Anxiety Support & Chat

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    [justify][fancypost bgcolor=; bordercolor=; borderwidth=0px; width: 420px; color: darkgrey;][sub]Welcome to the anxiety support and chat thread!


    Here is a safe place for you guys to chat and share stories about your experiences, but please note that the main purpose of this thread is for those who may be experiencing anxiety to come and reach out for help. This meaning that we try to make them feel better. Deal? So try to speak of times you were able to overcome your anxiety, or share methods that help you. We all know how anxiety can be so unpredictable and irrational (ironically I'm actually experiencing some right now).


    So yeah, what helps me with anxiety is having a friend there to comfort me, usually over a skype call. Also changing your state of mind helps a whole bunch. Try to look at the situation that's making you anxious in a different way, if that makes sense. Make your brain see it as just a 'thing', rather then a threat. It's hard to explain, but it works. Easier for some people though.

    [fancypost borderwidth=0px; width: 350px; text-align: justify;]tracking - thanks for making this, riley.
    usually it is my cat who helps me overcome anxiety, so whenever I have a panic attack I pet him and he helps to calm me down. stuffed animals tend to work to, and if any of you are having trouble sleeping because of your anxiety then grab a stuffed animal and cuddle with it. It really works, trust me.

    [justify][fancypost bgcolor=; bordercolor=; borderwidth=0px; width: 420px; color: darkgrey;][sub]Mhm, same with my dog. He's really cuddly and affectionate, it always helps.

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    kicksie ★ wrote:


    [fancypost borderwidth=0px; width: 350px; text-align: justify;]tracking - thanks for making this, riley.
    usually it is my cat who helps me overcome anxiety, so whenever I have a panic attack I pet him and he helps to calm me down. stuffed animals tend to work to, and if any of you are having trouble sleeping because of your anxiety then grab a stuffed animal and cuddle with it. It really works, trust me.


    ^^^


    I don't have much to say right now, since I just woke up and am a bit tired
    but I'll share some stuff later <3

    [fancypost bgcolor=; border: none; width: 510px; margin-left: -5px;][font=georgia][size=8]Track. Anxiety sucks ass.

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    [justify][sub]tracking


    i don't really have any concrete coping mechanisms, since it's really hard for me to convince myself that my fears aren't "real", so to speak, and unfortunately i tend to see past material comforts really easily

    The post was edited 1 time, last by musey ().

    [justify][fancypost bgcolor=; bordercolor=; borderwidth=0px; width: 420px; color: darkgrey;][sub]

    — MYSTYERIA wrote:


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    Track. I don't cope, nothing works. I just wait for it to be over.


    I get that. Sometimes nothing works for me and I just wither in pain


    Which is why I thought this chat might help for those who can't find a way out.

    Tracking. Usually I'm able to calm down by doing breathing exercises before it gets out of hand, drawing vent art, and freaking out to friends (also another way that I really hate to admit is punching myself in the leg repeatedly). Sometimes it doesn't work though, like today for example!

    [justify][fancypost bgcolor=; bordercolor=; borderwidth=0px; width: 420px; color: darkgrey;][sub]Those breathing exercises are a very good idea and I'd encourage anyone to do them because they're good in general just to relax, but try to refrain from hurting yourself! There's always an alternative. Sometimes I find even shaving areas of my body helps me. Shaving my legs for example, it's quite relaxing and makes me feel good. Especially in a hot bath, hot baths always help you relax, especially if you light candles. A candle lit room does more than you think.

    musey wrote:


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    [justify][sub]tracking


    i don't really have any concrete coping mechanisms, since it's really hard for me to convince myself that my fears aren't "real", so to speak, and unfortunately i tend to see past material comforts really easily


    This in a way


    Talking to my friends helps me a tad, especially on the phone. If I hug friends that are very close to me for some reason it calms me immediately because it feels like automatic safety. Most of the time I just have to wait for it to pass.

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    CLOWNY ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ wrote:


    (also another way that I really hate to admit is punching myself in the leg repeatedly). Sometimes it doesn't work though, like today for example!


    I do this too ):
    but other than that, I've only ever had panic attacks at night when I'm alone so I've never really known what to do about it. usually when I start to feel like I might have one I can distract myself by pacing around with headphones or something but sometimes that doesn't work so I just try to wait it out, I guess, which doesnt really work either

    I usually hug and cuddle with one of my cats or my lizards but two of my lizards died recently so I have been stressed and anxious af. I usually roleplay endlessly when I am stressed so this site has been such a amazing thing for me as well as a nervous habit of having my head sort of fall from side to side for quite a while through anxiety flare-ups tend to trigger the hyperactivity of my ADHD so I will also run, exercise or just move a lot. The biggest help for me is being with my Grandpa because we are so close that I can just sit or relax with him and be so much less anxious.
    None of these have been helping me recently because I am so stressed/anxious/slightly unstable due to my geckos passing because I had them for around two years and sorry can't write more, crying.

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    Fang - Yep, I mainly do it as a distraction. Sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it. It usually only happens (during gym) at times when I cant doodle things, for doodling random things helps take my mind off of things.


    I also panic at nighttime! Mainly when I'm trying to sleep but I keep on focusing on all the small sounds. For a long while I had to sleep with the blanket over my head- and I still partly sleep like that! I'm a bit better at sleeping now, with the help of calming music from youtube built to encourage sleep and relaxation.


    --
    Am I the only one that gets paranoid when walking up stairs and it's dark behind you? I usually end up running and closing my door behind me without looking back.


    Now I'm going to mentally cry about Gym class.
    [/fancypost][fancypost borderwidth=0px; width: 400px; margin-top: 2px; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 140%; text-align: justify;][align=center][spoiler=about me, characters, and links][justify] GENERAL
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    [justify][fancypost bgcolor=; bordercolor=; borderwidth=0px; width: 420px; color: darkgrey;][sub]@clowly i used to do that too! I kinda got used to the dark eventually. But if I was home alone at night, I'd leave a couple more lights on.


    Bump, keep this thread going guys, I'm inactive so.


    Also tip: I find watching speedpaints is so relaxing when I'm having anxiety.

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    tip that my therapist gave me: count backwards from 100 using odd numbers only
    it makes you think since we're not used to it, and the math part of your brain trumps the emotion part so you just think about the math and counting instead of the emotions you're feeling when having an attack