Things that helped my anxiety & might help you too :)
I’ve suffered with Anxiety (also adhd and depression but that’s for another post) from since I can remember, I think part was just my genetic make up and a lot of my childhood trauma aided to that.
I use to not even be able to walk into a classroom without crying, being asked a simple question would send me into floods of tears. It’s like my body just didn’t know how to act so I would just cry.
This led to me being quiet lonely though out my childhood and teen years.. people often thought I was too weird and unapproachable due to my confusing emotional outbreaks.
I remember I had one Canadian teacher who taught English in my Year 10-11 class and she was amazing. She would let me sit outside the classroom at a desk with no questions asked. It would just be ready for me if I needed it. She shut down any students that tried to question it or make fun of me. She kept the door open so I could listen and learn. She’d also come out often and check on me and if I needed any help.
If it wasn’t for her I would never have gotten an A & B in my English GCSE’s and I'm forever grateful for that kind of support and understanding I didn’t get from anyone else.
As I got older I definitely became more confident and able to do things, I feel like this really drastically changed when I started University.
The first year was hard but looking back now as I've just finished I can see how much I’ve changed.
Talking about it helped me, not with people close to me personally.. but with doctors and councillors and people like my personal tutor who helped me through a lot of trauma.
I also started Sertraline an anti-depressant that helped me a lot and I don’t plan to be on it forever (I hope) but for now it’s made me content. My emotions are less of a bumpy ride (unless I forget to take them or drink far too much).
Alcohol use to help my anxiety but it was more of a short term help with long term consequences. I lost relationships (romantic and friendship ones) due to my tablets and the alcohol intake mixing in horrifying ways. I’d black out and say things and act crazy. I associate that as not me, but more as this other side under the influence. I still take full responsibility for her but it’s easier to overcome and get better by trying to separate that part of my life.
Even now I still have slip ups, recently I got too drunk and just freaked out and in the morning I was just like why did that happen, what triggered me. But all I can do is learn to be better.
As long as I try to be kind to everyone I feel myself more able.
Keeping busy is an extremely important thing for me, it distracts my from intrusive thoughts, bad memories from the past etc. It always makes me feel more productive and achieve goals I've set for myself. So even though I still do slip up (I am only human) I’m doing it less and less everyday and I’ve learnt to learn from these slip ups rather than beat myself up about them.
Blogging, if you don’t feel like talking to anyone about your emotions, set up a blog. It helps immensely. It can be anonymous or public or just notes to be only seen by you. But writing your feelings out can help take a weight off your back and chest that you didn’t realise was causing such heaviness.
Just remember what works for others might not work for you. But it also might or it might allow you to find your own ways of coping and getting better. Also if you feel lost and alone just remember you never are. No matter how much it might feel... there is always someone out there for support, an ear or just company.
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