Dear Anxiety

[CMF]

At times I tell my anxiety to stop, go away, leave me alone. I thought it might be good to put it into a post. Feel free to write your own letter. 

Dear anxiety,

I've has enough of you & you need to leave. I am a strong, confident, positive person & you come in & try to take it away. You always pounce when I'm a little vulnerable & you just keep pick, pick, picking at me until my thoughts go round in circles.  Well, you won't win. I know your game & I'm not playing.

Go back into your little hole, you won't get the better of me 

Cmf

[CMF]

Thank you Annas1 

I had a day out shopping with my older daughter today to buy a gift for my younger one. When we got home my son was home & I enjoyed watching them chat about stuff. I feel much better. Yes. I have been here before & got through it, just as I will again.

Hello scared  

I hope you are doing OK. I'm sorry to hear of your struggle. You will fight the gutless creature trying to make you feel bad. You will send it on it's way.

[CMF]

Dear Anxiety,

You must have nothing better to do as you've visited a few times over the last few weeks. I need you to know you're not welcome. You have no right to take away my happiness. make me overthink & think the worst. You may find it funny but i don't . I deserve better. I deserve to be happy,  relaxed & enjoy life. You need to move on. You are not welcome.

Cmf

[CMF]

Well here you are again. You know I'm mentally exhausted from work so you've crept in so every little thing triggers me to the point I feel physically sick.

Pretty low act to pick on someone not feeling mentally strong.

[Annas1]

Hello CMF,

It looks like we've both got unwelcome visitors at the moment. Mine is channelling all its energy into keeping me alert and activated so that good sleep is impossible. I'm now tired, wired and a bit fearful and low. Thanks for nothing Anxiety!

Yet, I want to hold onto two things. First, maybe Anxiety has something to tell me - I'm probably making decisions that go against my real interests - rather than honestly recognising my own needs and acting accordingly. So, you are creating in inner alarm, telling me to 'wake up' and see things as they really are, not as I might wish or fantisise them to be.

Secondly, I would like to accept that Anxiety does visit me from time to time. Let go of needing to eradicate it, silence it, exile it. Sometimes, as above, it has an important purpose. Though at others it's just a habit of responding to the ambiguities and uncertainties of life. I'm honing the skill of discerning the useful from the unhelpful kind of anxiety.

And then being kind enough with myself to move forward with hope and gentleness.

Best thoughts CMF!

[CMF]

Dear Anxiety, 

GO AWAY! I'm tired of you. 

cmf

[Rustyswingset]

Dear anxiety. You've always tried to protect me from being rejected and hurt, but sometimes you hurt me doing that. I love my friends and family and having a constant filter of you telling me all of the bad things they might think of me means I end up feeling isolated and scared to open up. I would appreciate if you could take a turn towards a career in critical thinking because you are great at observation and editing, I'd just prefer if you acted to help me and used logic rather than pick apart at my self esteem in a very mean unprofessional voice. Please turn your attention onto criticising systems, people in power and dodgy articles rather than things I can't change. If somebody who I love rejected me and called me a horrible person like you say for doing something I didn't have malicious intent in rather than gently criticising me or helping me learn they probably weren't going to be a great friend anyways. I know you've remembered everything I've been told that hurt so you can avoid us being hurt again but have you considered asking whether I actually care about the opinions of people who I really don't want to emulate at all?

Thanks. This was very releiving to let out.

[CMF]

Dear Anxiety, 

You are relentless.  You have been pestering me for weeks now.  Yiu hide every now & then but you're still there. My mind is so full of stuff and you are just picking at it and triggering me, making me think & overhink & worry about things that have not concerned me for years but now they do cos you pluck them out & put doubt in my mind. I know your little game and it's not funny or nice.

Please go away. I deserve better.

Cmf

[CMF]

Dear Anxiety,

I know you are my mind misfiring & trying to keep me safe...but I am safe. You are making me think there is a present threat but in this moment,  all is well. It is ok for you to take a break from trying to protect me. You have permission to leave me be. I know my mind is sensitised from constant worry but you can leave me be instead of making me stress about something that has not even happened.  If it does happen I will deal with it then. At the moment, all is well in my life.

Thank you 

[CMF]

Annas1,

I read recently the difference between intuition & anxiety . You mentioned your anxiety may be trying to tell you you are making decisions that go against your interests. Intuition is calm & sheds light whereas anxiety creates feelings of fear & worst case scenarios. 

Something to ponder.

Cmf