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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Spriggy on July 5, 2005, at 18:29:49
I wake up in the morning with this horrible anxiety- it seems to "settle" in my chest. I don't know if that makes any sense but that's where I tend to feel it the most.
It was once in my stomach- it's moving up. Pretty soon it will be in my ears. ROFL
Anyway, is there anything I can DO to decrease anxiety. I exercise, I eat pretty healthy, I pray,I take supplements, yadda yadda yadda.
But is there a technique? I've read some things on CBT and am going through a book right now. So far it hasn't been so helpful.
I feel like I have a huge amount of nervous energy.. my mind races constantly. It is so annoying.
Any thoughts?
Posted by Tamar on July 5, 2005, at 18:55:54
In reply to anything to help with anxiety (other than meds)??, posted by Spriggy on July 5, 2005, at 18:29:49
> I feel like I have a huge amount of nervous energy.. my mind races constantly. It is so annoying.
>
> Any thoughts?Are you getting enough sleep? Lack of sleep could make you anxious. It sounds as if you have a lot going on, so sleep could be a crucial factor.
Tamar
Posted by Shortelise on July 6, 2005, at 1:07:11
In reply to Re: anything to help with anxiety (other than meds)?? » Spriggy, posted by Tamar on July 5, 2005, at 18:55:54
Yes, supplements might help.
If you go to the withdrawal page and read what Rabble Rouser has written you might find some help. I am about to embark on supplements.
Also, exercise early in the day, not after about 4 in the afteroon.
Also, if you can sit with the anxiety, find where it is in your body (you've done that!) and think about it, ask it where it comes from, what it's about, what the fear is.
The thing I find about anxiety is that it kind of picks up speed - it starts with something small and then gather momentum, and ends up being a big huge ball in my chest instead of a tiny one that maybe I could have dealt with if I hadn't ignored it when it started. Ignoring it, for me, is avoidance.
I feel for you. Anxiety is poison.
ShortE
Posted by Shortelise on July 6, 2005, at 1:07:47
In reply to Re: anything to help with anxiety (other than meds)?? » Tamar, posted by Shortelise on July 6, 2005, at 1:07:11
Posted by Racer on July 10, 2005, at 15:00:50
In reply to anything to help with anxiety (other than meds)??, posted by Spriggy on July 5, 2005, at 18:29:49
Well, not sure how helpful this will be, but here are a couple of things that help me, non-med things that is.
1. Checking my breathing: if necessary, I count during my breaths, "in-two-three-four, out-two-three-four", which really helps me make sure I'm really breathing. It also helps slow my breathing, which helps with relaxation.
2. This sounds nuts -- what? You're on psycho-babble, right? You expect me to be nuts, right? -- but making sure my hip angle is open helps a lot for me. Think about the angle between your thigh-bone and your spine, and open it out, so that it's as straight as it can be. In fact, before you think that I'm just loopy, stand up and try an experiment: first, close your hip angle, by bending at your hips -- feel yourself kinda tensing up? Now open it back up -- feel the relaxation starting a bit? Now try to open that angle when you've got your tummy muscles tensed. AHA! Can't do it, can you? I rest my case...
3. Stretching. Lots of stretches, just because they feel good, and because it helps you to learn to relax your muscles.
I hope those help.
Another thing I sometimes do is give myself a pep-talk/lecture: "OK, so you're tense. Why are you tense? What do you think is going to happen? And if that does happen, what can you do about it? Now what would happen if what you're afraid of DOESN'T happen?" etc. You know, right?
Good luck, and let us know what works for you, 'K? Maybe it'll be good for us, too...
Posted by Dinah on July 11, 2005, at 22:22:53
In reply to anything to help with anxiety (other than meds)??, posted by Spriggy on July 5, 2005, at 18:29:49
CBT is really good for anxiety.
And if there's anyplace near you that offers it, biofeedback was also very helpful for me.
There is something really powerful about seeing all your vital statistics up on a screen and being able to manipulate them.
This is the end of the thread.
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