Anxiety coming back

[oscar1]

Hi everyone. Just looking for some kind words and general advice really, as there's not many people I can talk to. I started a new job 8 weeks ago, and my anxiety was almost non existent. Aside from a couple of moments where it came on for an hour or so every now and then, I was really happy and felt really good, like my life was getting back on track. But over the last week it's come back really really bad. I have carried on with my normal routine, and have refuse to not go to work, as I dont want get into the habit of running away from the fear, but yesterday and today have been so bad. I thought that if I just worked through it it would pass but it's only getting worse, and I have been in tears for most of the day, there is no reason for it to have happened but as we all know the bad thoughts and fear cycle can be very tiring when you can't see a way out. Has anyone got any advice or thoughts. Any thing would be appreciated.

[SarahH]

Try looking at "Mindfulness".... it's great for calming your mind in moments of anxiety.

Sarah

[MarkUk]

When I hear this I think to myself "Yes sure this isn't going away" but it is so true.

It will go once your mind focuses on something else as it has over the last week when you felt OK. I find it so cruel when I'm feeling almost normal (Whatever that is) then out of the blue it hits me again & each time I think this is the worst its been & I am never going to pull out of it, but I do, always, so try to focus on that as much as you can.

We are a tough bunch to convince that it will get better when we feel bad but it always does :D

[oscar1]

The last couple of days it's got worse, I've barely eaten and my sleep is terrible. I'm still trying to just get through it, and continue with everything as normal but I'm really struggling now.

[rchippex]

Hi Oscar. Having been anxiety free for 3 years I can understand the frustration as I had many setbacks on the way. My anxiety came back recently after a stressful business trip abroad. It only got me for one bad day but came again this morning. It was because of tiredness and stress for me. The good thing is that I can see it for what it is and using the tools I acquired the last time I got rid of it I have been able to rise out of it this morning. I no longer have the week long episodes. For me it was a few hours this morning.

As far as advice goes I would simply say try to ground yourself (there are a few techniques you can use for this) and tell yourself that it is actually normal for you to be feeling like this when you suffer from anxiety. The more you worry about it the longer your cycle will continue. The most powerful tool I learnt when I first got rid of the anxiety was to teach my mind to not care how it felt and to soldier on regardless and not change what I was doing at the time. To begin with I knew I did care and it didnt seem to be doing anything but over time I noticed my mind changing. Rather than have to keep telling myself to not care I found my mind was beginning to not care all by itself. I realised that I had allowed my mind to learn to kick start the anxiety cycle so I could also train it to react differently. Right now I feel a bit jittery but my mind doesnt respond with the same fear and panic it once would have and I am writing this to you and doing my work. I know that in an hour or a minute or any given space of time I will feel good again. I am even now getting a bit of dizzyness but as long as I don't let myself dwell on it or panic about it I am sure I will be fine. It takes a long time to learn the tricks to get rid of the anxiety or at least function along side it but when you do life becomes far more enjoyable.