What to do when the mind runs rampant?

[Justabout]

I'm really struggling I have to say. If my anxiety was physical pain and I am surely at 8.5.

I am a strong believer in mindfulness and particularly the approach adopted ny Eckart Tolle. I am carrying a huge amount of baggage and have serious challenges - all made doubly worse because of my mental health. However, I thought I had cracked it - successfully surrendered to my demons, doubts and fears through this approach. In fact over the past few weeks I have felt better than I have in a decade.

However, another catastrophe occurred just before Christmas. Although that issue is bad, I am philosophical about it (well that is what I tell myself but I may not have surrendered completely in truthy :D) What it has done though is re-open all the old wounds - all the pain that I thought I had overcome has come flooding back with uncontrollable force.

In fact, I am now anxious about absolutely everything. Every thought, the most trivial of issues, are causing me to have panic attacks. I mean everything!

My mindfulness practice has failed, there are too many issues to write in a journal and I know that these thoughts are irrational (in the sense that they are not actually causing immediate harm and may never cause harm or in fact come to pass). How do I get back from the edge of the precipice?

Thanks for listening.

JA

[Bigboyuk]

Hi JA they say time is a great healer and you already have tools in place and you have felt better in the last 2 weeks that you hadn't felt in 10 years :) How ever you may need a different approach this time, but even how ever bad what happened just before xmas this too will pass even the worst horrendous storm does eventually pass just try and break down the bad thing that happened before xmas in to smaller bits You can do this, so don't dwell on this and try and move on ATB

[Justabout]

Thanks Bigboyuk.

The issue isn't so much what happened just before Christmas. More that it acted as a catalyst (a trigger if you like) for all my other insecurities and fears I have (my baggage).

I find it hard to accept the situation it places my family in. I'm not remotely bothered about myself (in the sense I'd be fine even with a monastic life) and really all my fears and anxiety surrounds the welfare of my wife and kids.

JA

[AntsyVee]

Nothing is too big to write in a journal. Just start writing; it helps.

Exercise, like a long walk helps me. Yoga isn’t bad either, although start out with yoga you can do.

Also, if this is a long term thing for you, you should really consider talking to a therapist and maybe some medication.

[Juggar]

I’m thinking a therapist visit and maybe some meds are in order, I know it’s not what you want to do butnat times but it can really help. It might be enough to get you back on track and on the road to recovery. Sometimes all we need is a small push in the right direction by an external force rather than continuing to float aimlessly in the wrong direction consumed by our own thoughts.

Like another poster said, even journaling may help. Just doing something other than the norm of introspection may be beneficial.

[ankietyjoe]

I'm really struggling I have to say. If my anxiety was physical pain and I am surely at 8.5.

I am a strong believer in mindfulness and particularly the approach adopted ny Eckart Tolle. I am carrying a huge amount of baggage and have serious challenges - all made doubly worse because of my mental health. However, I thought I had cracked it - successfully surrendered to my demons, doubts and fears through this approach. In fact over the past few weeks I have felt better than I have in a decade.

However, another catastrophe occurred just before Christmas. Although that issue is bad, I am philosophical about it (well that is what I tell myself but I may not have surrendered completely in truthy :D) What it has done though is re-open all the old wounds - all the pain that I thought I had overcome has come flooding back with uncontrollable force.

In fact, I am now anxious about absolutely everything. Every thought, the most trivial of issues, are causing me to have panic attacks. I mean everything!

My mindfulness practice has failed, there are too many issues to write in a journal and I know that these thoughts are irrational (in the sense that they are not actually causing immediate harm and may never cause harm or in fact come to pass). How do I get back from the edge of the precipice?

Thanks for listening.

JA

I'm not sure I agree with the bit in bold. It seems to me that you've developed a tool that works for you (and one that I have used for several years now), but those tools aren't infallible.

Perhaps you'd be a lot worse than you are now without those tools?

I think 'time heals' is a truism here, and that it's worth accepting your current state of affairs. Perhaps use some mantras as well 'I know this will pass' or 'I know this is temporary'.

On my own journey I've had similar experiences to you, where life throws you a shitbag and you feel like you can't recover from it, but you do. Sometimes it might take a day, sometimes it might take several weeks. But the mindfulness does work.

If you like Tolle, you might also like Mingyur Rinpoche. Also on Youtube.

Good luck.