Submitted by quantafolia t3_11akpt3 in LifeProTips
My constant anxiety has made a problem for me. I do get anxiety attacks when I get nervous or something which I didn't expect at all, i get anxious over small things which really bothers me. I am 21 year old and has been diagnosed with high blood pressure. I have been practicing mediation as told by my doctor, honestly it helps but not all the time. What am I supposed to do?
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At your age, therapy is the easiest answer. At my age (51), I’m starting to realize diet and exercise have a lot to do with brain health. Do a little research and maybe a combination of all three will help. Good job recognizing it at an early age, it will pass.
I follow healthygamergg https://youtu.be/qvaB2d5yDf8
He's great, and i love his advice. Am trying too hard to follow up everything while maintaining my sanity
Regular exercise and consistent slow and deep breaths. Lower sodium diet and minimal caffeine will also assist.
My regular diet is full of fishes like hilsa, rohu catla etc. Also most of the time i so consume chicken meat. Should I stop that?
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It is really hard to think of what advice to give as a strategy I use may not be useful or appropriate for you. I have struggled with anxiety for a long time and still struggle. Anxiety is a normal but when it starts to impact your quality of life, it can be overwhelming.
Consider medication - I found it useful to take way the most intrusive aspects of anxiety and start to focus on self care strategies. I also use a counsellor regularly to check in and test my thinking/get new ideas on how manage particular events that are causing me anxiety.
Creating self care regime is important (frankly for everyone). Exercise, good food, regular contact with loved ones are standard. I also have little things I do like make sure I have shower every day, brush my teeth, air the bed, diffuse essential oils and do the dishes to give myself a sense of control. I am a big list writer - it helps to order my thoughts and stop things from being overwhelming.
The biggest lesson I have learned to be aware of my negative internal thoughts. I can be my harshest critic and I sometimes have to stop and reflect “would I say this to a friend? What would I say to my friend if they came to me with this concern? Will it matter tomorrow, next week or next year?. Everyone has anxiety a some time - it is part of growing to be a better person. No one has their shit together and you are enough.
Make sure you look after you
I don’t have constant anxiety but I’ve realized (with a couple of sessions of therapy!) what the source of my anxiety was/is. It’s my mom. I’m 23 years old and I’m scared of upsetting my mom. That’s it. Sounds kinda pathetic I know but I’ve come a long ways in just the past month.
But a couple techniques my therapist taught me include taking an hour out of my day before bed, and turning off my phone ( anxiety stems from my mom blowing up my phone so phone is a trigger) and relaxing by watching some tv. Sometimes it’s a pointless tv show like Family Guy or something so I don’t have to think too hard about it (I know that sounds stupid but it works for me lol). Another tactic she taught me with my phone and one that I kinda figured out on my own, was changing the ringer/ notification/ alarms to a more “calming” sound. Right now I have a whooshing sound so it’s more calming and I have yet to associate that sound with my phone blowing up. Another one would be to keep your phone on silent.
I know these are techniques for phone anxiety and I’m sorry that’s all I can really contribute right now (it’s past my bedtime and I’m half awake) but I hope something for this helps you! Also I’ve been thinking of starting meditation as well.
Also working out has helped me too. Turning off my notifications for messages and using my phone for music while just lifting weights a little help too!
And if it floats your boat, look up ASMR on YouTube. It’s extremely diverse, video wise, but I’ve noticed that it helps me relax and fall asleep instead of constantly overthinking.
Best of luck OP!
Tell your doctor that sometimes you get nervous on airplanes. Instant Xanax prescription. Works every time
I advise you to record what you eat and take notes. See what you ate on says you feel bad, and days you feel good.
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Look into DBT- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. It's a bit different than most kinds of talk therapy, and literally changed my life; I had crippling anxiety that I developed after cancer and some problems with prescription meds like Ativan and Xanax. While it was originally used with people with borderline personality disorder, it has been very successful in helping people with addiction, those who are suicidal, people with PTSD, and those of us with anxiety. I cannot recommend if highly enough!
I think what makes this work so well is the focused "lessons" on distress tolerance and mindfulness. If you can't find a therapist near you, there are online options, but there are also books on Amazon that can really help you too. Marsha Linehan is the expert, but there are other great resources available too. B
A mind is most at peace when the body follows a routine and the mind is preoccupied. Identify your triggers. Be kind and forgiving to yourself. Teach your mind to follow your body instead of vice versa.
Get a therapist. You don't have to worry about taking anti-anxiety meds unless you have a recurrent issue and your anxiety can be diagnosed as a disorder. Therapy will help you identify triggers and unhelpful habits.
Even reading books about anxiety can help - I found Dr Tracey Marks' "Why am I so Anxious?" Book pretty helpful.
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I think phone has been a bad trigger for me too. watching too much internet has made me lost hope in life
>The biggest lesson I have learned to be aware of my negative internal thoughts. I can be my harshest critic and I sometimes have to stop and reflect “would I say this to a friend? What would I say to my friend if they came to me with this concern? Will it matter tomorrow, next week or next year?
I wish I could be my greatest friend you know.. also Yeah i did learn something from your pov
What should I do to get the mental peace?
Change your lifestyle. You can reverse your cardiovascular disease and that will go a long way towards helping you find peace of mind.
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Exercise. I struggled with intense anxiety most my life. Started the gym and after 2 weeks the results were better than any medication I've taken, any coping mechanism I've tried, better than meditation which was my previous go to.
In fact the improvements to my anxiety and mental health were so good I'm kicking myself for not listening to people and starting sooner.
Look into biofeedback. It's good for in the moment, and you can do the exercises anytime. Find techniques that work for you, and do them. I give my system a direct order and am deliberately breathing and focusing on my heart beat while it works through. Be patient with yourself while your chemicals shift out of panic. It takes a few minutes. Don't know how else to explain that. It will pass, and you will keep on with your day.
Talk to your doctor. Tell them meditation doesn’t help all the time. I’ve suffered from severe panic attacks for most of my life. What helped me most is medication (but I wouldn’t turn to this first). I take an SSRI daily for the low level anxiety that’s always there and then a beta blocker (blood pressure med) for panic attacks. In the past I was prescribed benzos for panic attacks. I would try to avoid taking them but there is no shame if that’s what you end up needing.
I would first try the route of therapy, exercise and making sure to eat well. And get good quality sleep. Hope things get easier for you soon!
I use this with my patients https://www.guilford.com/books/The-Anxiety-and-Worry-Workbook/Clark-Beck/9781606239186
This is very simple:
You have to see a therapist
you should ask your doctor about anti-anxiety medication.
Recognize that both take time, they don’t work overnight. You may have to change medications until you find one that works. The other things—journaling, mindfulness, etc are great, but should be done with the guidance of your therapist.
There is evidence to support psychotherapy and medications separate and combined.
Someone may have already suggested this to you before but an immediate short term action to stop anxiety asap is to either get your face or chest very cold and wet. Dunk your face in a cold wet water. Or a very cold wet wash cloth on your face neck and chest.
Breathing excercises, 4 seconds in, 4 seconds out. Make sure you do a longer exhale if needed.
Self-talk: dont always react to the first thing in your head. Always reflect on what you think. Dont be too hard on yourself or others. When speaking to yourself, do so with respect.
Remember this is an imperfect world, but your emotions are the one thing we can control. Controlling our emotions is like building a muscle, it takes practice and time. You will make mistakes along the way, and you won't be fixed over night.
Let it all go and focus on you. You can do this
This. PTSD here, and went to a therapist who used bio-feedback and trigger identification to calm my jittery butt down. One of the techniques was to put a sticker anywhere you got stress, so it would cue the meditation learned via biofeedback. You should've seen my monitor at work.
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One exercise my therapist gave me comes in sets of three. Take a thing that makes you anxious, and write out:
Now, even for the worst case scenario, write about how it would impact your life one month later, six months later, a year later. How much would it really matter if it DID happen?
And after that, you can also write down how you would deal with the worst case scenario. Just think through what your tools and options are, who you would ask for help.
These questions are designed to make your anxiety specific, solvable, and known instead of vague, overwhelming, and unknown. Give name to the things you're afraid of and try to determine which are irrational and which are rational and worthy of your attention to prepare for and solve.
If you're drinking alcohol, stop. It's horrendous for anxiety
Here's some different stuff you can try:
Google "running therapy ", and/or try getting lots of exercise. Even 30 min of walking a day is as effective as some medications.
Try a low histamine diet, also look up histamine intolerance.
Plug your symptoms etc into the filters on Psychologytoday.com and find the PERFECT therapist for you.
Look up "the honest guys" on YouTube and jam out on some guided meditation two or three times a day, is great in place of rescue meds!
No more coffee or caffeine
I hope you feel better soon.
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Lots of people have an anxiety disorder and don't know, because how to know if you feel too anxious compared to "normal". Try an ssri (anti depresant) which can take the anxiety away (but likely some side effects like lack of appetite etc)
See Dr. Tracey Marks videos on YouTube about anxiety. They are excellent.
I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling with anxiety. It can be very difficult to manage. Here are a few techniques that I have found to be helpful when anxiety strikes:
Practicing deep breathing exercises: Slow and steady breaths can help to bring your heart rate down and can also help to reduce tension in the body.
Engaging in calming activities: Doing activities such as yoga, taking a walk, reading a book, or listening to music can help to distract your mind from anxious thoughts and promote relaxation.
Talk to a trusted friend, family member, or counselor: Having someone to talk to about anxious thoughts and feelings can be very helpful.
Exercise: Regular exercise can be beneficial for reducing anxiety.
I hope these suggestions are helpful to you.
Go to your doc, meds are great for anxiety and not remotely "dumbing" like people think. Changed many peoples lives ive known...like crazy.
So many peoples parents thought this was a social issue...it is..but its also biological, and more for some than others
Seek PROFESSIONAL help
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Look up Grounding Coping Skills! There are so many, but they help when you are having an anxiety attack. My favorite is the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Acknowledging 5 things you can see. Try to look for details in whatever you are acknowledging. Acknowledge 4 things you can touch, but actually, touch them. Acknowledging 3 things you can hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you can taste. Usually, by the time you get to number 2, your mind is more relaxed due to you no longer focusing on your anxiety or what triggered it. I also encourage implementing a breathing technique while you do this activity. Inhale for 5, hold for 3, and exhale for 8 which would else help with reducing your heart rate. Holding a piece of ice for 3 seconds also can help.
What has helped my anxiety immensely:
You can mess around with your own dosages till you find out what works for you. Know that excess magnesium can cause loose stool.
10 minutes of yoga a day has made a big difference for me. Not magic, but takes the temp down within a few days. I picked up both anxiety and the yoga unit over Covid, and it’s pretty easy to stick to with a couple videos on YouTube. I even set my morning alarm to be a “yoga you can do in bed” alarm and it really helps
Accepting and allowing all feelings/thoughts/circumstances while acting as you would live your normal life if not anxious. (Dr Claire Weekes explained it best, google her)
The first step is to identify what is making you anxious and then figure out a mitigation plan to get that stressor out of your life. But also look into getting prescribed drugs. I was anxious as hell and had panic attacks all day every day. Then I got recommended to the brain doctor who prescribed Propranolol which helps with high blood pressure as well as blocks the cortisol dump from panic attacks so my heart wasn't beating fast all day every day. A few years later and I no longer feel the anxiety edge that I had. I'm not saying that drug will work for you, however finding the right drug combination will help lower the anxiety.
A couple of things that have really helped me are regular walks, rather than have lunch with my co-workers I take a quick walk alone. This helps me reset midday, and keeps morning stressors from building all day.
Second, I started focusing on gratitude. This may not seem related, but for me rumination on things that triggered me cost me a lot of time and energy. So each night I write down one thing about myself I appreciate and five external things I appreciate. Over time this has helped me reduce fixation on the negative. For me this helps for when I have to go outside my comfort zone, I'm not already focused on negative outcomes, and can recover better if something does go badly.
Third take a look at your caffeine intake, it may be making it harder to reduce anxious reactions. Cutting back or removing caffeine altogether may help you handle stressors better.
Try cold plunges, r/becomingtheiceman has helped me.
Might try this
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/box-breathing-benefits/
Can you identify what is causing it, specifically? Then analyze the cause and develop a plan and consider if it is really worth stressing about. Usually the source of the anxiety is something that is not very important. Usually, it is your brain f'ing with you - seriously, Your brain is sending you false signals/emotions and you have to ID those and tell them to go pound sand. Are you going into battle? Having brain surgery? Taken hostage at gun point? Those are valid anxiety reasons. If you have someone you trust, ask them if your reason for being anxious is valid and why it is not something to worry about. A third party perspective helps. You might want to research GAD (generalize anxiety disorder) to learn coping tips.
Deep breathing exercises like whim hoff.
Exercising daily.
Hydrating.
Sleeping well.
Removing drugs and social media from your life.
Work towards goals and knock them out.
Even little goals like do the laundry and wash the dishes daily help you build momentum.
Religion has helped me. Praying at night removes anxieties I have
54321 is so helpful. I use it during church sometimes. Or I look around the room and find someone who’s wearing each color of the rainbow. Just whatever to put the focus off my thoughts
I wish this had worked for me :( I work out 6 days a week and I’m still anxious and on medication
A good therapist can really help! I was totally against it for years and chose alcohol to deal with social situations. Now I am listening to social anxiety podcasts, reading self help books, and seeing a therapist a couple times a month to talk through it. It’s working. I also got a prescription for propanolol from my doctor to help with public speaking, and this helps keep my body from exhibiting the social anxiety symptoms that cripple me when I have to speak in front of a group. I also recently tried phenibut, and even though it works, I would never recommend it to others due to its high potential for addiction and the horrible withdrawal that many users report.
Having and maintaing routine has worked for me
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My therapist gave me an exercise called Thoughts On Trial. Basically, you take your thought or perception (for example, "I'm useless") and think up all the reasons you can that shows this statement is false (example: "I'm good at cooking, I don't leave dishes out, I help others when they need it") It's a very simple exercise, and honestly, I almost always find so many more reasons as to why that thought or feeling is false. It was one of the better techniques for me.
Another is a worry timer. You set a timer on your phone (up to 5 minutes max) and put your phone across the room. Then you spend your time addressing the worries you have. When the timer goes off, you get up and turn it off and get on with your day. It's very important you put your phone or timer across the room so you can physically bring yourself out of worrying. If you have a worry that is bugging you during the day, you can acknowledge it and set it aside for the five minutes you allot yourself to worry. You can also do multiple worry timers if you need to, in the morning and in the evening. This was a big one that really helped me out.
Take care, OP! You're not alone in this! Don't be afraid to ask for help, because it means you are still fighting for yourself! ❤️
Edit: I was also told to pop a warhead or toxic waste candy in the middle of a panic attack. For whatever reason, the human brain can't process anxiety and ultra sour at the same time. Used it once, and yes, I was too busy trying not to cry because the damn thing was just that sour. Now I keep a pack of toxic waste in my bag just in case.
Medication was the only thing that did it for me. I could recite everything I needed to do to get myself out of a spiral, but until I got medication, I couldn’t actually do any of those things.
Time to change what you’re watching. It’ll do wonders for you. Start with some funny videos until you’ve laughed for a bit. Then switch to informative videos on topics of interest. Stay away from “news,” political or religious topics. After awhile of this new viewing habit you should notice a difference. Eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis will also help with reducing anxiety. Good luck
I have used this when I come to home from a very hot outside weather. But i never knew it can this innovative
>Breathing excercises, 4 seconds in, 4 seconds out. Make sure you do a longer exhale if needed.
Hey i know that excercise!! I do free hand mostly and i do that everyday.
>Self-talk: dont always react to the first thing in your head. Always reflect on what you think. Dont be too hard on yourself or others. When speaking to yourself, do so with respect.
I don't know but everytime my mind always says- " you are not good enough for love. No one's gonna love you. " Or " no one's gonna care if you die"
I know some facts are true but sometimes I wonder if it's just the lies told by my depression
Eh, no i don't drink. I have never smoked or have drunk
If you’re not getting sunlight and exercise regularly- you don’t know what a good baseline normal for you is really like.
Start with getting out and having a 30 min walk everyday. Commit to a walk, aim for 30 min everyday.
The path forward from there will be easier because you’re already working on the problem. Starting is the hardest part
Is tea good? Idk but drink green tea and milk tea mostly
Can I get a online pdf of this? Where can I get it?
This is interesting
>Another is a worry timer.
I think I should try it out
But yeah the problem is that my parents aren't that much serious. If they were serious enough, i could have asked them for meds. Only hope is to earn and use the money to cure my own mental health issues
I will check it out.
But are there any side effects that you might have noticed?
Yea looks like you can download a pdf at libgen.is or buy a hard copy from Amazon
My counsellor in college taught me this. It's time to do this again , i actually forgot about this one
Those aren’t facts. Facts are 2+2=4. Those are opinions. And very harsh opinions at that.
In psychology we call those unhelpful styles of thinking. They’re unhelpful thinking patterns that have a big effect on how you feel.
But accepting those feelings are hard itself. How am I supposed to believe when my mind says " you are gonna die alone", " no one's ever gonna talk with you" , " you are not beautiful enough" or " no one's gonna care if you die" ?
Lots of caffeine in tea actually
The things i worry about is that I have no friends, an introvert who is bad at communicating . It worries me so much
My neighbourhood is a busy and my house is on the side of a highway, so I can't do morning walks. But whenever I can like from college to my bus stop which is like 2 km far, i always walk. It feels refreshing
What form of CBD have you taken and at what dose has worked for you? I've seen some sources say as little as 10mg while others as high as 500mg (tincture)
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Bad ones, you mean? Nah. Maybe I'm more tired than I would have been sometimes, that's about the worst that could happen (as long as your supplements are legit). And like I said, too much magnesium can cause loose stools, but most people are low in it, & it's really important for health.
Oh, another thing, many people find relief from balancing their gut biome! Drink kefir (has more kinds of bacteria than yogurt) or take a probiotic.
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>In psychology we call those unhelpful styles of thinking.
So you are telling me that i have been ruminating over nothing? Was the opinion in my head a lie?
It’s just a story you’re telling yourself. Would you say that to a friend? Be kinder to yourself.
Iron deficiency was the source of a lot of my anxiety. I wish I knew years sooner that it could be fixed
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Pharmaceutical intervention under medical supervision.
My initial thoughts/self talk are always negative. It takes a lot of practice to ignore those thoughts but it is crucial for our happiness to try and turn them into positive thoughts.
Your brain is a muscle and right now it's impusles are to be negative. So it will take time to rebuild that muscle to think positively. You are retraining yourself. It takes time and a lot of effort, but you can do it.
Keep working on yourself every day. You are worth it. The results are worth it. You got this!
Cbt therapy. Meds. Asmr videos. Letting yourself fail and succeed at things. You've got this
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