I read a
lot of the forum posts. I answer a lot too. I have lived with anxiety for
decades. At time it has been debilitating. So, I thought perhaps my remedies
and tactics might be a benefit to others.
Firstly, I had
my first epitome when a doctor explained what is happening medically to us when
we suffer from anxiety, and medically, what is required. So basically, we have
a situation that activates the fight of flight in us, spilling way too much
cortisol in our bodies. We are pumped up on this drug, and no amount of logic
will get it to go away. We need to get rid of the cortisol, or bring it down to
manageable levels. I use hard exercise to soak it up. Once it starts to soak it
up, I can then use logic to bring my thoughts under control.
I use the
mindfulness tactic to start with. That is, bring yourself into the present moment.
Look this is a lot easier to say than actually do. It takes months of practice,
and when my head is spinning, it is very hard to bring myself into the moment.
But believe me, when you master this, it is so satisfying. Regularly during the
day I check in on myself and notice my feelings. If I am happy or sad, I notice
this and label it. “This is sadness I am feeling right now”. Sometimes, just by
noticing things and labelling them, the feeling seems to go away. “I am feeling
angry right now”, seems to make anger go away.
The next
thing is to recognise the cause of most of the problem is fear. I go straight to
the cause. Why am I afraid? And, I have actively measured my instincts over the
years, and my gut instinct is not very good. I have learned not to trust what I’m
feeling, because it’s usually wrong. Your gut might be better than mine.
Finally, I
use the tactic counsellors give you with acceptance and commitment therapy. That
is, when bad thoughts about the past or the future come into my head, I acknowledge
their presence, and then tell them they are free to stay there, but I refuse to
engage with them. “I notice I am having bad thoughts about work tomorrow. Those
thoughts can stay in my head, but I’m not going to think about them or have a
conversation or argument with them.”
I hope you can get some benefit from this.
