Pushing through your anxiety

[socialmoth]

Hi everyone --

I'd really like to get some advice on how to push through when you feel like your anxiety is holding you back.

For me personally, once I'm anxious I find it really hard to get through to the other side. My anxiety will be so strong and sit with me for so long that it will stop me from doing things that I really want to do such as going to work or seeing friends.

I know that your anxiety shouldn't stop you from doing the things you love, so how do you cope with this? What helps you push past the anxiety so that you're able to do the things you love?

[Gambit87]

Hi socialmoth

I push though by 'just doing it'.

I dont reeeeeeally know what I mean by that, but my thought process is when I get anxious and I start second guessing what im doing/where im going etc I stop for a minute and think about it then I just do it because I know that it will make me feel better afterwards.

For an example, before seeing a psychologist I had alot of anxiety about work and I really did not want to go.

But then I started thinking

If I go to work - I can get a coffee and chat to the owner
If I go to work - I get to see my workmates and have a laugh
If I go to work - I can afford to take my girlfriend out to dinner or buy the new game etc
If I go to work - I get to go home!

I end up going to work - even though I was full of anxious energy.

sometimes I get anxiety about going to my martial arts classess and I question myself "you've been doing it for years now - why you nervous? youre fine!' then I go do the class even though im full of anxious energy.

when I play poker every week 'what if this? what if that? - uh... has any of that ever happened? No? move on then.

and I would play poker.

Afterwards I think to myself, see... it wasn't that bad... see!

I hope my post makes sense and you get my point.

sometimes stopping and thinking about the positive outcomes is enough to get you moving.

Its bloody hard but you come out on the other side and think to yourself - worth it.

[socialmoth]

Hi Gambit,

Thank you for your response! I absolutely know what you mean and I really appreciate you being so straight forward with it.

Thinking about the positive outcomes is definitely something I could do. I usually tend to get really excited about doing something new and then once I push myself through the first couple of times, I end up getting so anxious that I stop doing it all together. Even though I know I enjoy it and will get something good out of it.

I will try to focus on the positives next time I feel like that and see how I go 🙂

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi socialmoth,

I like your username 🙂

Yeah this is something I can relate to. I have a lot of anxiety it overwhelms me sometimes.

For me personally, it's about choices. That sounds so cliche like it's easy, but it's not. I have to stop and think, is this worth it? What matters to me more? Like seeing friends probably matters to you, but is that something that is a big enough incentive for you to sit with all of these feelings?

Values come into it a lot for me- because I feel more compelled to do things that matter even if I feel a little bit like crap. I think we all get into the habit sometimes of hanging home because it's easier and safer, and while sometimes that's totally ok, we don't get to do the things that we love and become the person that we want to be.

I hope that makes sense. I know it sounds 'simple' but it's really hard, it's just something that works for me.

rt

[Petal22]

Hi socialmoth,

I once had severe anxiety...... OCD it didn’t allow it to stop me from doing anything I wanted to do..... I chose to defy it every time if it tried to tell me not to do something I’d do the opposite if it said don’t go outside I went outside...... you are so much stronger than you think..... Lee pushing through it...

I learned the more you do what your anxiety tells you to do the more you reinforce your anxiety.......

have you seen a health professional at all? They can give you many strategies to help you to cope with your anxiety......

remember to keep going, Keep pushing forward , believe in yourself you are stronger than you think...... 💪

[socialmoth]

Hi romantic_thi3f

Thank you for your response 🙂

I understand what you mean about values and choices and really appreciate your point of view. Do you find that it ever gets easier? Kind of like practice makes perfect? I'm not too sure if anxiety works like that but just thought I'd ask for your experience.

[socialmoth]

Hi Petal22

Thank you for sharing how you cope with it. I do think I forget how strong humans can be. I will be going back to a counselor at the end of the month so hopefully that will help me feel/get stronger in that sense 🙂

[Petal22]

Hi Socialmoth,

that’s ok, I understand it’s a very strong feeling to deal with..... you will get through it ...... there is light at the end of the tunnel.... your not alone many people have this condition...

have you spoken to your gp about the way you are feeling? My gp was amazing through out my mental health issues..... I was put on an antidepressant for my anxiety which really helped aswell..... have you thought about medication?

That’s great you will be seeing a councillor hopefully they can give you some strategies for coping with your anxiety...

In my therapy I was taught mindfulness, meditation and attention training have you been given any of these tools? They really help with anxiety....

hang in there.... you are strong and you can learn to overcome your anxiety...😊

[socialmoth]

Hi Petal,

Thank you for your kind words, they really mean a lot.

I've previously been on medication but it caused hair loss and night sweats so I just stopped taking it and was too scared to go back to the doctor. I've booked an appointment with another GP who has an interest in mental health for tonight to talk about what has been going on. Thank you for your encouragement, I definitely think it is a good next step for me.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi socialmoth,

You're very welcome 🙂 Thank you for your reply!

Oh definitely. Full disclosure here- I used to have a lot of seizures and they'd happen anywhere and everywhere. Didn't matter where I was, if I was alone- with people, doing things. The unpredictability of it honestly just kept me home where it was safe. So going to Coles alone was honestly the hardest thing to do. But I also wanted to be the person who didn't let that stop me and could live kinda independently- and that ended up being enough incentive to go even though it terrified me.

I know that this is probably dramatic for some people, but I think it just shows how insane my anxiety has been and how hard I've had to work to push through it.

Every single time we push through our anxiety, we create new pathways in our brain- *neuroscience* ! Which is a lovely and cool way of saying that things do get easier.

I believe in you and I know you can do this. 🙂

Good luck with your appointment!

rt