Anxiety...how do you fight it?

It Wins.

I saw a client on Friday for an assessment and he used the fidget spinner I keep in my office. It really helped him calm down during the appointment. Another one of my clients uses a fidget cube for his anxiety and says it helps him.

mollyingrid92 wrote: »

I get random attacks through out the day. Gym days I use those work outs to throw everything at the weights. But on rest days I struggle.

Your doc (and others) can help you find a licensed clinical psychologist. I'm afraid some medical people will push pills first, therapy later.

Sometimes I can talk myself through it, writing it down can sometimes help depending on if I understand the trigger. Like you, exercise helps, even a walk can be good. I know I can get locked in to the cycle if I don't leave the house regularly ( not an issue at the moment as I have kids who i have to get to school but used to be.) Sometimes the thought of entering the gym can trigger my anxiety even though I know I'll feel better when I've exercised. I worry about the anxiety taking over and having a hold over the families life and its hard to know which battles are worth fighting and when its OK to say ' I can choose not to do that'. cold ve been very anxious on ferries for a long time, and finally about 5 years ago I finally said no more - it was causing so much stress for me, and the family as I was an awful person to live with for several days before. However when the anxiety just comes over you from nowhere that's much harder to deal with as you can't prepare or avoid. Menopause has brought a new range of anxiety feelings for me and sometimes it comes from nowhere. I try to be as prepared as I can be, eg I can get very cold very quickly, and get shaky which then makes me embarrassed which adds to the anxiety etc...so I try and make sure I act as soon as I start to feel cold (and believe me that can be hard when no one else is cold - hubby says I have my own microclimate!) I carry gloves even in the summer.
You will get through this x

_Deadman_Walking_ wrote: »

As someone who has had high anxiety for 30+ years, I've learned to recognize the triggers. Therapy did no good, and medication only works for so long, so by learning what starts the anxiety spiral I can catch it before it gets out of hand. When I feel anxiety rising, I remove myself from any outside stimulation. I listen to my breathing and concentrate on that. Nature helps. Hearing the leaves, feeling the grass, smelling flowers. Anything you can focus on in a positive way.

I second this. I've suffered from anxiety in various forms since I was young. Removing myself from the situation causing the anxiety is the only thing that has worked for me. I've talked to psychologists, counselors and psychiatrists and while they were sometimes insightful/helpful, I did get tired of them trying to push medications or therapies that do not work or didn't work long term.

Being outside in peaceful situations definitely helps (me) because it removes me from social situations and the pressures I often feel being around other people. It honestly helps more than exercise, although I will say that exercise definitely helps more with the depression component a lot of anxiety sufferers also deal with.

Another thing that also helped immensely was, unfortunately, getting away from people who were making my anxiety worse because they also had their own mental issues that they were projecting onto others. In the end, I had to make a decision: their well being or mine.

mollyingrid92 wrote: »

I get random attacks through out the day. Gym days I use those work outs to throw everything at the weights. But on rest days I struggle.

Active rest days - long walks outdoors, easy bike rides, something soothing and non-strenuous, but still active. If it's out in nature, that's even better. Being physically active every single day can help. Just make some of those days easier, so you don't overdo it.

I highly recommend doing yoga or tai chi and some meditation on rest days.

For me it has been recognizing triggers that start it, the symptoms of it, and then building that mindset that it is within my control to own it. Doesn't mean I don't get anxious, because that is a normal body response to many situations. It means that I know that much of the "feeling" is a chemical response that does not effect my ability to function. Sometimes I have to detach myself from the feelings and just go through the known motions of life, but that helps me regulate and still complete things.

Deep breathing and mindfulness really help overall, but exercise as well.