Advice?

[wonder101]

Hi everyone,

I just signed up on a complete whim. I've struggled with anxiety for the last three years. Recently, I've had a bit of a blip/relapse, and my doctor wants me to go back to therapy. I don't know if I can/have it in me to go through it again. Hence why I signed up here, i'd rather someone who gets it help me.

I just need some advice on how to handle social situations and handle the thoughts I have late at night that interfere with my sleep, because they are the only two triggers I can think of that have made me feel this on edge again.

Any advice / pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Love, wonder101 xx

[martin05]

Hi Wonder,

What type of therapy did you do?

[wonder101]

Hi Martin05.

I had CBT around 4 years ago. I really struggle with talking openly about my feelings.

Wonder x

[Kirk]

There is nothing to be ashamed of if you had CBT; especially if it helped you.

[wonder101]

It's not that I am ashamed, I just don't know if I can do it again. It was really tough. I just feel like all I need is tips to help me manage it better, because I can identify triggers and I know where my anxiety stems from. Do you have any pointers?

Wonder x

[gypsylee]

Hi and welcome :)

I was in a pretty full-on car accident a week ago (miraculously there was barely a scratch on me). Now when I have anxiety I think “I am here” and tell myself all the stuff in my head is just NOISE - most of it completely unnecessary. It’s pretty much my version of Mindfulness.

Knowing where your anxiety stems from is very useful. I do as well, and I use it to get perspective on things.

This forum itself can be very helpful as well.

All the best,
Gypsy x

[wonder101]

Hi Gypsy,

I'm glad you're okay!

I'm finding this forum useful already and it hasn't even been a full 24 hours yet. Just having people understand and respond to you makes me feel a tonne better already. I think if I tell my doctor i've joined a forum she'll be a bit happier with me since I doubt I am going to go down the therapy route.

One question. How do you put it into perspective? I always try but I feel like the anxiety side of my brain always wins and tells me that it is the right thing to listen to, not the more-sensible part of my brain.

Thanks for the pointers, I'll definitely try the 'I am here' technique.

Wonder x

[gypsylee]

Well see my anxiety comes from my mother without a doubt. So when I say I put things in perspective I mean I try and think about things the way a non-anxious person would.

For example, today I have to go to this place that deals with car registration, licencing etc and I’m quite anxious. But that’s because I think like my mother. A person without anxiety disorder would just go, without all the thoughts about what might go wrong. It’s similar to CBT I think.

Here’s a good example: They open at 8:30am and I just realised I’m thinking I have to be there at 8:30! That’s my mother talking and I don’t have to be there when they open at all!

[wonder101]

See my mum has anxiety too. I've always been a bit of a worrier since I was a kid. I can understand that whole coming from your mother thing as their tendencies are obviously engraved in you in some way, but now I'm an adult I have my own type of strain that she can't always relate to.

Thanks for the advice Gypsy, it really means a lot, you've helped more than you probably realise! x

[MainerMikeBrown]

Wonder101, it's ultimately up to you when it comes to deciding whether to go back into therapy or not. Others can suggest that you should or shouldn't go back to seeing a therapist. But only you can make the decision because this is your life, not their's.

In the past, I worked with a mental health worker who kept ramming his opinion down my throat about he thought that I should go back into therapy at the time. But in the end, the choice was up to me, not him.

[gypsylee]

See my mum has anxiety too. I've always been a bit of a worrier since I was a kid. I can understand that whole coming from your mother thing as their tendencies are obviously engraved in you in some way, but now I'm an adult I have my own type of strain that she can't always relate to.

Thanks for the advice Gypsy, it really means a lot, you've helped more than you probably realise! x

You’re welcome! I went and did the registration thing and of course it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Then I went for a long walk, which was quite good.

My mother actually gives me the creeps with how stressed she is.

[TAJO11]

I have some relaxation/mediation apps on my phone that I listen to when I go to sleep. They do help relax me, and they also help keep my mind engaged in something other than my worries. :)

[MEmily1105]

Alot of people think they dont need other people to tell them whats wrong with them but sometimes having a stranger listen and tell you what they think ends up being a really good thing. It helps you think of things you never really thought through before.