Dealing with anxiety

tompetty said:
^^..Good point....Here's a start though nobody will believe...

41QsO0hSG0L._SY450_.jpg
Click to expand...

Big agree on this. Leave it at home one day, its weird for a while, then when you accept you're "off the grid" its really liberating.
 
I've never had one. I do pay for my kids to have them...FUCK...But from what I've witnessed they're not married to them like most people..

I still recall the first time cell phones got big around 1990 and having a conversation with a military dude in communications..

Everybody had to have one but this one particular dude said there's no way he was gonna be like the geeks..His words..
 
Today's update... Well it's been just about a calendar week since I started this thread, and it's been one of the tougher weeks in recent memory. I have my appointment with the psychologist coming up here in a little over an hour and I'm really hoping he can help provide some relief. I'm trying to get time with a psychiatrist as well to evaluate and maybe adjust my medication but scheduling that's proving to be a much more difficult task. It's taking all of my energy just to come to work, put on the brave face, and do my job. Having to hunt down doctors etc. on top of that is wearing me out. I'm exhausted. I'm sick of feeling this way and I'm getting angry and frustrated with myself, and very discouraged. It can only get better from here, I hope.
 
@smurfco

Glad you were able to get in and see a psychologist yesterday. Hopefully he was able to help you gain some perspective and relief.
 
Thanks rhino. It was helpful, I still feel pretty bad but I see a path now at least. And he gave me some techniques to use for taking care of short term anxiety that seems to work reasonably well. Hopefully this is the beginning of feeling better...
 
smurfco said:
Thanks rhino. It was helpful, I still feel pretty bad but I see a path now at least. And he gave me some techniques to use for taking care of short term anxiety that seems to work reasonably well. Hopefully this is the beginning of feeling better...
Click to expand...
:)
 
smurfco said:
Thanks rhino. It was helpful, I still feel pretty bad but I see a path now at least. And he gave me some techniques to use for taking care of short term anxiety that seems to work reasonably well. Hopefully this is the beginning of feeling better...
Click to expand...


Might not feel like much, but that's a huge step. Good on ya.
 
I've recently switched to an extremely high level of methamphetamine and Dr. Pepper. I feel great!
Seriously though, I'm glad the doc helped Smurfco. Hope you get to feeling better soon.

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
 
Post-weekend update - things have improved a little bit, though they still aren't great. This weekend was a lot better than last weekend, where I was practically immobilized with fear. I was still in a pretty bad shape this weekend but at least I was able to get up and do a few things. Weekends are especially hard for me, living alone up here, and I think I sort of dread them to the point that the anxiety becomes self-fulfilling.

I have an appointment with a psychiatrist tomorrow AM to take a look at my medication, and then I have my weekly visit with the therapist Wednesday afternoon. I'm feeling frustrated and impatient but... I also feel hopeful. I don't want to get too hopeful and I know nothing is going to be a silver bullet. I am feeling better but I want to feel good, to feel normal. Anyways that's the update.
 
Hang in there like a hair in a biscuit. Your psychiatrist will be able to help. It will likely take time for any med or dosage change to take effect but there's a light out there. Keep heading towards it.

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
 
smurfco said:
Post-weekend update - things have improved a little bit, though they still aren't great. This weekend was a lot better than last weekend, where I was practically immobilized with fear. I was still in a pretty bad shape this weekend but at least I was able to get up and do a few things. Weekends are especially hard for me, living alone up here, and I think I sort of dread them to the point that the anxiety becomes self-fulfilling.

I have an appointment with a psychiatrist tomorrow AM to take a look at my medication, and then I have my weekly visit with the therapist Wednesday afternoon. I'm feeling frustrated and impatient but... I also feel hopeful. I don't want to get too hopeful and I know nothing is going to be a silver bullet. I am feeling better but I want to feel good, to feel normal. Anyways that's the update.
Click to expand...


So can we blame this all on @Help!I'maRock!?
 
Here is a question for the fellow anxiety sufferers here - do you notice that it is worse at certain times of day? For me mornings are the absolute worst. By evening / night / bed time I usually feel halfway sane, but like clockwork I'll wake up the next morning and be pretty much back to a state of severe anxiety which doesn't really lift until after lunch. Wonder if that's just me.
 
Hang in there.

Hopefully your psychiatrist can get you straightened out. I saw a psychologist several times but didn't find him to have lasting impact on my condition. I would always feel better after talking with him but that lasted a few hours. Talking with other people who have suffered depression and anxiety was the most useful to me. There is a certain empathy with fellow sufferers and past sufferers that helped me immensely. PM me if you want to talk about any of it.

I was "broadsided" by severe anxiety without any issues in my life that could have triggered it. Just one day POW!!! My life sucked and it sucked for quite a long time (or seemed long) until I found the correct med for me. Then BAM!!! three days into the correct drug I was good and I've been well ever since. My life and my outlook will be forever changed but I am well god damn it!

My anxiety was worse in the mornings. I was told it was due to hormones/body chemistry related to my sleep cycle.

Seriously, if I can help PM me. I owe so much to other people who helped me through the toughest part of my life I want to pass that on to someone else.

Again hang in there. There is help out there for you.
 
I have been struggling with what my counselor thinks is more or less situational depression/anxiety. I am finding my coping skills are very low, and that I can just get overwhelmed and angry, and take things out on others close to me (like my wife) via stupid arguments/argumentative discussions, little mini-tantrums, etc. I am myself going back to the counselor to see if I need a deeper screening. But I have been on the edge, and so am trying to use the 12-step acronym H.A.L.T. (HungryAngryLonelyTired) to stop myself when I am all wound up and angry and check in for those issues, and just to use the work Halt to stop myself and re-direct, such as take a 5 minute timeout on a walk, or the other room, go to bed, simply remove myself from the situation, etc. Anything so as not to open my mouth and make it worse. Seriously, I have felt in these times like I was going to lose it and needed to somehow stop myself.

Once I am out of the crisis mode, I am working on doing healthy things such as going to bed, re-directing into a hobby such as the guitar mod stuff I am doing, or trying to learn a new simple song, or something, getting out on my bike (huge for me, especially if I can get on, and smell earth/dirt), and if I can't ride, walk, etc. I am going to al-anon also because my stressors are largely (but not completely, i have my own stuff too), being activated by a family member who is having addiction-like and mental health issues. So I am trying to re-build my reserves and coping skills, and am going to counseling to hopefully learn some new ones and new ways to handle this crap.

So that is my deal. Just some checking in and sharing some stuff I am trying to do to get through it.

Oh, and I like a video by Prince Ea that helped me to stop identifying with depression and anger and anxiety, or making it my identity, but rather looking at it as something I am going through and having to endure. Kind of like clouds passing over a sky. For I believe that many good people suffer from these things, but that does not make them those things. Or something like that. I get that that concept might not work for a lot of people, or may seem condescending or blaming for the person suffering depending on your point of view. But it was helpful to me to realize in the moment that I am not depression or anxiety, but am experiencing them. So if anyone wants to find it, shoot me a PM.

I really hope none of that sounded trite, as I have struggled myself pretty hard lately, and I do not want to add to anyone else's pain at all. Just trying to share my experiences.
 
Kerouac said:
I'm aware of the risks, but in my case it's quite the opposite, especially as I'm not a daily user and I vape just enough to take the edge off. My doctors are well aware of me using it and once it's legal for medicinal use I'll be receiving a prescription.

I love working out and lifting, but it does NOT lower my anxiety; if anything it exacerbates it due to my increased heart rate and shorter breath.
Click to expand...
this falls into the @PunkKitty 's statement that severity varies and everyone is different. Exercise, particularly outside, can completely turn it around and be a re-set for me. But not everyone. OTOH, pot is not my friend. I get paranoid feeling and/or just stupid and it makes it worse for me. Just how I am wired. Andy is obviously wired differently, as many are. Not right or wrong, just is.
 
sunvalleylaw said:
I have been struggling with what my counselor thinks is more or less situational depression/anxiety. I am finding my coping skills are very low, and that I can just get overwhelmed and angry, and take things out on others close to me (like my wife) via stupid arguments/argumentative discussions, little mini-tantrums, etc. I am myself going back to the counselor to see if I need a deeper screening. But I have been on the edge, and so am trying to use the 12-step acronym H.A.L.T. (HungryAngryLonelyTired) to stop myself when I am all wound up and angry and check in for those issues, and just to use the work Halt to stop myself and re-direct, such as take a 5 minute timeout on a walk, or the other room, go to bed, simply remove myself from the situation, etc. Anything so as not to open my mouth and make it worse. Seriously, I have felt in these times like I was going to lose it and needed to somehow stop myself.

Once I am out of the crisis mode, I am working on doing healthy things such as going to bed, re-directing into a hobby such as the guitar mod stuff I am doing, or trying to learn a new simple song, or something, getting out on my bike (huge for me, especially if I can get on, and smell earth/dirt), and if I can't ride, walk, etc. I am going to al-anon also because my stressors are largely (but not completely, i have my own stuff too), being activated by a family member who is having addiction-like and mental health issues. So I am trying to re-build my reserves and coping skills, and am going to counseling to hopefully learn some new ones and new ways to handle this crap.

So that is my deal. Just some checking in and sharing some stuff I am trying to do to get through it.

Oh, and I like a video by Prince Ea that helped me to stop identifying with depression and anger and anxiety, or making it my identity, but rather looking at it as something I am going through and having to endure. Kind of like clouds passing over a sky. For I believe that many good people suffer from these things, but that does not make them those things. Or something like that. I get that that concept might not work for a lot of people, or may seem condescending or blaming for the person suffering depending on your point of view. But it was helpful to me to realize in the moment that I am not depression or anxiety, but am experiencing them. So if anyone wants to find it, shoot me a PM.

I really hope none of that sounded trite, as I have struggled myself pretty hard lately, and I do not want to add to anyone else's pain at all. Just trying to share my experiences.
Click to expand...

Not trite at all - sorry you're struggling.

The "hungry" part of HALT is interesting - I have fallen into a bad habit of eating next to nothing over the past three weeks. I just have no appetite. I'm losing weight - I can tell because my sized wristwatch is now sliding up and down my forearm where it used to fit snugly.

But of course not eating makes things worse, not better. So I'm trying really hard now to make sure I eat three times a day (as opposed to one or zero). It seems to help when I'm not running on fumes. Which I guess is pretty obvious but it's hard to eat when you're not hungry at all...
 
If you have any questions about buddhism and meditation, feel free to message me. Meditation was hard for me to do at first due to my racing thoughts, but it makes a big difference for me now. I had some stressful time over the weekend and I find that if I can set aside even ten minutes for meditation and mindful breathing it can dramatically shift my mood and anxiety.
 
Yeah, I've been looking at lots of meditation / breathing stuff as well as Buddhism. I'm keeping my mind open to everything - medication to meditation and everything in between. You got any good links?
 
smurfco said:
Yeah, I've been looking at lots of meditation / breathing stuff as well as Buddhism. I'm keeping my mind open to everything - medication to meditation and everything in between. You got any good links?
Click to expand...

I don't but my buddy Clayton Kennedy on Facebook does I'm sure. You could always message him and say I asked him to help you out. I was lucky in that when I first started practicing we had a fairly thriving Zen community in Cincinnati, as well as a Tibetan-style and Theravadan temple. There are a few books I've found helpful; when i finish unpacking them I'll give you the titles.

Until then, just sit, and remember to breathe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top