Why do I keep doing things that make me anxious?

[Wilber187]

Hi. I love calmness and yet I keep putting myself into stressful situations, taking legal stimulants, smoking e-cigarettes and drinking coffee & alcohol, all of which make me feel physically and emotionally anxious. I'm pretty balanced in other ways so I just can't figure out why I keep doing it. I really want to stop , it makes my life feel out of control at times. If anyone has any ideas, similar compulsions or any questions to narrow this down I would be really grateful, I want to break this awful cycle that has been going on for years.

Wilber

[Anne1221]

You might need to see a therapist for this. These things you're doing, I think, are a little bit of an escape and helping you deal with something or avoid something. There might be some anxiety under the surface and you deal with that by doing these things. You need to learn healthy alternatives to replace the unhealthy things you're doing. I did some research last night on exercise and anxiety and I was amazed at how important that is.