Resting or confronting which is best for the CNS?

[bekw89]

I'm finding that I am becoming a lot calmer, iv definitely had an over-active central nervous system for two weeks straight, have been unable to relax enough to watch TV, read a book or eat really. Would have gasps and jolts of panic randomly and it seems my CNS is settling down, everyday Ia am able to focus on something else new such as reading and finally can watch TV! But when I go into certain situations and my anxiety is high am I doing more harm than good or is avoidance always a bad thing?

[Oosh]

Suppose it's an individual thing. I think common sense says avoidance is just not facing the thing so it remains a problem. But it depends if you feel strong enough in yourself.

I think a bit of exercise could be useful to help your body recover after anxiety. Help clear out the stress hormones from your blood stream etc

Face what you can, a bit at a time. Don't do so much that you overwhelm yourself maybe. Then gradually do a bit more.

[MyNameIsTerry]

You just have to pace yourself. If you overdo things you will likely tire yourself out but it is an individual thing so you will get to grips with that.

Avoidance is a bad thing although sometimes you have to in the worst stages with things like enviromental factors, you have to use Adaptive Behaviours.

http://psychology.tools/safety-behaviors-worksheet.html

What you are suggesting you is not really avoidance because you are trying to implement doing more things, a strategy used for depression treatment called Behavioural Activation gives a structure for this. Avoidance is when the fear makes you retreat from the activity.

[bekw89]

Hi both, thanks for the feedback. I have been gradually doing things that I was avoiding before. The first week of this I analysed what I was avoiding and it was insane- looking in the mirror, being in the kitchen, sitting down for too long etc. Always rushing as though any second the anxiety would jump up and grab me. So yes having good moments now, watched a film last night but I am scared overly strenuous things could disrupt the CNS that I am slowly calming down. My goal is to do things successfully without anxiety or very minimal anxiety and not merely survive the situation by the skin of my teeth. I guess it will be a mixture of the two approaches but just wondered if anyone had relaxed and found that the anxious things were easier to do, or whether gradual exposure was the way to reduce the anxiety?

Reading that sheet Terry i've seen I am doing avoidant safety behaviours and need to get out of the habit.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Don't be too hard on yourself, the fight or flight is there to get us to start avoiding as well as confronting. So, until you learn about things, we probably all start off avoiding thinking it will help to be out of possible trigger situations. Sometimes there is no choiced due to severity e.g. work is always a good example of this one.

Try to change the avoidance to the other Adaptive Behaviours over time. There's no rush and any retraining of the brain towards anxiety or avoidance can be retrained again to the healthy ways.

Your body can take it, but do listen to it. The CNS will manage itself and keep trying to balance everything. Help it by eating the right things to get it making more Serotonin for you. The same for GABA precursor foods if you are light on them as that is an inhibitory neurotransmitter too and its the one things like Benzo's, chamomile, and probably your passionflower work on (with checking).

It is a matter if both. Relaxation techniques & downtime to reduce how much time you spend suffering the symptoms and calming your mind so it's not racing as much. And using the exposures to get you over the hurdles and rebuild your self confidence which has a knock on effect to your self esteem.

[Rennie1989]

The CNS is the Central Nervous System, which is fundamental to keeping you alive as it deals with everything voluntary and involuntary. I think what you mean is the adrenaline that affects the nervous system which creates the fight and flight response.