Tricks for coping with anxiety

[Peter]

I know exposure helps but when thought comes in your head.. what do you do? Try ignore it which makes ppl think about it more. Absorb thought or say some kind of thing to it or just knowledge it’s anxiety? Just wondering how ppl deal with this stuff as I’m new to forums

 

[janemariesayed]

I know exposure helps but when thought comes in your head.. what do you do? Try ignore it which makes ppl think about it more. Absorb thought or say some kind of thing to it or just knowledge it’s anxiety? Just wondering how ppl deal with this stuff as I’m new to forums

You are very welcome to this forum Peter. We are all a friendly bunch here. I get PTSD so I get random thoughts coming into my head and images that send my body into a frenzy. It is like I don't have control of my thoughts or bodily functions any more.
As soon as I get an image now, I have learned that 99% chance that it will turn into a panic attack. So immediately I take a deep breath. Hold it in and let it out slowly. I go and sit quietly, whatever I am doing, and go immediately into breathing exercises. After ten minutes or so I do feel better. Because I have learned to judge when panic is about to set in, I start to deal with it before it takes hold.

I have accepted my mental health as part of me. It is an illness. Yes, I am sick but I cope. I cope because I don't have to go out into the world and face the world with my disability.

 

[Kaynil]

Hi, Peter.

I deal with my anxiety by reassuring myself that nothing is really happening right now. Most of the time my fear is about what-ifs. So I try to imagine how I look outside my body. If I am sitting, standing or whatever. Many times I am doing little to nothing. Everything is calm. It is just my head being a storm but nothing is really going on.

Then I try to use my sense of smell and hearing to focus in trying to really feel myself in the room. I use my hands to feel the different textures and focusing in that usually helps.

 

[Kimberly Hunt]

Hi Peter,
Your brain can't process more than one thought at a time. So the key is to think positive. It is hard as hell and I know because I suffer from it, however, if you focus on one thing at a time and concentrate on good thoughts you can stop the negative thoughts. Writing them down is always a sure thing to make this happen because it requires thought and an act of writing.
Also breathing is immensely key to calming that storm in your brain. Your body tends to immediately relax when you concentrate on your breathing. You may still feel physical symptoms but your body will slow the heart to give you that moment of changing your thoughts. And when it is really tough to calm down, sometimes I yell at myself and talk to myself and yes I have had conversations with myself, because I need it!! I need that neurotic side to cope and get me to see, this too shall pass and I will get through it. Or you could have someone help you if you have that.
You gotta do what you gotta do to be better even if those things seem silly and weird.