Anxiety distractions?

[FK123]

Hey everyone,
I'm dying for an effective distraction from my HA. I keep myself very busy, have made some big lifestyle changes (regular workouts and cutting down cigarettes) but as soon as I'm alone and in bed my mind starts racing. Any tips for how to keep my mind off it during these times?? Think I may have to go annoy my doctor again for some reassurance- albeit a temporary solution!
God this anxiety thing is a draaaaag.

[NixonRulz]

Hi, Fk

Welcome

When I got my health anxiety beat, it was all about not reacting to the thoughts and physical symptoms I would get

That s easier said than done I know

But if you get the same fears from the same symptoms and thoughts yet nothing happens, I guess you're bound to stop buying in to the lies

[rhar]

Hi, Fk Welcome When I got my health anxiety beat, it was all about not reacting to the thoughts and physical symptoms I would get That s easier said than done I know But if you get the same fears from the same symptoms and thoughts yet nothing happens, I guess you're bound to stop buying in to the lies

Nixon can I ask what your symptoms were?

[NixonRulz]

I was most scared of anything heart and cancer related

Heart because it was more acute and a swifter death

Healt palpitations, horrible stomach issues, tightness in chest, shortness of breath, cold fingers and feet, intrusive thoughts, depersonalization

[rhar]

I was most scared of anything heart and cancer related Heart because it was more acute and a swifter death Healt palpitations, horrible stomach issues, tightness in chest, shortness of breath, cold fingers and feet, intrusive thoughts, depersonalization

And how did u beat it??

[FK123]

Thanks Nixon for your advice. I do try my best to avoid reacting to the symptoms themselves...I'm coming to accept that they must just be anxiety-induced, my problem is that they are still very real and annoying! Mine has all manifested as a constant pressure in my face with slight tingling. I'm just becoming obsessed with getting rid of it, I spend far too much time/energy/thought on it, even I'M getting bored of talking about it, would love for it to just go away!

[Dahila]

Close your eyes and look at your thoughts, then gently move your hand and move it out of your sight, replace it with some affirmation. Mantra is fantastic when you need to react to the anxiety, :)) try it;)

[jessed03]

You know what, in your case, I've gotta agree with Nixon and Dahila.

Reassurance will be cool, but it'll be like salt water to you. It won't be long before you're needing more.

Your fight or flight reaction right now seems to be based solely around health issues, right? That's pretty normal, that's keeping anxiety alive, those worries.

So to get better, you need to turn that off. You need to turn off your fight or flight reaction, and that means reducing the intensity of your fears. Common sense huh lol. Your amygdala (part of your brain responsible for anxiety) stimulation seems to be kept alive by fears, worries, doubts etc surrounding your health. Sooo you get some reassurance, and the thoughts stop a little, and there's less stimulation. But they come back, and the problem opens up all over again.

The only way to beat this for good, is to become completely comfortable, accepting and at peace with the thoughts, the bombardment and the ideas that you get hit with. Again, that's kinda common sense right, but this is the answer to your problem.

When you've accepted them enough times, there will no longer be any amygdala stimulation, as it wouldn't be necessary... At this point, you are anxiety free.

You need to be swept away by your worries, whilst remaining in the same spot.. You need to let them wash over you, whilst giving them permission to, so you can see them clearly. Cos right now they're forever being pushed away, and you're fighting a shadow - and you can never beat a shadow.

Let them come, invite them to come, so you can do your therapy on them, In this way.

For 10 mins a day, start this way. Lie silently focus on one thing ; your breathing, sounds, a mantra being repeated in your head...

This will be calming, and the calm will encourage them to come..

You'll gain some calm... But, they'll poke their heads around at some point. They'll pay you a visit and the types of thoughts that cause you problems will arise. It's at this point you've gotta just submit, and let them arise as they will. Let them be there unchallenged. And you just watch them. And you get comfortable being there with them. Get comfortable sitting in the same spot with them, and with the tension and adrenaline they bring.
They may stay for the whole 10mins... That's ok. You'll be half focused on something else, so the anxiety won't be as intense. This will be first time in your life you get a look at your problem. Never before will you sit so closely to your anxiety, never before will you look at it face to face.

And you realize it's not very scary. Infact, after several times of doing this, less adrenaline becomes present, and less of your participation is happening. Fight or flight is inevitably decreasing.

This sounds easy right? That's the problem. It's too easy. We've over complicated it to a degree we can't see how simple it really is.

After a couple months of doing this, amygdala stimulation is significantly reducing.

After however long it may take... You'll find you aren't scared at all anymore, and live very peacefully.

This is gonna help you so so so much. It will probably give you relief like you haven't had yet.

This is a good place to begin, you can slowly begin to take it deeper and deeper as your comfort level grows

You can be anxiety free pretty quickly doing this, and I don't throw that term around lightly.

I'm on Skype if you ever need help with it. It rarely works the first few times unfortunately, it takes some tinkering.

Thanks for reading this long ass post.

...

...

Nixon.. You know ;)

[NixonRulz]

Like most here who've recovered, simply being fed up believing the false bullshit that anxiety was always asking me to focus on

Instead of reacting to the thoughts and symptoms, I learned to say to myself that it was my anxiety feeling that and not me

I separated the anxiety from me and started treating it like something not welcomed or wanted

I accepted it was part of me but didn't accept that it defined me

I do get the thoughts and symptoms occasionally but I don't pay it any mind

Beating anxiety is not getting it to just go away and stop

It's not what you think but how you react to those thoughts that pop in your head

I think you end up just stripping the anxious symptoms of its power

[FK123]

Nixon & Jesse thanks for taking the time to answer a question which has probably been asked many times before on this site. I dont post that often but have found this forum so helpful when I see the similarities that arise in so many of our anxiety issues. It makes me realize that you are certainly right anxiety is not a part nor does it define me, as it seems to plague everyone in the same set of potential ways. At this point I feel like my brain has essentially forgotten its relax reflex if that makes any sense. Long-gone are the worry/stress-free days!

[NixonRulz]

You know what, in your case, I've gotta agree with Nixon and Dahila. Reassurance will be cool, but it'll be like salt water to you. It won't be long before you're needing more. Your fight or flight reaction right now seems to be based solely around health issues, right? That's pretty normal, that's keeping anxiety alive, those worries. So to get better, you need to turn that off. You need to turn off your fight or flight reaction, and that means reducing the intensity of your fears. Common sense huh lol. Your amygdala (part of your brain responsible for anxiety) stimulation seems to be kept alive by fears, worries, doubts etc surrounding your health. Sooo you get some reassurance, and the thoughts stop a little, and there's less stimulation. But they come back, and the problem opens up all over again. The only way to beat this for good, is to become completely comfortable, accepting and at peace with the thoughts, the bombardment and the ideas that you get hit with. Again, that's kinda common sense right, but this is the answer to your problem. When you've accepted them enough times, there will no longer be any amygdala stimulation, as it wouldn't be necessary... At this point, you are anxiety free. You need to be swept away by your worries, whilst remaining in the same spot.. You need to let them wash over you, whilst giving them permission to, so you can see them clearly. Cos right now they're forever being pushed away, and you're fighting a shadow - and you can never beat a shadow. Let them come, invite them to come, so you can do your therapy on them, In this way. For 10 mins a day, start this way. Lie silently focus on one thing ; your breathing, sounds, a mantra being repeated in your head... This will be calming, and the calm will encourage them to come.. You'll gain some calm... But, they'll poke their heads around at some point. They'll pay you a visit and the types of thoughts that cause you problems will arise. It's at this point you've gotta just submit, and let them arise as they will. Let them be there unchallenged. And you just watch them. And you get comfortable being there with them. Get comfortable sitting in the same spot with them, and with the tension and adrenaline they bring. They may stay for the whole 10mins... That's ok. You'll be half focused on something else, so the anxiety won't be as intense. This will be first time in your life you get a look at your problem. Never before will you sit so closely to your anxiety, never before will you look at it face to face. And you realize it's not very scary. Infact, after several times of doing this, less adrenaline becomes present, and less of your participation is happening. Fight or flight is inevitably decreasing. This sounds easy right? That's the problem. It's too easy. We've over complicated it to a degree we can't see how simple it really is. After a couple months of doing this, amygdala stimulation is significantly reducing. After however long it may take... You'll find you aren't scared at all anymore, and live very peacefully. This is gonna help you so so so much. It will probably give you relief like you haven't had yet. This is a good place to begin, you can slowly begin to take it deeper and deeper as your comfort level grows You can be anxiety free pretty quickly doing this, and I don't throw that term around lightly. I'm on Skype if you ever need help with it. It rarely works the first few times unfortunately, it takes some tinkering. Thanks for reading this long ass post. ... ... Nixon.. You know ;)

This is a great post, Jesse

And it's cool that you always offer Skype

I know you have helped many people this way

Someday, when I am a little less stupid with technology, I will try this whole Skype thing

[FK123]

Toshtao thats the million dollar question!! Recently my fear is not of death but more of living life with some sort of degenerative disease that leaves me unable to properly function but still having full mental capacity. A year ago my fear was of spaces which I felt I could not leave if I wanted to (exams, appointments, the subway)...only thing I can link between the two is a phobia of being trapped or something along those lines? Who knows, hopefully my therapist I recently started seeing understands me better than I do :o
How about you, where did your fears lie?

[NixonRulz]

Toshtao thats the million dollar question!! Recently my fear is not of death but more of living life with some sort of degenerative disease that leaves me unable to properly function but still having full mental capacity. A year ago my fear was of spaces which I felt I could not leave if I wanted to (exams, appointments, the subway)...only thing I can link between the two is a phobia of being trapped or something along those lines? Who knows, hopefully my therapist I recently started seeing understands me better than I do :o How about you, where did your fears lie?

My fearS lied in a quick death from my heart blowing up l

Funny, how much time I focused on the negative of my heart, that bitch just kept a beatin

What a loyal friend my heart is, huh? : )

[FK123]

My fearS lied in a quick death from my heart blowing up l

Funny, how much time I focused on the negative of my heart, that bitch just kept a beatin

What a loyal friend my heart is, huh? : )

Ahhh yes, your heart and you sound like you get on like an old married couple! Haha heart attack seems like such a breezy way to go, well at least its quick.....Someone help me before I turn this into a morbid conversation!

[NixonRulz]

Ahhh yes, your heart and you sound like you get on like an old married couple! Haha heart attack seems like such a breezy way to go, well at least its quick.....Someone help me before I turn this into a morbid conversation!.

You're funny

You'll fit in here with the rest of the freaks just fine

[jessed03]

My fearS lied in a quick death from my heart blowing up l

Funny, how much time I focused on the negative of my heart, that bitch just kept a beatin

What a loyal friend my heart is, huh? : )

Heart anxiety, just heart anxiety? I didn't think you'd be that boring ;)

Jk, heart anxiety is a bitch, the way you learnt to tackle it is such a legit method. I sort of have one anxiety phobia I can't yet face... Public speaking. I may try and welcome public speaking anxiety and make a fool of myself. Just for the fun of it!

Hopefully if it beats 260bpm I won't develop heart anxiety, but if I do, I'll know how to kick it's ass man!

[FK123]

Public speaking is a big one! I developed public speaking fears once I started at my university...I guess being among other people at/above my standard really put the pressure on. Funny thing is, I wasnt even aware I would be so scared until I got up there! I really recommend facing it if you ever have a chance. It was one of the most painful things, by the end I was speaking so fast no one could understand a word I was saying and I had distorted my body into a very bizarre hunched, tangled mess (maybe the beginning of my MS fears haha?) BUT just getting through it, despite the poor performance was so rewarding! Not to mention very amusing for my audience I imagine.
And toshtao my therapist is great, no med suggestions in our first 3 meetings. We are both massive animal lovers so maybe I'm a little biased, but she's a keeper for sure!