Dealing with anxiety

[sangeensingh]

classical music. i just pandora it and listen to whatever comes on. great for studying as well.

hope everything works out

 

[Jatt08]

So I suffer from high trait anxiety, meaning I constantly worry about things that don't need to be worried about (always stressed) and have a feeling of dread aka I feel like I am going to die. Obviously this takes a toll on my body and interferes with school. The anxiety gets a lot worse when midterms and finals roll around. I need to find ways to relax and was wondering, what are some ways that you guys relax? It could be a bubble bath or just lying in bed listening to music. I find listening to tabla solos really relaxes me but would love other suggestions. Even things like, putting a plant in my room or something like that.

I had a similar problem. Although I was always ready for them Midterms and Finals I always stressed out. For me early morning walks and Waheguru Simran along with Mool Mantar helped me relax.

 

[Raashi]

classical music ftw... a few composers that help me chill out are chopin (#1 for suree), schubert, brahms, mendelssohn, and schumann.

hope it helps.

 

[AB7522]

classical case of GAD (general anxiety disorder). My good friend had it, and its a terrible way to live life, i feel for you. He got better with meds (SSRI, benzos) and some therapy. The best way to get better is addressing the underlying cause of the anxiety. A lot of these remedies are good for acute amounts of stress but something pathological like yours requires more intervention. good luck brother

 

[Ajay.H]

1. Think really hard about the relationships in your life. Surround yourself with the people that help, and really don't be afraid to nix the people that don't.

2. I'm not sure what your sleep schedule is like, but I think people underestimate the positive effects of having a very solid sleep schedule.

3. When you're cramming for exams, especially if you're anxiety is already pretty bad, be careful with energy drinks or other large doses of caffeine. They'll basically be doing the exact opposite of what any medication would do to help you.

Also, don't be swayed too much by other people's opinions on treatment (medication, therapy, meditation, etc). To each his own - If you think something can help you, look into it.

 

[Gurbir23]

Sorry for the really late response guys, but I appreciate all of your suggesstions. Ive started seeing a therapist at my school, first real appointment is tommorow. Im finding that listening to music at night (stuff like tabla solos, sarangi, classical music..etc) while doing progressive muscle relaxation has helped me quite a bit and just stepping back and analysing the root cause of my anxiety has also helped. If anyone else has suggestions, they're always appreciated.

 

[Gurbir23]

Before you resort to inhaling other substances, give oxygen a chance (best part... it's FREE). Try this out, and let me know if it helps:


http://healing.about.com/od/breathwork/a/consciousbreath.htm


Breathe Break 1 - Developing Breath Awareness


Breathe Break 2 - Six Second Breathing


Breathe Break 3 - Performance Breathing

Thank You barua for this, deep breathing techniques combined with progressive muscle relaxation has been a tremendous help.

 

[Gurbir23]

Wow... I could hug you right now. I went through a really bad spell almost exactly one year ago. My anxiety was through the roof and I fell victim to being a hypochondriac; as a result I became really depressed. I normally am a very happy, healthy gal, but my stress level at that time in my life got so high it spiraled me into an extremely dark place. It lasted about 4 months. I am so sorry you have to deal with this on a more regular basis- I know from experience just how horrible it can be.

Something that doesnt help anyone dealing with anxiety is worry. I over analyze a lot so naturally I tend to worry - most of the time I brush it off, but when stress accompanies it it becomes more serious. With that said, I would avoid things that cause you to over analyze...

Being active in sports/dance can help you keep your mind off of things so keep doing that sort of thing if it is currently in your schedule.

Yes music is magical and I highly recommend it, but steer clear of songs with deep meaning (unless of course they are uplifting). It's smart to avoid anything that triggers you to worry about "what ifs" and things. I would even stay away from intense documentaries or a lot of the news stories during your exam time- just focus on your school work and put your rose colored glasses on for the rest of the world to help you get through exams while keeping your sanity in tact. Eliminate the unnecessary "noise"

BREATHING is the best thing for you as far as helping you mentally relax and taking tension/anxiety away physically. Once my anxiety got to an extreme level that I had a panic/parasthesia attack and had to be rushed to the ER because I swore I was having a stroke! I clung to breathing exercises after that.

Meditation and prayer helps a lot as well.

I would steer clear of using any substances. I'd also be careful to not take too many over the counter drugs i.e. if you catch a cold, try to flush it out naturally and stay away from any medication.

And with allllll that said- look into talking to some one. Therapy can be an extremely healing thing. And after a while, your friends and loved ones can only listen to you and your worries so much before they add to the problem and tell you youre being paranoid, have OCD or are just plain annoying. Even your MD doctors will get weary of you, believe me LOL. A little bit of mental therapy can go a long way.

PM me if you want to know more about what I went through and what helped. And of course, I am all ears to listen to everything going on with you. Theres more to it than what I just wrote... all of the above sounds like a cake walk in comparison to how things really can get.

PM'ing