What was a life changing quote or tip that helped you with your anxiety?

Psalm 4:8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.  

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

You're not going to master you're entire life In one day , Just relax & Master that one day then Just keep repeating it ...

Anxiety is something that takes skills to master and over come and you have those skills to do it .

I think meditation has helped me a lot, I got far too militant about it though, felt it was doing more harm than good as was making me far too aware. However, after a few months off, I discovered the mindfulness techniques I learned have helped me to notice my anxiety symptoms, or problematic thoughts, and to move on from them. I guess I have learnt that self help actions can be useful further down the line, once they have sunk in or evolved in your mind, even if they are traumatic at the time! (as they often are for me-but I keep doing them!). Also, keeping things 'as normal as possible' is a new one. So, post-attack, I try to 'feel normal', and do the things I normally would. Sometimes this really helps, though I have to be careful not to deny that I'm having problems or put too much pressure on myself to be 'normal' (one of my main, if not the main, problem that I have). Hope this helps other sufferers! I have spent years avoiding/denying my anxiety and emotional problems to myself and others, am hoping that talking about it (finally!) will help me, and others too.

I think meditation has helped me a lot, I got far too militant about it though, felt it was doing more harm than good as was making me far too aware. However, after a few months off, I discovered the mindfulness techniques I learned have helped me to notice my anxiety symptoms, or problematic thoughts, and to move on from them. I guess I have learnt that self help actions can be useful further down the line, once they have sunk in or evolved in your mind, even if they are traumatic at the time! (as they often are for me-but I keep doing them!). Also, keeping things 'as normal as possible' is a new one. So, post-attack, I try to 'feel normal', and do the things I normally would. Sometimes this really helps, though I have to be careful not to deny that I'm having problems or put too much pressure on myself to be 'normal' (one of my main, if not the main, problem that I have). Hope this helps other sufferers! I have spent years avoiding/denying my anxiety and emotional problems to myself and others, am hoping that talking about it (finally!) will help me, and others too.

anxiety has been with me for 7 years now...my anxiety was insomnia induced and the fed on each other...made me so worse that as soon as i suddenly got out of the house, i would sweat profusely, hyperventilate, feel electric circuits run in my body from head to toe and my face would be pink like a rose..wasnt even able to talk to people...even with friends i had known for my whole life without being crazy nervous.

it ruined my life, my education, relationships and everything else..tried antidepressants and even illegal drugs..nothing seemed to ease the anxiety..always knew rather than trying to fight the anxiety, just had to let it run its course..but it was so inside the head.

After years suffering, tried Meditation. it opened up a whole new dimension for my mind..the anxiety is still there..the negative thoughts still do occur..i still get brain fogs and still have self esteem issues.. but now i just notice these thoughts and the physical symptoms related to these thoughts..i just let it run its course..i do mindful yin yoga 2 times a day along with 10 or 20 mg of propanolol a day depending on how stressful the day is gonna be..it has helped me a lot to manage my anxiety..

 

anxiety has been with me for 7 years now...my anxiety was insomnia induced and the fed on each other...made me so worse that as soon as i suddenly got out of the house, i would sweat profusely, hyperventilate, feel electric circuits run in my body from head to toe and my face would be pink like a rose..wasnt even able to talk to people...even with friends i had known for my whole life without being crazy nervous.

it ruined my life, my education, relationships and everything else..tried antidepressants and even illegal drugs..nothing seemed to ease the anxiety..always knew rather than trying to fight the anxiety, just had to let it run its course..but it was so difficult inside the head.

After years suffering, tried Meditation. it opened up a whole new dimension for my mind..the anxiety is still there..the negative thoughts still do occur..i still get brain fogs and still have self esteem issues.. but now i just notice these thoughts and the physical symptoms related to these thoughts..i just let it run its course..i do mindful yin yoga 2 times a day along with 10 or 20 mg of propanolol a day depending on how stressful the day is gonna be..it has helped me a lot to manage my anxiety..

 

Stella

In my case

Do not let the Devils get you down,

Look for those Blue Skies

BOB

Just wanted to say thanks to the people who posted about accepting anxiety and not fighting it, this has worked 4 me recently, so thank you!

This was copy and pasted from my notes app, figuring I would once make this speech.

I believe that every mistake, no matter how big or small, should not be worried about. After years of sheer anxiety and emotional pain, I went to Buckingham Palace, and had a hard time enjoying it because I was going through emotional pain. I decided enough was enough. I soon realized something, that I need to be calm. How do I get calm? By reassuring myself, and that’s what I did. If you make a mistake from stepping on a piece of gum, to blowing up an entire planet, tell yourself: There’s at least one reason out there about why I shouldn’t worry. Let’s say you stepped on a piece of gum, there will always be a reason why you shouldn’t worry. It happened, nothing can be changed, it won’t stick for that long, I might’ve not made the shoe dirty. Even though you might not fully trust or accept a reason, it can still work. What if you blow up a planet? Maybe it was dying, it might’ve not been suitable for human life, you’re human, you make mistakes. Those are all reasons you shouldn’t worry, and stay calm. You might not know the reason, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t out there. There will always be a reason you shouldn’t worry. Believe it, and move on.

You should never give up. No matter how hard the situation is.Always believe that something beautiful is going to happen.

I had anxiety over a gallbladder surgery I needed. My aunt told me "I'd rather die trying to fix a problem, then of the problem itsself" That helped me have less anxiety before and after my surgery.

For a long time, I have wanted to write something about my anxiety, not only to help other people but because I find writing things down is the perfect way to get things off my chest without boring my Mum and close friends with it. I wanted to keep this post anonymous because I know of a few people who have spoke out about their mental health problems and been called ‘attention-seekers’ or ‘overdramatic’. I don’t want those labels, because for me my mental health is not something I want or expect sympathy for, and the only way I feel I can show that is by leaving my name out of my writing, so this website is perfect for that.

I am now 19 years old, at University, and have been suffering from anxiety for as long as I can remember, but since January (3 months ago), a mixture of medication, positive thinking, self-help books and good people has helped me to feel normal again – something I never thought I would be able to say. Back at the peak of my anxiety, I spent weeks on end, frantically searching google for somebody to say just one thing that made me feel a tiny bit better, and I never found it. So, if this helps even one person, even the tiniest bit – then I am happy. If not, I feel happier in myself for being able to write down my journey to being happy again.

So, I suppose I had better begin with how I realised it was anxiety. I joined University in 2016, in a new city that was not too far from home, but felt like miles. I think the fact I took 8 packets of makeup wipes gives some insight into how I felt about leaving home – I felt like I was entering another universe, not stopping for a second to realise I would be living opposite a Tesco express. I moved in at Uni and began to make friends quickly; one girl in particular, Lydia, I felt I instantly clicked with – I knew she looked like a party girl like me. Freshers week went by and I loved every minute, I had been going out for years with a borrowed ID so I seemed to think I would settle straight in to the Uni life without a problem. Oh, how I was wrong.

As lectures began to start, I had an increasingly tight knot forming in my stomach, a knot I had never felt before. My heart would flutter regularly, making me think I was beginning to have a heart attack. I can’t express the amount of times I would be half way to town, all dressed up for a night out, and turn round, because I simply couldn’t do it. I couldn’t take my mind off it. When I say ‘it’, I can’t even explain what ‘it’ is. ‘It’ is just a feeling that you can’t explain; like a sort of dread of just living that seems completely irrational. My close friends would say ‘but what is it that you are stressed about?’, ‘Everything’, I would say. Still to this day I don’t know what ‘everything’ was, and still to this day I can’t describe what ‘it’ is – but I am going to give it my best try for those people who know somebody with anxiety and want to help.

Being anxious is like constantly having an argument with your own head – an argument you never seem to win! You can try and think rationally but at the same time the irrational thoughts keep flooding in. You can tell yourself a million times you have nothing to worry about, but your head replies a million and one times, ‘but what if you do?’ You want to be sociable, and you want to go out with your friends but something is always in the back of your mind – what if something bad happens? What if I say something wrong? What if I feel ill when I’m there? What if I feel awkward? What if I physically can’t do it?

I cried every day for the first 3 weeks of Uni, and I mean every day, multiple times. The only time I felt remotely normal was the first 10 seconds when I woke up, before my brain had chance to think – I felt comfy and warm in my bed, and then boom – it’s back again. I would safely say they were some of the worst weeks of my life. But then suddenly – it stopped? I put it down to initial nerves and assumed it would never come back – but I was wrong again. Over the course of the next year, I would have random outbursts of anxiety, these would tend to last a week to 10 days and then disappear. Until June 2017, no doubt the worst month of my life.

I returned from Uni to my family home with me, my Mum and older Brother. My Mum and Brother both have full time jobs, meaning I had a lot of time alone in the house – too much time to think and too much time for my anxious demons to get the better of me. I reached a point where I sat in the bath pondering ways to kill myself so that my Mum would think it was an accident – so that she wouldn’t have to deal with thinking she ‘could have done more’ or ‘what if she were home’, because she didn’t deserve that. My Mum is the strongest, kindest, most caring and incredible woman I have ever and will ever meet in my life, and she was there for me as much as humanly possible during my journey; but by that point I felt like I was beyond anybody’s help and it was just time to let go. I fought those feelings every day for a month. Crying to my Mum every night before bed, constant panic attacks, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, pins and needles – everything. I really didn’t see the point anymore because I couldn’t see any way out of the situation I was in.

Gradually, my head began to calm down slightly. My Mum gave me breathing techniques and a self-help book, ‘How to Calm Your Nerves’. Whilst that brought me to a more manageable level, my anxiousness was ALWAYS there. Every single thing I did, I would argue with myself in my head. Every step I took down the stairs, I thought I would fall and die. Everything I ate, I was convinced I would choke on and die. I even developed a weird habit, where I convinced myself that if I tapped the left side of my forehead – nothing bad could happen. All of this sounds so ridiculous when I write it down, but it wasn’t ridiculous then, it was real, it was my life for a long time.

It's safe to say that a bad month turned into a bad year in 2016, and letting myself feel so bad for so long is certainly my biggest regret. If there is anyone reading this who has seen any of what I have said in themselves, or a close one, or they have seen/have themselves anything even remotely similar, then I beg that you trust me when I say – IT DOES GET BETTER.

I can confidently say I have not had a proper panic attack in 3 months, and I have never in my life felt this happy, which when I think back to last year, truly is a miracle.

How, you ask?

Accept it-

You need help. It isn’t you, it’s your brain.

I spent a very very very long time convincing myself that there is no way I could be anxious. Anyone that knows me would tell you that even before my recovery, I was always the loudest person in the room. When I felt okay, I went out clubbing and was such a social butterfly. I was in the ‘popular’ crowd at school and I am sure that if anyone from school was told all this, they would stare at you in shock, because I am the sort of person who would seem the opposite of a stereotypical ‘anxious person’. It took me so long to accept that you can be happy and sad at the complete same time. Accepting it is the start of the process.

Get yourself to the doctors –

I don’t care what you say, whether you get a bit panicky when flying in a plane once a year, or spend your daily life in misery like I did for a long time – the doctor will help you. No problem is a stupid problem, and you are never wasting a doctors’ time. If anxiety, depression or even stress is impacting your life, you do not have to suffer with it.

I know that this has been shown to be a big problem particularly in men, as many males see admitting you need help as some sort of defiance of their masculinity, which could not be further from the truth. As a female, myself, I find it far more admirable for a man to admit that he is not devoid of emotion, than to remain in mental pain in silence. Mental illness is an illness, just like a broken leg. If you broke your leg when you were out on a run, you wouldn’t ignore it, hope it heels and still carry on walking on it every day whilst it causes you immense pain.

I went to the doctor for the first time with my Mum and explained the extent of my problems and how she had seen them forming in me since I was a child. I told the doctor that I had constant chest pain and was convinced I was dying every day. I told her that I slept for an average of 2 hours a night because my brain wash rushing so intensely. I told her I often felt suicidal, which was the hardest thing I have ever had to say in front of my mum. I watched my Mum’s eyes fill with tears and it isn’t the fondest of memories, but I could not be any happier I did it if I tried.

The doctor listened to my heart and told me it was completely fine but that she would refer me for an ECG heart scan to ease my mind. That was the first time I had heard somebody confirm to me, ‘you have anxiety’, and just hearing those words helped me put things way more into perspective. I am not going crazy, I haven’t made it up, there is a reason for my feelings – and they are going to help me get rid of it. It was the first day of my new chapter.

I went for a heart scan and multiple blood tests, which only confirmed the inevitable – everything was completely fine. But this only settled me for a while. It took 4 more months of battling my own head to realise I needed to go back to the doctors as I needed more help than a simple diagnosis. The doctor prescribed me Citalopram 20mg, which I now refer to as chemical happiness. The doctor at that appointment told me that the day I was prescribed my medication was the first day of a ‘new me’, and I look back in total agreement. I felt a difference within the first week, and since then I have only felt increasingly amazing.

Since taking the medication, all my physical symptoms have completely gone and I feel positive about nearly every aspect of my life. It angers me so greatly that people make comments about anti-depressants like ‘you can’t expect to take tablets for the rest of your life just to make you happy’, well, why can’t I? I would happily accept now that I could be on Citalopram for the rest of my life, and that doesn’t scare me one bit. Those who insist that tablets are unnecessary are usually those who have never experienced what it is like to be anxious or depressed, because for anyone who knows, they realise that whatever helps you is an absolute blessing.

But medication isn’t the only way forward…

Self-help books –

I have never been a believer in books. I never thought that a book could have the power to change the way I thought, but I soon realised that is a ridiculous assumption. A friend recommended ‘The Chimp Paradox’ by Dr Steve Peters, and after reading it, my whole way of thinking changed. For those who have never heard of it, I will not ruin the book with any spoilers – but anybody stressed, anxious, depressed, demotivated, struggling to move on from a hard time in their life – READ IT. Less than £10 on Amazon and it is the best book I have ever read. It genuinely changed my life!

Making positive decisions –

The best advice I have given myself in my new mindset, is that you should only do things that make you happy. Within reason of course – allow me to expand…

Paying your £100 phone bill will not increase your happiness, but is necessary to live a law-abiding life in society.

Putting the toilet seat down will not increase your happiness, but is necessary to be respectful to others.

However, if you have a ‘friend’ or partner that makes you feel angry, bored, unappreciated – don’t see them. If all of your friends are off on a crazy holiday, but it’s really not your scene – don’t go. If everyone tells you they really hate orange lipstick or the new top you got from the Primark sale, but it makes YOU feel good – just wear it! You can only expect your brain to be happy if you do things that make you happy, and avoid things that cause upset. Don’t be afraid to do things just because you feel like it!

Surround yourself with positive people –

My friends are the best people I could ever wish for and they support me every single day. It is easy to become stuck in friendships that aren’t good for your general happiness and positivity, and I would suggest cutting those people out ASAP. That doesn’t mean having a big row – believe me I hate confrontation! But it does mean that you don’t need to pressure yourself to call them or make plans to see them when you don’t want to. It’s okay to drift from those who don’t make you feel good. In my younger years, I cared far more about quantity than quality with my friends, and my new outlook on life has taught me that keeping a small circle of loyal friends that make you feel good is completely invaluable for living a happy life. Even one friend or relative can have such a positive effect on you – I thank my Mum every day for saving me.

What caused it, I don’t know. A combination of my Dad leaving, my Grandad dying and living for 8 years with an alcoholic and abusive stepdad can’t have helped – I won’t bore anyone with the details. But I am a strong believer that mental health can be a problem for people who have had somewhat of an obstacle free upbringing, and anyone who is feeling low, please please get help – it will be the best thing you ever do.

If reading this has even helped one person, I will be eternally grateful.

Please don’t give up, I promise you it gets better,

From someone who never ever thought it would x

Hi

I am a 50 something business owner in fact I own two businesses. For years I have suffered from mild to severe anxiety. I remember exactly when it happened to the day and time. Over the years I have learned to live with it and as I am lucky it only strikes when something major stressful happens in my life, I only have to deal with it when the demons come out to play. I am living proof that you will not die from anxiety, it does go away and it does get better. I particular like the saying that worrying about something does not fix the issue and never will. This is however easier to say than do. In my case the most profound thing that works for me is talking and walking. Also throwing yourself into something to take your mind onto something other than the negative thoughts you are having. Again easier said than done but trust me, within 10 minutes of doing something that you have to think about will soon move those negative thoughts back where they belong.

As you want to know my life changing quote or tip that helped me to get rid of anxiety then, here it is, you can also follow these lines “Do what you love and Love what you do” and also try to engage yourself into some stress free works. You should try to reading journals, eating rich nutritional foods and follow regular exercise along with proper medication. By doing these of the things one can easily cure anxiety problem.