Taken from an AskReddit thread posted by /u/t-bone-day, we’ve collected 7 solid pieces of advice from people winning the battle against anxiety.
1 – First Things First, Stop The Stigma
“People telling you to lighten up, cheer up, get over it, that there’s nothing to worry about are super unhelpful. Obviously if it was that easy, there wouldn’t be anyone with anxiety or depression. Fresh food, talking, a creative outlet and retraining my brain have helped me significantly.” Source: /u/siriusbapple
2 – Exercise And Eating Healthy Really Does Make An Impact
“Exercise helps more than you might imagine. I started swimming last year a few times a week and it made a huge difference. It’s hard to find the motivation but if you (if it’s you we’re talking about) have someone to go for a walk, cycle or jog with it might be easier to get up and do it.
When you’re down, eating well can be a chore but it’s vital. Stock up on healthy, easily made food and try not to eat too much shit in between meals. Sugar and fat are comforting but you need to eat well too.” Source: /u/Finnecas
3 – The World Beyond Your Bed Isn’t So Bad
“Laying around in bed all day definitely doesn’t help. Depression tends to kill your motivation and drive to do, well anything at all (especially if you’re unemployed), which means it’s easy to fall into a habit of doing nothing all day. You’ve got to keep yourself busy if you’re depressed, it won’t necessarily cure your problem, but it’ll take your mind off it throughout the day. Also, regular exercise and healthy eating really help.” Source : /u/gradeAbastard
4 – Speak Up! Share! Be Completely, 100% Honest
“Hiding does not help, I’ve done this for close to 2 years and I have only become worse. The hardest thing is telling people and talking about it and being completely 100% honest and not saying it’s not as bad as I think. I was explaining this to a friend while drunk how hard it is to actually tell somebody, this is why depression/suicide kills so many men. I also tried to explain to him that it’s not just saying I have social anxiety which has caused me to feel depressed, now I am better. It is one step at a time there is no magic cure it is tough but it will get better, that is what keeps me going, knowing that every small thing that I do will help me achieve my goal of being confident and happy.” Source: /u/jessos1
5 – Find Silver Linings And Credit Yourself For Every Small Victory
“Doing things that make you feel capable: reading a good book, solving a hard math/logic problem, driving really tough roads, finding the right words to express your thoughts, overcoming a fear, etc. That stuff works for me… At the end of my day in bed I realize “I feel different now and I’ve let go of some worries.”” Source: /u/heavymegametal
6 – Find A Reliable Source Of Support
“I was in medical school for a few years and it’s been one of the hardest experiences for me. I struggled academically and after the first year I had to repeat a course which put me behind a year. The anxiety of facing classmates and explaining what happened made me withdraw socially. This led to a downward spiral of not wanting to see or talk to other people which made doing well in my studies much more difficult. Eventually I got diagnosed with major depressive disorder and it was tough when I told my parents and they were incredulous about the whole thing. It took a while before my parents eventually came around and start [sic] to understand some of what I had been feeling.
Things that helped: support from friends and family. Most of my friends were really supportive and once my family eventually came to terms with it they were really helpful. The biggest help I found was just them being there for me. Having someone to talk to when I needed to get things off my chest was a huge help.
Things that do not help: people telling me to “just cheer up” or “just tough it out.” Depression and anxiety don’t work like that. Everything that I used to find enjoyable lost meaning to me and it was like I was living in a huge gray haze. I would sleep all the time just so I wouldn’t have to deal with things.
It’s not like I woke up one day and I was depressed or I all of a sudden just got out of my depression. It was a slow decline into it and it’s been a struggle to work my way out of it.” Source: /u/Imperfect-info_Game
7 – Medication Needs To Be Coupled With Therapy
“Depression and anxiety are two very different conditions. I’ve dealt with both and about the only aide they have in common is therapy. Medications can be of tremendous help but they generally address only the symptoms, not the source of the problem(s).” Source: /u/NotMathMan821
Anxiety.org asks you to share your advice on what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to managing your stress, anxiety, and trauma. You can visit our Community to share your experiences and find others willing to listen and help.
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