What are some physical reasons for unexpected anxiety?

[ankietyjoe]

when lying in bed and trying to do it on my own, I fail pitifully.
Sue

In what way?

[DustingMyselfOff]

In what way?

Can't keep my mind focused on meditating, the intrusive, interrupting thoughts just pour in so fast. I guess I need that outside voice to focus on or some sort of distraction that I can't seem to provide. I tried chanting a 3-word mantra last night, that helped a little, but I soon get bored and the thoughts of what I want to do the next day just pour in.
Sue

[ankietyjoe]

Can't keep my mind focused on meditating, the intrusive, interrupting thoughts just pour in so fast. I guess I need that outside voice to focus on or some sort of distraction that I can't seem to provide. I tried chanting a 3-word mantra last night, that helped a little, but I soon get bored and the thoughts of what I want to do the next day just pour in.
Sue

It's a pretty common misconception that the point of meditation of focus, but it's actually not. The point of meditation is re-focusing when you lose focus, which you will. You'll lose focus repeatedly and that's not failing. The point of meditation practising, not achieving, and this took me a long time to realise. Absolute focus is impossible, it's not achievable. We can practise towards that goal though, and that's the practise that rewires the brain to NOT react to anxiety and depression, it rewires the brain NOT to catastrophise the smallest possible sensation or thought. It breaks the connection between stimulus and response and gives your conscious mind to intercept the fight or flight response.

[DustingMyselfOff]

Thanks, Joe.....that was a great explanation and I feel much better about continuing to "try" to meditate. Apparently I have already been doing just that!

I have found myself being able to say "Big deal" or "So what?" when I feel one of the anxiety symptoms in my body, instead of thinking "Oh no - please, no, not now!" I'm not sure if that's because there's a lot less stress now that I'm not going to a corporate setting every day, or if it's because my brain is getting re-wired, but I won't even obsess or contemplate over which is helping. I'll just be grateful.
Sue

[MyNameIsTerry]

I agree with, Joe. My therapist started me off with Mindfulness and went from there.

Initially it was very hard to get much from but I learned you had to keep going and results start to produce themselves. I had clear points where I felt changes. I experienced a shift towards positivity at one point and I really do mean I felt that change, it kind of just swooped in on me and things felt different. That was at 6 months of daily practice.

But initially I needed guided meditation so I had someone to follow.

What I said about it metabolizing is because, whilst we work in meditation to calm our mind and just "be", you may do an induction to the main meditation phase. I had 3 from my first guided sessions and all focussed on breathing and/or certain areas of movement. For instance, the first one you learned to use from watching you breathing in & out. Just doing this alone is a standalone anxiety technique therefore can help to some extent on it's own. Another one had similarities to body scanning.

I've long beaten my intrusive thoughts. I still get them from time to time, all human beings do as they are just part of how brains work, but they float through without a care. Just like in the panic cycle, where they say there is the point you consciously stop negative reactions that only push the cycle on further (Dr Claire Weekes termed this First Wave I think?), with intrusive thoughts (and all OCD) you need to work on altering the reaction from the negative. The negative is what the cycle is expecting and will be used as a reinforcer. You undermine it via positive/neutral reactions. Mindfulness is really good for this as it walks you through sitting with the thoughts and not reacting to them, being the curious observer. Over time this influences the subconscious into mothballing negative core beliefs about these fears because it sees they generate no reaction, certainly not the one it expects (and the area of the brain tat deals with this processes negative reactions expected in this cycle) because this cycle was only ever meant to protect us from the big scary bear.

But it takes time & repetition. The first 5 weeks I didn't get much from it. Then I found it a bit more relaxing. Six months in and real changes started. Prior to this I failed in CBT but now I started working on the goals I couldn't before.

[DustingMyselfOff]

Thanks, Terry. Patience has never been a strong suit of mine, but knowing that it could take 6 months to see any positive rewards will push me to keep trying. But focusing on the breathing: Oh, I am so sick of hearing about breathing! Everyone tells you to breathe when you're scared, when you're in pain, when you're ill, when you're meditating, etc. For some reason that really annoys me now so I guess I better get over that. I've been breathing 24/7 for decades now, and paying attention to the details of how I do it always irritates me. I don't feel the breath passing through my nostrils or through my lungs, what is there to focus on?

Obviously I need to find something else to focus on - the "pay attention to your breathing" just doesn't do it for me.
Sue

[MyNameIsTerry]

In one of the breathing inductions I used you would try to imagine the air going in & out coloured red.

I struggled with that anyway gas breathing focus was already an area I was struggling with and with having asthma too it just made it more worrying. It felt wrong to spend more time focussing on breathing but I learned it wasn't about that, it was more changing how you view that breathing and using it as a way into meditation.

I found benefits before 6 months, it was just a milestone for me because I suddenly felt a major change. It was coupled with me just sitting down on a hillside of an old stream and I just sat and was "being" as opposed to the constant chatter and rushing of anxiety. I sat there listening to the creatures, feeling the grass between my fingers, watching the birds & insects, etc. It was sudden and felt great. It happened a few more times over the next few days.

You find you learn to apply Mindfulness more easily the more you practice. I would just stop on my walks and feel the railings, the stone on a bridge, and feel the different textures.

[Carnation]

Sue, I gave up doing the breathing exercises when I am panicky or experience symptoms.
It doesn't work for me and just makes me more anxious and agitated because I feel it's not doing anything for me.
I only do it when meditating, but that's only for a short while.
I get more relief from letting out a long natural sigh or massaging my hands with hand cream.
I like to keep all my actions as natural as possible.
I'm sensing frustrating and annoyance from you. It's those you have to diminish.
Quite simple, things you find annoying, avoid!
As for the frustration or impatience, well that's a bit harder, because it may be part of your character.
You come across as a go to it / get it done sort of person who is probably methodical, capable and someone who achieves at everything they do.
Retirement will only appeal to you if you have something in the pipeline and you get annoyed because anxiety is getting in the way!
So deal with the anxiety like a naughty child. Tell it off when bad, pamper yourself when it hurts you and be aware of it misbehaving from time to time.
Like a child, it's something that has grown with you over time and you need to find your own way of putting it to bed.
Yes, meditation can help, so can mindfulness and for some the 'breathing' helps, but others need other methods and you will find them as you try different things.
I've had a massive release from painting and gardening.
I also take time to sit and relax listening to music.
Anything in your mind to do, write it down, don't take it to bed with you.
As for those moments that catch you out with a reminder that your anxiety is present, say to it, "yeah, I know you are there, but I am fine and I will carry on because that is what I want to do!" Then afterwards, let out one of those huge sighs, pat yourself on the back and have yourself some tea and cake.

[DustingMyselfOff]

In one of the breathing inductions I used you would try to imagine the air going in & out coloured red.

I struggled with that anyway gas breathing focus was already an area I was struggling with and with having asthma too it just made it more worrying. It felt wrong to spend more time focussing on breathing but I learned it wasn't about that, it was more changing how you view that breathing and using it as a way into meditation.

I found benefits before 6 months, it was just a milestone for me because I suddenly felt a major change. It was coupled with me just sitting down on a hillside of an old stream and I just sat and was "being" as opposed to the constant chatter and rushing of anxiety. I sat there listening to the creatures, feeling the grass between my fingers, watching the birds & insects, etc. It was sudden and felt great. It happened a few more times over the next few days.

You find you learn to apply Mindfulness more easily the more you practice. I would just stop on my walks and feel the railings, the stone on a bridge, and feel the different textures.

Well then I guess I already meditate successfully because I have a patch of woods behind my house with a small brook running through it, and when I venture down there, I can totally be in the moment and in my version of heaven. I hear every nature sound, I observe every movement of every creature and leaf, I am mesmerized by the way the water gushes over and past the rocks, etc. It's when I'm sitting at my desk, on the couch, or in bed that the mind races and I feel like I need to silence the noise.
Sue

[DustingMyselfOff]

Well you've got me pegged pretty well, Carnation. I can run a company very well and keep things organized and moving without missing a beat. It's done me well for 40 years but now it's time to let go of some of those traits. Yes, I NEED something in my pipeline, and I have found a new hobby: Diamond Painting. I am addicted and, like with everything, have totally thrown myself into it. They take a long time to complete and then there is the sealing and framing of the item, so that should keep lots of stuff in my pipeline for those times when I have no major projects.

Anxiety. WHY do some have lifelong issues with it while others seem to not even know what a panic attack is? Is it a gene? Our DNA? Childhood experiences? Stressful life? Combination of all of that? Maybe I should stop trying to figure out why I have this issue and just accept that I do. "Accept the things I cannot change."
Sue