mrpanic
26-08-11, 23:26
There is a little known cure for anxiety that I never hear anyone talk about...The power of play.
I discovered it's power when I was so overcome with panics, depression and phobias that I couldn't leave the house. I bought some toys and played with them. It's not for everyone, but it worked for me. I now collect various toys and paint them. I also collect bb guns (airsoft) and aim at targets. It's kind of a meditative thing for me, focusing on a target, keeping still and seeing how good a score I can rack up (or how many coins I can shoot off the top of the door from a distance). It also got me moving again (as I was bed bound for a while) when I had to collect all the bb bullits that ended up all over my house in between games!
I also had panic attacks really bad everytime I got into a car or bus. The way I dealt with that was bought myself a steering wheel that you plug into a pc or games console and I drive around a virtual city in such games as grand theft auto and test drive. You just would not believe how much that helped me. Games are so realistic these days it's almost like the real thing, but you have to make a game of it. You have to pretend your really in the game, getting in and out of the car etc for it too work. The more you can involve yourself in play the better...Its kind of a lost art in adults, but it's still there, and it's FUN!
You will not believe in the power of play until you try it for yourself. I found that making a game of things was a great cure...Not being so serious...Everyone plays...People play games all the time like football, chess, adults play computer games etc etc. It's really no big deal to get some of your old childhood toys back and feel the comfort they bring. Even the SAS play games and the police do fake scenarios to make them more effective in combat or to make them more adept at dealing with real life situations for crying out loud!
Another trick I learned was lifting weights. It doesnt have to be a lot, just some light weights...It really helped with my breathing and how to control it, and also got me excercising and feeling a lot better about myself and my body. I made small goals and tried to achieve them. Even doing pushups regularly will help you master your breathing control and tone you up at the same time!
I think the biggest thing I learned is not to stay inactive...Because the longer you stay like that the harder it gets to get yourself better. You HAVE to make goals and stick to them, however small they may be. Play is a great way of getting better. Noone on earth actually even knows what 'reality' is, so create your own, it's a lot of fun and you won't lose your mind, in fact it will make you improve in all areas of your 'regular' or 'real' life.
I discovered it's power when I was so overcome with panics, depression and phobias that I couldn't leave the house. I bought some toys and played with them. It's not for everyone, but it worked for me. I now collect various toys and paint them. I also collect bb guns (airsoft) and aim at targets. It's kind of a meditative thing for me, focusing on a target, keeping still and seeing how good a score I can rack up (or how many coins I can shoot off the top of the door from a distance). It also got me moving again (as I was bed bound for a while) when I had to collect all the bb bullits that ended up all over my house in between games!
I also had panic attacks really bad everytime I got into a car or bus. The way I dealt with that was bought myself a steering wheel that you plug into a pc or games console and I drive around a virtual city in such games as grand theft auto and test drive. You just would not believe how much that helped me. Games are so realistic these days it's almost like the real thing, but you have to make a game of it. You have to pretend your really in the game, getting in and out of the car etc for it too work. The more you can involve yourself in play the better...Its kind of a lost art in adults, but it's still there, and it's FUN!
You will not believe in the power of play until you try it for yourself. I found that making a game of things was a great cure...Not being so serious...Everyone plays...People play games all the time like football, chess, adults play computer games etc etc. It's really no big deal to get some of your old childhood toys back and feel the comfort they bring. Even the SAS play games and the police do fake scenarios to make them more effective in combat or to make them more adept at dealing with real life situations for crying out loud!
Another trick I learned was lifting weights. It doesnt have to be a lot, just some light weights...It really helped with my breathing and how to control it, and also got me excercising and feeling a lot better about myself and my body. I made small goals and tried to achieve them. Even doing pushups regularly will help you master your breathing control and tone you up at the same time!
I think the biggest thing I learned is not to stay inactive...Because the longer you stay like that the harder it gets to get yourself better. You HAVE to make goals and stick to them, however small they may be. Play is a great way of getting better. Noone on earth actually even knows what 'reality' is, so create your own, it's a lot of fun and you won't lose your mind, in fact it will make you improve in all areas of your 'regular' or 'real' life.