Anxiety....need a new understanding.

hey @janedoe2

i also suffer from very active ptsd among other things but im glad youve gotten the help you need to get through this. these are some of the self care/ coping strategies that maybe you might find useful

-- do exercise whether it be intense exercise to use up some negative energy or just a gentle stroll

-- positive self talk

-- count backwards from 100

-- go for a drive and listen to your favourite music

-- listen to calming music

-- journalling

-- mindfullness

-- thought challanging

Hi @janedoe2

I'm not sure that we've met before but welcome to the forums!

I think this is really interesting. I have (active) ptsd... but from what i've read, learnt is that it is basically severe anxiety from a specific source and relating to that source/s. I do think that a lot of strategies for anxiety would work well for both ptsd and anxiety, without it needing to be anywhere near as severe? So some of what you have learnt might still be really useful?

I think its great that you're exercising more, I know that it helps me a lot to exercise regulalry and be more active to use up the extra adrenalin etc. I also use a lot of self talk when im hving symptoms of anxiety/panic attacks like chest pain, racing heart, etc like, this is just anxiety, it'll pass, it wont actually hurt me etc. Also try to do grounding if it goes further for me, i.e. look at where i am, what i see, hear, feel etc. I try to keep something with me for me to hold (i have a 'figit cube' in my bag).

Also, I'm so glad to hear that you have gotten through the ptsd side of things, it's really helpful to hear that for me,

thank you

LJ

@janedoe2 Personally I've found adhering to some key activities to be key in managing anxiety.

The first is socialising even when you don't want to. Humans are meant to be around eachother and as the world becomes more individualised, tech based, office setting etc. there is less room for natural human interaction but rather a required dedication to social interaction. I know I need to be around other people frequently to get outside my head lest I get trapped in there all day.

Second is exercise in any form. Walking, sprinting, dancing, punching, whatever you enjoy.

Thirdly, hobbies. I feel like anxiety is potentiated by boredom. They might seem at different ends of the spectrum but personally I believe they're highly interconnected. If you don't have active interests then you're bound to ruminate on anything and everything.

Fourth, all that stuff regarding mindfulness that take practice and patience but have such massive payouts when you begin to understand and practice them. E.g. yoga, meditation, active breathing, spending more time in nature, away from the city.

Fifth, substances. Caffeine, nicotine, booze, drugs, they're all bound to have an obvious impact on your mental state but by eliminating them as much as possible your adrenal gland will thank you.

Hope this helped some,

Pat.