What can we do to help decrease our anxiety?

I hope you all take the time to read this thread. 

Kit,
Thank you so much for the kind words you put on my post. I highly respect you and SC and at times had second thoughts about posting much of anything because I didn't want to say something wrong and have either of you upset in some way about my methoeds and postings. So needless to say it's nice to get kind words from you both, thank you again. We are so on the same page. I was thinking today that there was more tips I wanted to give and maybe I would add on to my post little by little because there are lots more tips that are all important. Keep up the good work as always....big hugs to you and SC...going to go post a couple things on my other post.
wingman

I am dealing with bad anxiety and depression. Its really bad in the mornings. I gave birth to a baby like 5.5 months back and the anxiety has become so much bad. I keep on getting panic attacks and it gets very hard to deal with the kids or do any house activities. When i am anxious everthing scares even the smallest thought scares me. But when i am good everything is fine. I generally become better by evening.Does anyone know how to deal with this ?? Its getting very hard. I am on Prozac 40 mg. But doesnt seem to be helping. Distracting seems to help. Please help help help !!!!!

Hi BJo9, I moved your post to it's own thread as this one is not on the same topic.  More members will be able to  see and welcome you this way:)  I'll post to you there.

Scaredy Cat

Post Edited By Moderator (Scaredy Cat) : 7/31/2011 8:47:19 AM (GMT-6)

OOOh I like that...'twice as large as it needs to be'. I've never heard that part of it before...
We do put too much expectation on ourselves, and try to do way too much. Do I have a nice, normal 16oz glass that I am holding? Or am I being crushed by the enornmity of the Double Super Big Gulp that I think I have to fill and carry?!?
Thanks again Kitt for the daily inspirations!
S.C.

Thank you for this post! Sometimes when i feel happy i just forget about anxiety but when i suddenly remember of my head symptoms a realize that they are still there an first i think is that maybe it is not just anxiety because i feel good but symptoms are still there... :\

As modern society developed the way of life rapidly changed. In last 100 years, people changed the way of perception because of all technological development. Religion, tradition and zen philosophy is still there to show us the wisdom. For example Jung took tradition and modern psychology took Jung and zen philosophy as model to their work. People are so arrogant to ignore those knowledges that are old as a humankind. And now we have that "freedom" to do what we want and to begin from zero. Are we smarter than couple thousand years of mankind? That freedom make us independent but we became more lonely as ever. Tv and computer are very good but we dont use them in a normal way. And tv program makes us so passive that we dont face our problems and fulfill our dreams. And give us i message life is easy (we live our dream in non-real world), but life is not easy, every day we have to make choices, to work (in my country tradition thes say "work saves you"). Our body is not used to this kind of life so it rebel against us. As we dont know the very important fact, we are not what we see on tv, that is NOT our life. I need to rebuild myself as i took everything personal. Just try to imagine how people lived 200 or 2000 years ago, or find in book but not to read some book that talk about it because it is just one opinion (that doesn mean it is right). People (our biological and anatomical structure is the same like in the stone-age). Unhealthy way of life is the culprit for our state. To work and not to take it personal, what happens to you is personal. Give your best to deal with real life and life as you think it should be. Government say that we are free to do or say what we want but doesnt give us opportunity, they say that we are free but freedom is not what we think it is, over the mass media they tell us what freedom should look like and we think they are right. Old and modern art reveal that "other points of view" etc etc. I hope this post will initiate people to think, and this is not conspiracy theory. :)

This is my point of view. (short version :))
Sorry for my bad english.

Thank you, StKitt, for posting these. I'm an 18-year-old heading off to my first year of university 1800 miles away in two days. As a naturally very anxious person with social anxiety up the wazoo, this probably was not the smartest move for me, but it's too late now! Onward and upward, as they say.

I try my hardest to keep all these 10 things in mind when I wake up in the small hours of the morning, frozen with anxiety. I will copy these all down and tape them over my bed in my new dorm so I can wake up every morning and meditate on them. Thank you so much!

I read all ten of those and really enjoyed them and I am going to print them out so that I can refer back to them from time to time.

Personally I have never thought of anxiety as a "disorder" or an "illness" or something that I inherited from my parents. Anxiety is what it is, it is just anxiety and that's it. In my opinion I think refering to it as "My anxiety" or "My disorder" or "My illness" you are giving it more power and claiming it to be your own.  I am a person who sometimes struggles with anxiety and thats that. It doesn't define who I am as a person and I refuse to own it and give it anymore power.  Does that make sense?  I will not allow anxiety to win and will not give it anymore power. I am stronger than it is!!!

-D

Dakodie

I like your outlook on anxiety. It is a good thing that we all see anxiety through our own lense.

As I see it, there is a significant difference between "normal" anxiety and an "anxiety disorder". Normal anxiety usual occurs in reaction to a stressor. It may be a divorce, an upcoming job promotion or a layoff, a fear of having an illness when you go and see your doctor.

But an anxiety disorder is different. Where as normal anxiety is short lived, doesn't usually interfere with your life dramatically, an anxiety disorder tends to be a chronic illness that has significant impact on your daily function and may rob you of any joy in your life. Over 40 million people in the USA suffer from a chronic anxiety disorder.

There is a saying I like to use to help me remember that I am in control.........I have anxiety, anxiety does not have me.

Kindly,
Kitt

Hi Kitt,

Well I have much to be greateful for then.  I would say that my anxiety is "normal" and usually flares up when I am under a great deal of stress.  My husband of twenty three years left me two years ago so the past two years have been stressful especially the first year.  I really liked your phrase "I have anxiety, anxiety doesn't have me." I am going to have to write that one down. 

Dawn