks for the advice!

 

I don't really have "attacks" per se, I just sometimes feel anxiety. It's usually mild, but of course anxiety is unpleasant no matter how mild.

[theculturewarrior]

My advice, stay away from the Internet when you are anxious and get a good night's sleep.  I rarely follow my own advice but you are young.  There is still hope for you.

[Ice_nine]

smoke massive, massive amounts of weed. I promise. Insta-cure!

 

 

 

On a serious level it depends on how severe your anxiety is. Mine used to be so bad I could not even chit chat about the whether with anyone other than family sans a massive panic attack. It was great fun. Now that my level of anxiety has abated thanks to sertraline,  I still experience minor bouts of anxiety and although mine tend to be induced by certain situations rather than a general sense of worry I find deep-breathing exercises can help, and also just cognitively talking yourself out of worry (i.e. focusing on how worrying is useless etc). Or just finding something to distract me like reading a good book, or doing something else relaxing.

 

 

[CatherineM]

Chocolate

[PhuturePriest]

I suppose I should share my experiences of when I was having terrible anxiety (Stories no one here knows about me). When I was from eight to thirteen I got very attached to my dad (In a rather unhealthy way). Every time he would leave to go to work or just on a drive I would suddenly get terrified that he would get in a car crash and die or something. I would call him several times every hour at work, whenever he went on a trip he had to call me at least once an hour, and if I called him and he didn't answer I would go into a panic attack and cry because I immediately thought he was dead and that's why he didn't answer the phone. As the years went on this slowly died away and I quit pretty much completely when I was thirteen, but soon after I became really religious, and before long I became scrupulous in a horrendous way. I reasoned with it, saying "Well, at least I won't sin!". That only lasted a week, because before long I thought everything was a sin. Playing guitar was mortally sinful, listening to The Priests CD's was mortally sinful because they were singing in a foreign language and how on earth could I know with certainty that they weren't saying vulgar things?, swallowing my spit was mortally sinful and doing that during Mass broke the hour fast, needless to say, my confessions were reliably taking thirty minutes. Even after people assured me that these things weren't mortal sins, I didn't believe them. I wanted to, but I couldn't be sure if they were right. Eventually after what seemed like forever, I got rid of my scrupulous conscience, but now I guess I'm just afraid my anxiety will latch onto something else to torture me with.

[AwedbyHisGrace]

I find that deep breathing and exercise really helps. And challenging my anxious thoughts or writing out what I would say if I don't have anyone else to talk to.

[MissyP89]

I am still dealing with off-and-on anxiety issues. Most of the time I'm cool. But every now and then something will really set me off.

 

Exercise focuses and calms me. But there are some situations where you can't just up and leave ... that's where I'm still stuck.

[Maggyie]

I suppose I should share my experiences of when I was having terrible anxiety (Stories no one here knows about me). When I was from eight to thirteen I got very attached to my dad (In a rather unhealthy way). Every time he would leave to go to work or just on a drive I would suddenly get terrified that he would get in a car crash and die or something. I would call him several times every hour at work, whenever he went on a trip he had to call me at least once an hour, and if I called him and he didn't answer I would go into a panic attack and cry because I immediately thought he was dead and that's why he didn't answer the phone. As the years went on this slowly died away and I quit pretty much completely when I was thirteen, but soon after I became really religious, and before long I became scrupulous in a horrendous way. I reasoned with it, saying "Well, at least I won't sin!". That only lasted a week, because before long I thought everything was a sin. Playing guitar was mortally sinful, listening to The Priests CD's was mortally sinful because they were singing in a foreign language and how on earth could I know with certainty that they weren't saying vulgar things?, swallowing my spit was mortally sinful and doing that during Mass broke the hour fast, needless to say, my confessions were reliably taking thirty minutes. Even after people assured me that these things weren't mortal sins, I didn't believe them. I wanted to, but I couldn't be sure if they were right. Eventually after what seemed like forever, I got rid of my scrupulous conscience, but now I guess I'm just afraid my anxiety will latch onto something else to torture me with.

 

I do the thing where my anxiety picks different stuff to latch onto and torment me. It's lousy. What broke the cycle for me was Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I saw a doctor for about 2 sessions but we mostly just did exercises from this book which I got from Amazon.com called the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook. So if you can't see a doctor I would just order the book and work the exercises. They are pretty self-explanatory. It's a classic book (in its 4th edition) and used with great effectiveness. They key is to drill down to what the underlying belief or thought is that is driving your anxiety. And then explaining to yourself why that thought/belief is irrational (actually writing it out works well)

[Basilisa Marie]

I never suffered from true anxiety, but if I was having a rather overwhelming day in college I'd force myself to take a 20 minute nap, or at least lay in bed for 20 minutes, listening to soothing music or whatever.  

 

If your anxiety is serious and happens fairly often, I'd look into getting some meds. Some are really inexpensive, and can really make a world of difference.  But if that's not an option, I second pretty much every one else's advice. 

[Spem in alium]

I have had anxiety disorder for over 13 years.  I've tried everything from pills, therapy, meditation tapes, prayer, etc.  I've found the best things that work long-term are low-impact exercises such as walking, prayer, and cognitive behavioral therapy.  I rarely have an attack nowadays.  When you start feeling anxious, distract yourself.  I've even used laughter therapy by watching my favorite comedians and that makes me feel better, too, because of endorphins.  Try to pray a decade of the Rosary very slowly, also.  :)

 

My advice, stay away from the Internet when you are anxious and get a good night's sleep.  I rarely follow my own advice but you are young.  There is still hope for you.

 

Chocolate

I've tried most of these things - they're fairly beneficial :) 

[PhuturePriest]

I never suffered from true anxiety, but if I was having a rather overwhelming day in college I'd force myself to take a 20 minute nap, or at least lay in bed for 20 minutes, listening to soothing music or whatever.  

 

If your anxiety is serious and happens fairly often, I'd look into getting some meds. Some are really inexpensive, and can really make a world of difference.  But if that's not an option, I second pretty much every one else's advice. 

 

It's not too serious and it does not happen often. Just sometimes I find myself stressed or anxious about something that I know there is no reason to be stressed or anxious about. I've definitely learned the difference between nervous, stressed and anxious, though. Right before I called Emily, I was nervous. I could tell because it wasn't terrible and I was laughing at myself about it. When I'm stressed or anxious there is no laughing involved.

[tinytherese]

I found reading the book I Believe in Love, which is a book of reflections inspired by St. Therese to be very soothing.

[Lil Red]

tips for dealing with anxiety:

drink alcohol.

you're welcome.