How To Tackle Anxiety

[Tanner40]

Good Morning All. I had to ask myself this morning, how do I tackle anxiety? Why did I have to ask myself that question? Because I woke up with what felt like the beginnings of a panic attack.
I was breathing faster than normal and slightly anxious, and I could feel my pulse in my head. Uh oh, immediate thought was I'm not supposed to feel my Pilsen in my head. That shouldn't be happening. Stroke I'm certain. Not a stroke, Tanner, anxiety. Stroke. Not a stroke. Rapid thoughts alternating through my mind.
The dragon playing mind games with me. Me playing mind games with me. Nope, I'm not going to go there.
Distraction, I grab my journal and my cup of coffee ( not that coffee should be part of my tool kit ). I wrote in my journal for about fifteen minutes. I searched some old threads on here about head pulsing. What do you know, it's very common to have this symptom when you're anxious.
Now can I actually believe that? Yes, I have to trust. I have to accept the fact that I have anxiety and that I can allow the anxious feelings to happen. I challenge the dragon to do it's worst. Acceptance doesn't mean that I have to throw out the welcome mat for the dragon nor does it mean that I have to allow it to take up permanent residence. It just means for this very moment it is okay.
Ten minutes of deep breathing and my breathing slowed down to normal. My anxious feelings calmed down to a low level and I can live with that for this morning.
I'm not asking myself why. There are too many stressors in my life to count right now. The why's don't really matter. The symptoms don't really matter. The more emphasis that I put on the symptoms, the more they will grow and escalate.
It was a bit of a challenging morning, but a challenge can often make us stronger. I always try to remember that fact. It will make me better prepared for the next time it occurs. For there will be a next time, and I won't let it get me down. A certain amount of anxiety is a normal thing. It's our thoughts and our reactions to the anxiety that we need to focus on, not the anxiety itself.

[klg1975]

Great post! I totally agree with you. I have accepted that I will probably always have anxiety disorder however I won't succumb to it like I did. By accepting the fact that you will have stressful/anxious days does not mean you cannot lead a normal life. Generally there are good reasons for people to feel anxious and panicky, I think we need to give ourselves a little bit of a break. Everybody will have stressors in their lives, its how we deal/think about the consequences is the key :)

[Tanner40]

Thanks KLG, you are absolutely correct. To expect an anxiety or stress free life is an unrealistic expectation, which is where we get ourselves into trouble. Realistic expectations and the key to managing our thought processes is so very important.

[Fishmanpa]

Great post and inspiring to others... It CAN be done!

Positive thoughts

[fedup36]

Hi Tanner,

Great post - I have started feeling so much better about my anxiety recently...
One thing my current therapy has taught me is to question the anxiety - why is it that I am feeling anxious and when you let your mind explore that rather than just going 'its anxiety' you will realise they may have been some trigger.

For me yesterday I saw an ambulance going to work - now I don't like ambulances but didn't think much of it - however once I got to work I started feeling a bit woozy and not quite right - rather than just saying 'its anxiety' I dug out my diary in which I have a list of tasks to complete - the first being

'Today its my anxiety because' - this time it was the ambulance and the fact that I was at the NEC - a place which makes me dizzy!

Now as soon as I can say ah that's why I almost instantly feel a bit better.

I also write down a positive and negative :)

Hope these tips might help some one

[Tanner40]

Thanks for sharing those tips, Fed Up. I'm sure that they will help someone today.

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

Tanner, thank you for this post. :hugs:

(I feel like I am "taking" more than I am "giving" right now, but I just want you to know what a great inspiration you are, and I will be back alongside you "coaching" dragon slayers/tamers very soon. I guess this BLAM I am having (it's more severe than a "blip"- LOL!) is actually just a course in furthering my education so I will have more to apply to myself and more to share with others.)

Will be reading your words above several times today…..

[Tanner40]

too Much, Blam or Blip, you're going to get through this and come out the other side stronger. As Fishmanpa would say, your sword is being forged in a stronger place right now. soon you will be unstoppable.

[LeFi_81]

A great post and a very healthy attitude toward anxiety. I am inspired to be like this!

[Tanner40]

Thanks LeFi. You've got this same internal strength and determination. You can do this. One small step at a time. Sometimes two steps forward and one step back. You can do it!

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

Acceptance doesn't mean that I have to throw out the welcome mat for the dragon nor does it mean that I have to allow it to take up permanent residence. It just means for this very moment it is okay.
Ten minutes of deep breathing and my breathing slowed down to normal. My anxious feelings calmed down to a low level and I can live with that for this morning.
I'm not asking myself why. There are too many stressors in my life to count right now. The why's don't really matter. The symptoms don't really matter. The more emphasis that I put on the symptoms, the more they will grow and escalate.
It was a bit of a challenging morning, but a challenge can often make us stronger. I always try to remember that fact. It will make me better prepared for the next time it occurs. For there will be a next time, and I won't let it get me down. A certain amount of anxiety is a normal thing. It's our thoughts and our reactions to the anxiety that we need to focus on, not the anxiety itself.

These are the things that I am putting in my tool box. Thank you, Tanner. :hugs:

[LeFi_81]

Thanks LeFi. You've got this same internal strength and determination. You can do this. One small step at a time. Sometimes two steps forward and one step back. You can do it!

Challenge accepted ;-) Giving ourselves some praise, however small it may be, is so valuable. Even IF it is one step forward and two back...it wás nonetheless a step.

[Tanner40]

Too Much, one thing that I have learned is that we can never have too many weapons at our disposal. My tool box always has room for one more tool. It seems that some tools work better on certain days than others. Some days CBT doesn't work as easily because I have to calm myself down before the rational thoughts really sink in. At those moments, breathing rhythmically seems to be the first tool at my disposal.
Acceptance, true acceptance, always seems to be the most difficult for me. It is hard to accept a setback as just anxiety, and it is hard to have faith in ourselves at that time. Sometimes I find that I have to allow others to have faith in me and eventually, I believe them. Then it becomes faith in myself.
Use that tool box. See what tool works for each particular situation. There will always be one that helps.

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

Thank you, Tanner. That is good perspective. I am truly, truly trying. The waves of panic are bad enough, but the waves of devastation (and the pain I see in the eyes of my family and friends) are heartbreaking.

I know I'm not "crazy", but this mental illness is breaking my heart.

I hate even posting these type of thoughts as they seem so negative, but know that I am still rational underneath it all and so willing to fight…..the room is just so full of dragon smoke right now that it is hard to breathe.

[Tanner40]

Posting those feelings here is a good thing. Do you have any idea how many people that you are helping? Helping me to help you is helping me. One day I will have a blip or a blam and I hope to be as strong and as honest about it as you are being. The smoke will clear. You will repaint where the smudges are left, and the foundation will be stronger than ever.

[LeFi_81]

TMT, even if you find it hard to believe, your questions and the answers by the members are definitely helpful. I vouch for that!

Love the toolbox analogy. It is true, some days certain methods does not help as good as on other days. Will keep at practice all that I have to my advantage.