My anxiety is doing weird things to me?

[HauntMuskie]

Well as far as you know I have anxiety, I have had it for 5 months now, and it can be very annoying.

First of all, at makes me get scared more easily which can make me worry about my anxiety even MORE.

Secondly, It makes me get sad and angry easily. It makes me 2x as sad when I can't see my friends, 1.5x as angry when people ignore me and don't believe that I have anxiety and sometimes it just makes me sad and angry in general.

Thirdly, this is the weirdest part, its using me as a voodoo doll :roflmao: and making me do weird things. It makes my obsessions 3x worse, making me go crazy about what ever pops into my brain, and literally flip out of control (rarely)

So I was wondering if you could help me, (and yes, my anxiety causes pain) before it gets... to bad? :wacko:

[Emilym80]

Therapy is probably your best bet. Try and maintain a good, healthy diet free from drugs, stimulants and depressants (tricky!) and get enough exercise; a brisk walk for half an hour a day can be enough to improve my mood quite a lot.

Also, when you notice yourself getting anxious or scared, instead of getting upset or resisting it, simply notice it and accept the gear. Try and do this every time you begin to worry or get anxious.

Best wishes :)

[NoPoet]

You're experiencing "fear of fear", or "second fear" as Claire Weekes calls it.

You experience an intrusive thought which creates anxiety. You then realise that your body is in an anxious state and you freak out. The first fear is the intrusive thought which provokes the usual stress/anxiety response.

The second fear is your fearful reaction to the thought and the stress/anxiety response.

Presto, a double dose of anxiety.

Obsessional behaviour is our way of imposing order and structure on a chaotic world. We are not very good at accepting that life is uncertain - the obsessional behaviour distracts us and may give us a feeling of safety or protection, but really, it would be more helpful if we could just get on with our lives regardless of the anxiety.

You'll know you are on the right track when you are able to carry on with what you're doing after an intrusive thought strikes, without having to change what you're doing and retreat into your own world.