Anyone suffer from anxiety? What techniques do you use to help?

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I have GAD (generalised anxiety disorder). I have had it in varying degrees since I was 12. I often get irrarional concerns/fears about things. One of the most prominent examples of this is when I was a video of something online which I first found interesting and kinda cool, but after watching it a few times became deeply disturbed by it. I feel mildly anxious a lot of the time, often for no reason. It's just sort of a gut feeling that is always there.

I also have Aspergers, which could be a factor in the cause of my anxiety. It is also the reason that I have a deep obsession with a certain thing, which causes me anxiety because im worried I will lose my obsession or something will put me off it. It seems silly but I would be lost without my special interest.

I was wondering if there is anyone else on here who suffers from anxiety? What are your coping methods?

Of course little space is one them. I regress to some degree most of the time and being regressed helps me relax and cope.

I use fiddle/stim toys; such as tangles, slime and sensory objects. These also help me concerntrate in college and stop me getting distracted.

I find keeping organised and getting work/chores done also helps relax me. If these things are done I can practice my hobbies without feeling guilty or under pressure. I can't relax easily if my flat is untidy and I have lots of coursework to do. It makes me feel like a failure and lowers my self esteem signifigantly if I don't look after myself and my responsibilities.

I also try to do some guided meditation whenever I can, which does help reduce anxiety too.

What do you do? Tell me :)
 
I was not diagnosed with Autism spectrum until I was 53.
My mother did fight with the school about my dyslexia when I was in the 4th grade.

I did a lot of self teaching thou. I always kept busy with projects. On the family farm that was not hard to do.

As I got older classical music was a major source of helpful white noise.

The major issues did not show up/become issues until I was over 45 and "Society/my narrow minded boss" would not tolerate my idiosyncrasy.

Then with therapy I started to learn multiple coping mechanisms. (some of them can be found in the School House Rock ADISC group. I am also attempting to get the mods to help convert those threads into articles.
 
I've been diagnosed with depression caused by grief, anxiety and PTSD. The anxiety is the worst part because there's an overwhelming feeling of dread, like something terrible is going to happen. Sometimes when this happens, I take a nap and try to escape it by sleeping. This of course, isn't a very good solution. I'm a pianist, so I'll sometimes play and practice piano pieces. If the weather is nice, I'll go out for a walk.

I think the key is to do something that keeps you busy and your mind occupied with something else, even if it's reading a book or looking at something on Youtube.
 
What usually calms me down from panic attacks are my pacifiers and fidget cubes. When I get anxious the cube helps me when in public. I also have a chew-gem for when using a pacifier isn't a good idea in public.
 
The 4-7-8 breathing technique has helped me on occasion.

I have recently decided I want to try and focus on the positives in a day (no matter how small) to change my opinion on life.
 
I have been diagnosed with clinical depression if I remember right. My problem is I don't really have a way to relax. I can listen to music which can take my mind off of things. I am one of those who have a short attention span. I don't know why but I tend to start things and don't finish them because I lose interest. As much as I would like to be able to get into little space it is hard for me to do. I kinda have a Daddy but he is gone most of the time and I don't get little time with him. I kinda enjoy little time when I can figure out how to get there but again I have issues with sticking with something.
 
I suffer from anxiety from both my Autism and PTSD. Honestly I smoke cannabis for my anxiety (I’m also a med card holder) and I take sertraline pill my psychiatrist has me on the combination works but not all the time I still have meltdowns on the regular so it’s sort of a gamble I suppose
 
I have suffered from anxiety a number of times, and I would say I probably still do.

As for what to do about it, I really dont know.

Then again I am a complete mental mess at times, lately because of being off work for a week and a half (and that is just my work days, and I only am getting paid for Xmas Day and New Years Day) , combined with this crap with a debt collector.

This is the kinda stuff that can push me over the limit and make me feel terrible, yet there isn't anything I can do to actually help the situation other than to pay it off as quickly as I can and having had 1 full unpaid week off sure doesnt help.

So I am quietly suffering through a depression of sorts (I'm trying to relax, be happy, and enjoy the time off, but me thinking way too much about this stuff is just ruining it).
 
I have major anxiety problems. Not diagnosed. Insurance is difficult to get or keep these days even if I can afford it. Not going to waste time getting diagnosed anyways. I cope by having my toys or taking a drive in my 2019 mustang, or putting on a diaper. I'm also diagnosed with aspergers syndrome. Which is also a source of anxiety. Been having major issues lately when speaking in public, its really bad, it never has been this bad, don't know why.
 
I'm a little anxious, but it must come from the fact that I have been depressed in different degrees alternately for 10 years ... But my anxiety alone is not strong enough to prevent me to live, but the depression, the more the anxiety plus the not trust in me, plus my Hypersensitivity, it is another problem. But I work to fix what makes me depressed what should solve other problems
 
as far as i can see, knowing anxiety is a phantom and not real, that's a good doorway to get out of it. The keys are sometimes not easy to find but you're looking for them, which could focus on that instead of the anxiety. Also that might have been part of a subliminal motivation recording. It's very familiar but I don't recall ever hearing it.
 
I was diagnosed with ptsd bipolar and social anxiety disorder due to military. I have my good day and bad days playing my violin helps a lot when I can concentrate on the piece I’m playing, deep breathing, medication to control symptoms helps sometimes it knocks me out. Sometimes I just want to isolate and sleep not deal with people
 
Diagnosed anxiety disorder when I washed out of USAF basic at age 18 due to panic attack. Diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder age 22. Wearing diapers helps me focus a LOT. Like it's night and day. I use stim toys a lot at home and at work. Interestingly, being a software engineer is well-suited to the way my brain works. I'm great at solving large and complex problems and understanding intimately very complex systems. Many of the problems I model involve higher-order maths and I love that. Yet I can't add or subtract mentally. XD

Without the SSRIs I'm on, my anxiety takes over. I shout at people, get angry for no reason, have panic attacks, experience huge sensory overloads, etc. I would always need to know, e.g., where all the exits were in a building, what the fire alarm sounded like, where the hospitals in the area were, etc., etc. It was BAD. :(

But drugs, wife, and diapers all help with that.
 
I have GAD, depression and social fobia. First and foremost - seek professional help. Coping is good, but it is what it is - helps you cope, doesn't solve the problem. Therapy - both psychotherapy and farmacotherapy - are the way to go. Drugs help to get your life in order and get you to a better place. Psychotherapy helps you understand yourself, your problems and deal with them for good.

Keep in mind that not only the mental health issues play a part here, often a somatic ilness will give you or exasperate symptoms of psychological problems. Diabetes, thyroid over/underperforming, adrenal glands - usually the hormonal stuff. Regular blood check is sometimes all you need to find out there's an issue and get help.

Thus said, you can do a lot to help yourself in the moment. Distractions help, but you need to find something that works for you. I've found that to be music, I can immerse myself for a moment and get out feeling way better. If you're feeling overwhelmed by something you have to do - split it up into small tasks and organise them, helps me a lot when I have too much on my plate at work.

Finally, a happy place to go mentally worked surprisingly well for me, but I had to learn how to do it in therapy. Internet will just tell you to think about something nice, but it doesn't work that way and not in the moment of panic. Find out time when you're relaxed and think of a place - real or imagined - that makes you feel good. Concentrate on it, try to see as many details as you can. What is there, who are you with? Focus on what you hear, what you smell, what you feel. The more details and sensations you can gather, the better, as the brain will start to associate those with the feeling of relaxation. Spend some time on it every day and then when you're anxious - go back to this place. Now you associate it with being calm, so it'll help you get back there when you're anxious.
 
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