topic this is me in Welcome and orientation

this is me

Somewhere_in_Time — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 00:19:06 GMT

Hi all,

New here and not sure about posting my feelings but here goes...

i have always had anxiety in small but consistent bouts, a few years ago some issues upped the ante and this year has pushed it over the edge.

My adult son took his own life earlier this year and since then i have been struggling with almost constant anxiety, i worry about the little things making them into a bigger issue. I turn everything into a 'what if'.

So i thought i would do something i have never done and share my feelings. I know i'm not the only one so i was kinda hoping i could tap into how other handle/have dealt with this kinda thing.

Thanks for listening

this is me

Clear82 — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 01:08:50 GMT

heya

I’m sorry to hear about your son. I can only imagine how heart breaking that is for you.

I do it a lot too, I turn lots of situations into what if this happens and what if that happens.

One of things I’m doing it with atm is what if my partner leaves me? I then over analyse everything!
I then tell myself - if he leaves me I will be sad and lost but I know with time I will be ok because I have been through a break up before.

Another one is I stress if I don’t sleep enough. But this one I’m getting better with because I tell myself you cope on limited hours of sleep.

It’s not easy and i have to practice a lot!!!!

im hear to listen to you too

this is me

known — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 01:19:25 GMT

Hiya,

Sorry to hear about your loss. I can imagine that would send anxiety through the roof.

I want to say good on you for sharing. It's the first step. It feels hard opening up, but it's better than closing down. Give yourself a hug for sharing. Celebrate that; it's huge!

It is definitely takes practice, and I don't always get it, but I try to "unhook" from the thought and then distract myself by finding easy tasks to complete and tick off a list. I think everyone is different as to what distracts, my friend suggested reading non fiction but it doesn't seem to help, I just move my eyes across the page while still thinking the anxious thoughts! I find moving my body works best, like taking a walk, cleaning, gardening, cooking.

Another thing that has helped is to know that you are not your mind. It is a weird thing, but I think of my mind like a toddler. Sometimes it needs a cuddle and sometimes it needs to be ignored.

There are lots of things like this that you can do to help with day-to-day functioning. I recommend reaching out to your GP and getting some therapy to help process the trauma you're experiencing. I left things unchecked for years and it just bubbled underneath.

Hugs to you, do something special for yourself today like a special cup of tea or something. Treat yourself for taking the first step 🙂