Coping with anxiety - tips?

FBaby

I think the first thing to accept is that there is no miracle cure, one treatment that will make it go away. The treatment (medication/CBT etc...) will help you to learn the ways to cope with it, and then hopefully to let it go. Your anxiety seems very similar to a phobia, except yours in generalised.

I understand your found your old GP useless, and indeed, even though being told to stop worrying is a totally pointless, some of what he said might not be totally stupid. The thing is everyone is different and therefore what works for one won't forcibly work for another. You need to find what does for you.

What works for me seems random, but it really does it....and that's being extremely busy to the point of exhaustion. When I'm totally fatigue, I just don't have the energy to worry any longer! I learnt that worrying was using my mental energy in a negative way. I can't make me stop thinking, so instead, I put myself in situations where I have to think a lot about other things. One thing that works well for me is sport, but as a whole just being very busy (which does go back a bit to what your first GP was saying). The absolute worse thing to do for me when I get anxious is be left alone with my thoughts so however much I just want to crawl in a hole when it overtakes me, I make myself go out and keep busy.

As said though, this is only a suggestion as what works for one can make it worse for someone else.

cashewnut

Are you asthmatic? You should NOT be on propranolol with asthma. If it was me I would stop taking them immediately and get hold of my GP.

cashewnut

Huskyrunner wrote: »

whatever meds your gp has you on do not stop them they can take a long time too work. I know it well the bad sides of meds

Pm me Rev if you need help Rev someone too chat with i know exactly what the dark times of anxiety are like

But the OP cannot breathe properly! I think that's a good reason to stop taking a medicine.

Jagraf

FBaby wrote: »

I think the first thing to accept is that there is no miracle cure, one treatment that will make it go away. The treatment (medication/CBT etc...) will help you to learn the ways to cope with it, and then hopefully to let it go. Your anxiety seems very similar to a phobia, except yours in generalised.

I understand your found your old GP useless, and indeed, even though being told to stop worrying is a totally pointless, some of what he said might not be totally stupid. The thing is everyone is different and therefore what works for one won't forcibly work for another. You need to find what does for you.

What works for me seems random, but it really does it....and that's being extremely busy to the point of exhaustion. When I'm totally fatigue, I just don't have the energy to worry any longer! I learnt that worrying was using my mental energy in a negative way. I can't make me stop thinking, so instead, I put myself in situations where I have to think a lot about other things. One thing that works well for me is sport, but as a whole just being very busy (which does go back a bit to what your first GP was saying). The absolute worse thing to do for me when I get anxious is be left alone with my thoughts so however much I just want to crawl in a hole when it overtakes me, I make myself go out and keep busy.

As said though, this is only a suggestion as what works for one can make it worse for someone else.

I am the same. I suffer from anxiety when there is a space in my brain. If I fill it with work, exercise, furthering my education and the company of positive people etc it gets so much better. It's like recycling / channelling all that energy.

missbiggles1

cashewnut wrote: »

But the OP cannot breathe properly! I think that's a good reason to stop taking a medicine.

There's stopping under medical supervision, perhaps gradually, and then there's just stopping dead on your own. The second option is often inadvisable.

Rev

Thanks for the replies.

No, I don't have asthma thankfully.

My brain never seems to shut off no matter what I do. Not working probably doesn't help.

I'm also extremely good at putting on a face and pretending everything is absolutely fine.

But the longer it goes on the worse it gets and I genuinely feel now that it's taken over my life. I can't sleep. I barely eat. All I do is worry.

tiger_eyes

Is it for health reasons that you're not working? Do you live alone? Anything you can do to keep busy? Your anxiety sounds quite severe and given your existing depression, plus your unemployment, which can have a major impact on mental health, and not leaving the house, the situation sounds pretty worrying. 16 weeks is a long wait for CBT. You know you can talk to the Samaritans any time of the day or night, right?

Rev

tiger_eyes wrote: »

Is it for health reasons that you're not working? Do you live alone? Anything you can do to keep busy? Your anxiety sounds quite severe and given your existing depression, plus your unemployment, which can have a major impact on mental health, and not leaving the house, the situation sounds pretty worrying. 16 weeks is a long wait for CBT. You know you can talk to the Samaritans any time of the day or night, right?

Yes for health reasons. Both mental and physical.

Sorry, I do leave the house the example I have was just one of how my mind works. That has happened but it doesn't happen every time I try to leave the house. That's not to say I don't worry, I do, I worry when I'm out just as much as I worry when I'm in.

I've lost all interest in hobbies I used to have. I can't seem to concentrate on anything at all.

I know about the Samaritans. But have never contacted them.

I did attempt suicide just over a year ago. But came to my senses and called for help, at that point I just didn't care. I just wanted the never ending sadness and worry to stop. I just wanted to be with my mum.

Now I at least want to get better. Strange as it sounds I see that as an improvement. I want to get better now. I want to get back to being 'normal' and get a job etc.

It's hard for me to admit things like that. As I said. I'm very good at painting on a face and acting like everything is normal.

tomtontom

cashewnut wrote: »

Are you asthmatic? You should NOT be on propranolol with asthma. If it was me I would stop taking them immediately and get hold of my GP.

This is really important. Propanolol can be very dangerous where there are breathing difficulties (diagnosed or not). Please speak to a pharmacist (preferably) or call 111 today - they may say there is nothing to worry about, but it is too important to leave it until tomorrow.

Rev

tomtontom wrote: »

This is really important. Propanolol can be very dangerous where there are breathing difficulties (diagnosed or not). Please speak to a pharmacist (preferably) or call 111 today - they may say there is nothing to worry about, but it is too important to leave it until tomorrow.

I didn't know that. I've no diagnosed breathing difficulties but will give the pharmacist a call today and see what they say.