Acceptance - this is the best one but I have not mastered it and I am better at in some situations rather than others. I do find though that if the symptom/feeling does not go away straight away I start to get agitated!!! So I guess I need to work on patience too!!!

Avoidance - The first thing I did which made it 10 times worse!!!! It caused me to be depressed and slightly agoraphobic! Not a good option!!!!

Music - I love this one. I put on music to occupy my my mind and I find it lifts my mood if I put on the right song!

Positive Self talk - I try to give myself a peep talk and amp myself up telling myself I am not letting this get the better of me.

Exercise - Although at times I can be slack this is a great relief.

Being grateful for the little things - Very early on I started to enjoy all the little things and allowed myself to feel the good feelings even if it was feeling the water on my back in the shower. I used my daughter - every time she smiled at me - things like that.

Keeping busy - This seems to work as long as I balance it with rest otherwise I find myself running round like a headless chicken.

Medication - I really was anti medication and I only take 20mg fluox a day but I do believe this has helped although for me I would like to be able to come off it!

I would be really interested to see what other people have tried.

Hi
What I do when things get rough is I try to do everything I would normally do, telling myself that it's not dangerous and will be ok.
It has worked well in ther past, making me get back to normal in days to weeks. This is what I am doing right now.
Last times anxiety returned tough I was on medication and I have stopped taking them becasue I want to have a baby. The pill I took could have been harmfull. I'm trying hard not to take anything and deal naturally this time. My doctor recomanded another pill which would not harm a pregnancy, but the side effects list is terrifying, so I'd rather not venture. Is this avoidance? Not trying something that could be good or bad?
I don't know. I don't want to become someone else or feel numb either. I am also afraid of the health hasard this new medecine could bring. Thank you internet for your boundless information!
Anyways...

I keep busy and see friends. It's hard to believe, but unless you tell them, most people won't notice your anxiety. That is a fact I have been witness to. Unless you tell, no one will. It's a secret.

I practice yoga. It's a great way to get your mind off things that loop in your head.

I try to make sure I eat well. I feel no hunger while anxious so I have to make sure I eat good food.

I have a psychologist. I only see her when anxious, which is a few weeks at a time between months of being ok. Having someone you can talk to about anything and who doesn't judge while offering helpfull advice is amazing. It's not free tough, and you need to have a person you trust and get along with. They are people too so you might have to shop around. I was lucky.

Do nice things for others. it takes your mind off yourself and makes people smile.

I have tried accuponcture and was terrified of the effect. My partner encourages me to try again with someone else as this has helped him a lot with muscle aches and stress. I guess I could try another time. I'm already anxious this time so it would not make me go into panic.

I also try to not go in forums (irony!) because others are not me. Thier experience is often very different from mine. I'm doing an exception here because this is a new one and I think Paul is a good ressource. Unless we, the anxious posters, make this about absolute warnings of doom and group paranoia, we should be fine.
Take care!

Hi Mel!
Well, I was ok for 2 weeks off the meds but now I'm here so , not doing too awesome. I have had relaspses in the past while on it, so I'm trying to stand my ground and keep away for the drugs.
I was on Paxil, which is not recomanded while pregnant. There might be risks of heart malformation. (1% in average population, 2% in Paxil users). So in a way, what is happening is good; I'm off something that could have been bad. I know the incidence is still very low, but better be safe if possible.
My doctor is encouraging me to try another medication which is safe during pregnancy, like I mentioned before. I'm scared of the outcomes. What if it doesn't work? What if I become a zombie without emotions? What if I have one or many of the rare side effects, like crippling mania, which is worst than anxiety, I'm sure?
The eternal hamster wheel of worry. Gotta stop that thing. Hamster is tired.
😛
Here, I'm going to apply some coping techniques right here.

Worry: I am afraid that taking another med will be harmful to me.
Rationalisation: Many people are helped by it. The side effects are very rare. I took something else and didn't have adverse side effects other than discontinuation symptoms and a little weight gain. I won't know until I try.
Nothing is magic. But trying to be objective helps even if you only half belive it.

Worry: I am afraid that taking another med will be harmful to me.
Rationalisation: Many people are helped by it. The side effects are very rare. I took something else and didn't have adverse side effects other than discontinuation symptoms and a little weight gain. I won't know until I try.
Nothing is magic. But trying to be objective helps even if you only half belive it.

Absolutely love this quote Sarah! This is the reality of what has to be internalized, the challenge is finding an effective way of doing that. I think it's different for everyone but it can be done!

Hi everyone 🙂

I practice meditation a lot. I've downloaded heaps of free podcasts on meditation and they're great. I plug in mostly at night time and sometimes in the morning.

I also practice mindfulness. Sometimes I'm better at this than other times.

I've discovered something called EFT tapping - and I'm finding this really useful. There's a lot of information online as well as some good YouTube clips. Don't be caught out by having to purchase anything cos there's loads of free information. Basically, EFT is where you "tap" on certain meridian points of your body (like acupuncture) to slow down and ultimately stop the anxiety effect. I'm finding it a very powerful tool.

I practise alternate nostril breathing (a type of yoga breathing) as well as really using deep breathing. This is something I try to incorporate into meditation.

I try to keep a journal - I find that when I look back at past months, my entries regarding what I've been worried about show similarities - and in terms of symptoms it helps me keep track. My symptoms are ALL over the place. Vast and varied. So I get reassurance from reading past entries.

I try to exercise weekly - but I'm no lover of exercise unfortunately, so it doesn't come easily. Some weeks better than others :p
In having said that, sometimes exercise triggers anxiety for me, so I can tend to avoid it 🙁

Hope that helps
Bobbie