The rubber band is a trick I use sometimes. It's not really accepting, but it helps stopping the repetitive toughts.
I find that education is a double edge sword. There is way too much information and not all of it is accurate. That is quite perplexing. I noticed also a lot of websites that claim to stop anxiety if you buy their CD or expensive program. I think thoses are mostly stuff we already know. No secret breathing techniques or specific ways to stretch will ''cure'' us. I find them insulting almost in their claim.

A good way also if you can afford it, get counseling. Not all of them are the same. You may have to shop around. But some are amazing. I found someone really special. She is a psychologist, almost my age and can relate to me really well. She's compasionate and gives me an objective view of my issues.

Also, for acceptance, there is meditation. I didn't think much of it at first, not thinking it scietific, but the more I do it the more I get it.
There is a website that was shared on the AG blog a while back that has a whole bunch of free guided meditations. It's not at all wierd. Although I'm a very emotional person, I am also a frim believer in science and not very much into anything mystic or religious. These are just relaxing and easy to listen to, nothing that tells you your gardian angel is your healer or anything strange.
There is one about chackras, but I didn't listen to it.
If you are like me and think meditation is hard because you keep thinking about other stuff, try a few of these. The calming voice and music will guide you and teach you how to meditate even just a little.
http://www.meditationoasis.com/podcast/listen-to-podcast/

Hey Folks,

I wanted to add what has helped me cope with my anxiety these last few years: books. There are alot of self-help books out there, but I will list the ones that have helped me along this tumultuous yet life-changing path. I hope one of these books will help you take a "significant" step towards reaching your "a-ha" moment. Here goes:

"Full Catastrophe Living" by Jon Kabat-Zinn - Don't let the title scare you. He will explain it in the book

"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl - Just read it and I know you'll look at your life differently. I sure did...

"Find Inner Peace in Thirty Seconds" by Andrew Daley - Motivating book to say the least

"From Panic to Power" by Lucinda Bassett - This was one of the first books I read, and it made me understand that others were going through the same thing I was. I started to believe I was going to get better once I read it.

"The Feeling Good Handbook" by Dr. David Burns - The day I was diagnosed with GAD, I went home, punched in "anxiety disorder treatment", and found this book. I went to Barnes and Noble that same night and bought it. I did the program, and it surely improved my anxiety. The problem? I stopped plain and simple. Big mistake, and I did pick it back up later on. A good starting point if you want to get off the meds and just go "naturale"...

Lastly, the two books Paul has put out; "The Big Idea" and "How to Stop Anxious Thinking". I have them at my disposal if I ever need a pick me up (and a voice of reason since he has experienced alot that we all have.)

Bottom line is with all these books, you have to believe in what they say. If the books ask you to do something, say an exercise, DO IT!!!! Actions speak louder than words. Trust me, I know. I always felt that by getting angry, irritated, and "not doing", my anxiety would go away. Of course it didn't. Invest some time and effort and put in the work (i.e. meditating, yoga, or simple breathing techniques) and you will get better. Again, I should know because I still complain every once in a while when I have a bad day. I stop and think and ask myself "What have I done lately in regards to my anxiety." My answer? Nothing. So, I take a deep breath and focus on what I'm going to do. Whatever it is, it makes me feel better. Go figure...

As always, keep up the good work everyone. We are one day closer to our recovery.

Until then, peace and calm,
Arturo

Are there other coping skills anyone can think of? After my last setback, all I could do was rely on Lorazepam, making videos, and getting on this site. I think I blew up Paul's email for a couple of weeks, but he was very receptive.

What I did relaize is that I inundated myself with too much info. Yes, too much is better than too litte but in my case, when I feel an anxiety-related sensation, I scan my mind for some relief. It sucks because the scanning does cause anxiety in me. I get desperate because I sometimes can't find the right coping skills. Breathing, self talk, music, quotes, etc. It can get overwhelming at times. I wish I could just have that one go-to skill that would minimize the anxiety.

Still coping, still trying, still persevering through this journey. It's bumpy but the light is shining bright at the end of the tunnel.

Peace and calm.

Quote from Nish on March 24, 2013, 05:49
Learning about how the body really works - preparing for nursing school was one of the best things I did for managing anxiety. This left less space for my anxious thoughts to fill in the gaps of how things work, leaving me feeling scared and out of control. The body WANTS to live and despite feeling like crap when anxiety hits, your body is actually in survival mode. Cuh-razy! LOL

I really like what you said about the body actually wanting to survive and stay alive even when it seems to be doing things that are counter productive to that. I really love that insight so much. Thanks for sharing