Dare to Reduce Anxiety

By needmoralcourag on March 21, 2010 at 02:03 AM

Some days are like that. We are here for you if you feel like sharing anything. Do you know the cause of your anxiety? Is there anything you can do about it? Some things are out of your control, others you can impact somehow. You can try doing something to calm down and feel better, I don't know what works for you, but things like relaxing music, a walk, talking to a friend, writing down your feelings, taking deep breaths, stopping your thoughts from racing, etc work for some people. Good luck and feel better.

By alphamodron on March 1, 2010 at 05:57 AM

I'm glad you are here mikey. You have a lot of life stuff going on right now, so its no wonder you're feeling overwhelmed. And so easy for friends to offer well-meaning advice. But they don't have to live inside your skin.

Being able to identify and admit all the weight you're feeling bearing down on you and not beating yourself up for being unable to find solutions is not giving in. Its admitting that you are human, and are tired, and that is AWESOME knowledge, and KNOWLEDGE is POWER.

I had a wonderful therapist some years ago who told me, when I was deep in despair, that "your only job today is to breathe, just breathe, that's all."

Please keep us posted on how you are doing, mikey. We are all here to support one another.

By mikey_7788 on March 1, 2010 at 07:07 AM

Thanks alphamodron, your words are probably the best medicine i could have about now... i really do need support.

It's funny, I do know exactly why i feel the anxiety i do.. but it doesn't make the weight of all this despair any lighter and seems to only frustrate me more that i'm not solving my problems. At this point i am totally my own worst enemy.

As my step toward progress on this dare, i wrote myself a long letter to try and gain some perspective... it ended with "for now just be honest with your feelings and let them be what they are.... and work to make you feel better, then maybe eventually happy. You are where you are, today is a gift, relax and accept it."

I know if i can change my attitude i can change my life, i just need to surround myself with influences more positive than myself.

By alphamodron on March 1, 2010 at 04:39 PM

Glad I could be of some small comfort. I am going through pretty much a parallel experience, of course different because the circumstances are mine. So while I won't even begin to pretend what you are dealing with, I do have some knowledge of how that despair, and self-flaggelation feels, and the frustration of knowing what needs to be done, but being blocked by emotions and physical anxiety.

Today, talking with my doctor, she said (in regard to my debilitating anxiety symptoms), "I think this will get better, but you are not going to be able to go around it, you are going to have to (sit with it) and go THROUGH it. And I know in my heart that she is right.

By needmoralcourag on March 7, 2010 at 09:46 PM

Hi mikey and alphamodron. I found this site by googling "self-forgiveness", and now I'm here. It feels good to know I'm not alone. I can identify with a lot of what you're both going through, the despair, the anxiety, being your worst enemy, knowing what the problem is or what should be done, but being unable to do it. Thank you alphamodron for saying we're all here to support one another, that's comforting to hear. Mikey, I hope you've begun to feel a little better and have stopped beating yourself up for the past. You are right, I think surrounding yourself with positive attitude is key. It can be motivating and is a good reminder, specially at those instances when we're too down to help ourselves. I know you said knowing the source of the anxiety does not alleviate it and makes it more frustrating, but you know what, knowing is the first step and you can only go up from here. The knowing-doing gap may time some time, but undoubtedly things will get better.

By needmoralcourag on March 7, 2010 at 09:25 PM

Tell me about it!! I think procrastication is one of the biggest reasons I get anxious too. It's like I don't do something, or put if off for a while, then worry that the outcome will be horrendous! Well, of course it will be!! If I were to use my time wisely, stick to my schedules and do everything I need to do well and on time, anxiety would be kept to a minimum...

By thecoach on March 7, 2010 at 11:54 AM

limiting the worrying to a certain time will stop the worrying from being overwhelming and constant.