Anxiety - The snowball effect

Hello all,

I've been suffering with anxiety for nearly 2 years now and although I'm better than I was, I'm still a long way off feeling "normal". I've tried many things including CBT which helped for a time, but recently I've found myself slipping back into the feeling of general anxiety all the time :(

I can just about deal with it but sometimes, if I let a worrying thought into my head and don't dismiss it quickly, it can snowball making me over-think which makes me more anxious until I'm totally focussed on the worst case scenario regarding the thought. It can then take me the rest of the day to calm down which can be very draining physically and emotionally.

Sorry to sound so vague, but it's quite hard to describe in words. The thoughts I have tend to be pretty mundane to most people and can be anything from worrying about getting stuck in traffic on my way home to house prices to what the future has in store for me.

I guess I'm just rambling really but I'd be interested to hear how others deal with the onset of anxiety attacks? Sometimes just writing things down can help ease the anxiety a little and it's also nice to know I'm not alone :)

Thanks for reading.

Matt

Hi Matt

In the early days of my anxiety I used to have the same problem (I suppose I still do sometimes). I always found it useful if someone tried to talk to me about something non-anxiety related. I used to ask my girlfriend what was going on at work or something like that. Distraction is the key.

Chris

Hi Matt,

I totally agree with Chris, distraction and a positive attitude to your illness can help so much. Not long ago, while i was having the most severe of my anxiety attacks i've ever had my partner tried to keep me distracted, playing games (guess who of all things!) and all sorts. Although my panic attacks were so severe my anxiety did'nt disperse completely, it did help. In the "no stress zone" section of this forum i've left a post about something quite trivual to most people, My SNES! A little gem really in my life at the mo. It distracts me. It never takes the anxiety away completely, but its defo a cure in my eyes! You need to find something that helps you escape, it could be anything from running a mile or reading a James Herbert Horror. Films are a good escape to. But above all you need to focus on the fact that one day you will get better.

All the best,

Bella xxx

Thank you both for your comments :)

You're both so right! I'm feeling a lot better than when I posted earlier, having had a long chat with my parents (who really are fantastic with regards to my problem).

I do however find mornings the worst and if I've had a really anxious thought eating away at me, such as this morning, it can take most of the day to feel better.

I've kind of come to accept the slightly anxious feeling I have every morning as it tends to pass once I get to work, but just wish I could rid myself of the anxious thought pattern. It seems any slight change to my normal routine can trigger it, which can be a major problem as life seems to throw plenty of changes at me, which I know for most people are nothing, but for me cause massive anxiety.

regards

Matt