The "OMG I cannot believe you worry about that" therapy

[pablo0977]

Obviously, talking about our anxiety and interacting with others can provide relief. But recently, I have noted distinct relief from laughing at what makes others anxious. I don't laugh out of judgment or mocking, we're all in this together after all. I laugh because I realize how ridiculous I must sound when talking about my anxiety. The mind's tendency to fixate is astounding. Our fears can seem so rational, yet others can seem so irrational. Anybody else experience relief from listening to other's seemingly irrational fears?

[Mav]

I laugh at myself a lot, laughing is one of natures best medicine. I laugh at how I took a tiny little lump in my armpit to the doctors and then to a breast clinic which is an entirely different town from me and I cried for weeks and didn't believe the doctors. Then I spent WEEKS asking all my female friends and relatives severly intrusive questions about their breasts which is just awkward looking back to it.

And guess what, I just stopped touching the area and 4 months later the lump vanished.

I have my ENT appointment for a lymph node this thursday, hopefully I will leave the appointment laughing and if in the minor chance that I don't then I will still laugh at my RIDICULOUS reaction to the lymphnode in December. I acted like I was on my death bed and it's funny thinking back because I was acting like a madwoman.

We have to laugh at ourselves, can't take life seriously like that or we will be miserable.

[ErinKC]

It does help me to see some of the stuff other people get anxious about. I can see when someone else is being irrational and then apply it to my own anxieties. I also do like to think back to some of the things I worried about in the past and laugh at how ridiculous they are. Like when I thought I was going to get Ebola from a dress my friend mailed my daughter from Africa (in the middle of the outbreak). It was from a country that had no cases of Ebola, but I spent hours googling to see if Ebola could be transmitted through the mail. Then I threw away the dress even though it was beautiful and set a reminder in my phone for 21 days so I'd know when the incubation period was over. At the time I was so afraid, but now I see how utterly silly I was being!