Worked Up & Set Off

[Razzle]

I have a friend who has had several years of very bad anxiety who called last night. She had had a very severe day and was frantic - but I could see her working herself up into a meltdown.

Every thing was negative: nothing I do works - I have been sick too long to recover - no one is as bad as I am - I wont sleep again tonight and so on.

I tried to talk her down and could not - she called again this morning. Up all night pacing and driving her car around and she was a total mess this morning.

As I watched her I know I have probably done this and wondered how many of us can fan our flames into a meltdown with our words and thoughts. I am trying to learn from what I saw her doing.

Anyone else aware that they have taken themselves down like this ????

[anxiousmess]

i self destruct quite often if i'm honest! im fully aware that i am doing it at times(not always) - yet during it , i can't seem to do anything about it.
it feels as if somebody else has control over my thoughts and i just need to process it - only find it impossible. i hope that makes sense

[Razzle]

It is because we go into our primitive limbic system just like a child having a tantrum and once there it is hard to stop - it can own us even though it is very self destructive

[vonnhelsing]

Anxiety really does have a way of putting a grip on our lives. When you have it for a very long time it brainwashes us into thinking that we're beyond salvation. What you need to do is fight back and keep telling yourself that you're okay and everything will be fine. Your brain needs to believe that for anxiety to stop having a hold over our lives. your friend telling themselves all these negative things is only feeding their brain with negativity and really isn't going to help. She needs some distractions and shouldn't be alone too much..