Stuck

[elik]

I just don't know how to move forward. I've sort of balanced myself up on the life scale of things but I get pulled down s easily it scares me and I'm not working or doing anything wih my life and am not sure how to start somewhere when I'm still so scared

[NoPoet]

Hi Elik. In another thread you say you recently started on lithium and it's been churning up all sorts of bad memories.

You should always speak to your doctor if you're concerned about the effects of a medication, but here's an alternative take:

What if the medication is doing this for a reason?

What if it's sifting its way through your brain finding problems and bringing them to your attention so you can start dealing with them? Your anxiety is reinforced by all the negative experiences you've had. Maybe it's time for you to start letting these memories go, so that you can heal?

The only way out of anxiety is through. You can't outrun it - you need to turn and face it. And if it seems to rise up, ready to sweep you away in one overwhelming wave, that's exactly how the anxiety tries to stop you from beating it. It's like a snake that rears up in warning. But it's got no venom in its bite.*

When the wave hits, stand your ground and say to yourself "I'm dealing with this. This can't hurt me. I am coping because I'm strong. I'm choosing to face the anxiety. I am choosing to get better."

Tell yourself these things until you're sick of hearing them, then keep telling yourself all over again.

Whatever happens - no matter how sick, or scared, or nauseous, or shaky, or weak, you may feel - stand your ground and tell the anxiety to do its worst. It cannot hurt you. It cannot make you go insane, or become seriously ill. If it tells you that it can, it is lying to you.

If a farmer put a cow pat between two slices of bread and told you it was a Nutella sandwich, would you buy it off him for ten quid and eat it while he laughed at you and flagged you off? Or would you slap it back in his face like a clown with a custard pie?

If you wouldn't take it from him, why would you take it from anxiety? Don't eat the Nutella of anxiety. Tell it to "get orf moi land".

* My apologies for mixing metaphors

[Catherine S]

.....and gerrorf moi tra' rr! Jokes apart tho, that's a lovely reply Adam, really well put.

ISB