Dealing with anxiety/stress.

[Balldog]

I don't know what the deal is lately but I am having a lot of anxiety/stress issues with everything that is going on with work, financially, and relationship wise.

I have lost eight pounds in a month because of my lack of appettite, luckily it has not gotten to the point where I feel the need to vomit yet. I have not had a full night worth of sleep in about a week. My performance at work has been pretty poor as I am just not motivated.

I went through this about two years ago and I seeked medical help but nothing really helped and I just dealt with it for a few months before everything settled itself out. I am trying to avoid the medical bills since I really don't have the money to pay my deductibles right now.

Any suggestions on dealing with anxiety/stress?

[Super Ugly]

Suck it up!

No, just kididng, of course. I went through a similar situation myself a few years ago, where I felt like I was trapped in the biggest hole. I lost my motivation for everything, I had panic attacks, I lost weight etc.

I think that you should really go back to see a doctor and just be very honest about your situation. Hopefully, they can put you in touch with a counsellor to talk to. I don't know how if that means medical bills over there, but just talking to somebody sympathetic will, I think, be a big step. If you don't want to seek professional help, maybe you can talk to a fmaily member or close friend. Try and identify what it is that's getting you so stressed out, whether it's work, relationships and so on. Once you start talking to people, you'll most likely be surprised to find out just how many people feel/have felt the same way in the past.

Hope that helps. Good luck, and I hope you feel more together sooner rather than later.

[cincyreds]

Lay it all in the hands of Jesus!

Give it all up, whatever is bothering you and confess. Ask him to carry you through this difficult time in your life and he will.

Have faith then believe and he will!

[Fritz]

Originally Posted by Balldog

Any suggestions on dealing with anxiety/stress?

trout in the rectum

[JonInMiddleGA]

Stress -- The overwhelming desire to choke the life out of some asshole who desperately needs it.

The previous post already touched on some of my best advice -- identifying the causes of stress and/or anxiety is a pretty big first step in dealing with it IMO. And FTR, "it's just everything" does not count.

I believe that last bit is important because it seems like a common answer that kind of explains why you might feel overwhelmed in the first place. Trying to tackle "everything" is a pretty serious task, better to narrow the list to the key issues, that's usually a good first step toward managing them.

Beyond that, then it's sometimes helpful to divide the issues into at least two parts -- short term things that will subside on their own with some time and longer term things that require some action/change on your part. My wife is particularly fond of reducing those short term things with the notion that "I can do anything for X days, I can certainly suffer Y and Z for just N number of days/weeks". That probably doesn't read very well, what I'm saying is that simply knowing that there's an expiration date for certain problems seems to make them more manageable.

The longer term issues, well, I already described them as requiring some action/change on your part. Identifying those and then determining a plan to reduce/eliminate the problems is usually another great step. Needing a plan is a lot easier to manage once you have a plan.

Good luck, and keep hanging in there.

[Abe Sargent]

I think that it's pretty easy to deal with me. After all, I am a nice guy, pretty handsome, always have my door open, easy going, and such. Anytime someone wants to talk to me or has something to say to me, just let me know!

-Anxiety

[Airhog]

masturbate to pictures of scottish men herding sheep. Always does the trick for me.

[albionmoonlight]

A cup of camomile (sp?) tea before bed can help with a good nights sleep.

Jon has a lot of good advice, too. Make sure that the "real" problem is not something that you are afraid to face (things not working out with your partner is a big one) and that you are instead trying to solve problems that are not really your problem.

[Coffee Warlord]

Been there. Am there. It sucks.

There is only one piece of advice applicable.

Deal with it. Shit works itself out eventually. It may take time, it'll suck along the way, but things will always get better.

In the meantime, be sociable, even if you don't want to be. Hanging out doing whatever with friends helps.

[Scarecrow]

Best way to deal with anxiety: put him on your ignore list.

[Fonzie]

Balldog, I have a two-pronged answer to your question, which actually begins with a question of my own: are you sure what you're experiencing is simply stress, or might you be depressed? If you're not sure then it is really worth seeing a mental health professional to help you identify what is going on, as it will help determine how best to treat it. Even a visit to your doctor may help - a trial of antidepressants might be what you need to get you through. If at all possible, though, I'd recommend a mental health professional, as they have more sophisticated training than a GP and can better determine if medication or behavioral interventions (or both) would be best. In my opinion it is money well spent.

However, if you are fairly sure that what you're experiencing is solely a stress-coping problem, there are many ways to try to enhance your coping skills (which a mental health professional can also help with in a more advanced way that I'm about to describe). Some common sense options include frequent exercise and relying on your social support network (if possible) - talk honestly and openly with the friends and family members you feel comfortable with. Also, many people find mindfulness meditation and progressive muscle relaxation to be very helpful in reducing tension. Classes in those areas can often be found at hospitals or community colleges for relatively cheap, and they're skills that can last a lifetime.

Best of luck to you, and I hope you're able to find what you need.

[Draft Dodger]

it's simple: see a therapist

[Samdari]

Exercise. It is supposed to both relieve stress and help you sleep. That is second hand knowledge, as I relax by leaving permanent butt prints in my couch.

[amdaily]

I'm nearly recovered from anxiety attacks that started in late November due to stress and sustained by intense hypochondria (horrible, horrible combination -trust me ). Lost alot of weight that I didn't have to spare in the first place and didn't get much work done either. I started jogging again and doing cardio exercises as a stress reliever, although I really didn't have that much stress to begin with. My problem was the anxiety leading to hypochondria and than the hypochondria leading back to a new set of anxiety problems. I refused to see a doctor or get medication and luckily things seem to be working themselves out now.

[Fonzie]

Originally Posted by amdaily

I refused to see a doctor or get medication and luckily things seem to be working themselves out now.

I'm glad that things have resolved for you, but I'd not recommend this approach for most folks. Most episodes of anxiety or depression will resolve with time, but the damage they can inflict on a person's life in the meantime can be devastating. In general I'd say its better to seek treatment and alleviate some of the misery while waiting for the episode to subside.

[Desnudo]

First, do this before anything else: write down a list of what is causing you stress or anxiety. I can't overstate what an enormous help this is to me when I feel like I'm overwhelmed or things aren't in control. Writing it down gives you time to reflect on the relative importance of the various stressors and also puts things in perspective. Often time I get worked up over things in my mind, but on paper they don't seem nearly as bad. The final result is that you have a check list for reducing the stress in your life.

Of course if #1 on your list involves voices inside your head or urges to go on a destructive rampage, I'd recommend professional help. In any case, good luck, and remember that you're not alone in your feelings. It happens to everyone from time to time.

[Balldog]

Thanks for the advice guys. Today has been somewhat better than yesterday but I think it is mostly because I have been pretty busy with work. I don't think it is depression because on Saturday I was probably the happiest man alive. Then again that happiness may be what is causing this anxiety. If it does not get better in the next few days I can get counseling for free through work.

[Scholes]

I had panic attacks at night about once or twice a week, and as a result I got about 3 or 4 hours of sleep a night because I would lay awake in fear of them.

Lately, I've started exercising more, and I've cut out caffeine, which, as it turned out, I was severely addicted to. I break things down into one manageable task at a time. If I have a ton of stuff to do at work, some of it just has to wait until I get to it. I used to try to do everything at once and messed a lot of stuff up, including my mental health, because of it. As long as I can focus on one thing at a time, it doesn't seem so successful.

Things have been getting much better recently. Although I still get a bit keyed up from time to time, it's far better than it was. And I don't believe I'll ever be "normal" again, what ever that is anyway. As long as there's improvement and I'm able to function everyday, that's good enough for me.

[Eaglesfan27]

Well, I don't know enough about your situation to say if this is clinical depression or anxiety. Some warning signs that would tell me you should go seek professional help (i.e. a psychiatrist - mental health professional) would be:

1) Greater then 2 weeks of disturbed sleep (disturbed sleep being 2 hours more or less then usual)

2) Greater then 2 weeks of decreased interest in doing things that you usually enjoy.

3) Decreased energy for 2 weeks where you can't get done what you need to get done.

4) Depressed mood with or without crying spells for greater then 2 weeks.

5) Decreased appetite for greater then 2 weeks or a 10% weight loss (without intending to diet or lose weight) in the period of a month.

6) Feelings of Suicide at any point.

7) Inability to concentrate for greater then 2 weeks.

If any of the above conditions are being met, I should you go seek some professional help ASAP. Being in Ohio, there should be a medical school that is hopefully not too far from where you live where you could see a psychiatric resident for a reasonable fee. Good luck with your situation.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola - Don't confuse momentary bliss with enduring happiness. Some people become clinically depressed (or suffer from clinical anxiety) even at "happy" times of their lives such as hooking up with a girl.

[MacroGuru]

well, I just came out of about a year of depression, that boiled down to about the same issues you are having.

Job - I was either over qualified, or under qualified. I have 10 years IT industry experience and only an associates degree. However, I have worked for major corporations such as Macromedia, IBM, Trek, Corel, and Jostens. I just could never get a job

Finances - I went from making six figures a year to nothing. Trust me, the stress was there.

Relationship - This tied into the Finances. My wife, had to go back to work to support us. We were used to at least 60k+ a year, and that money was gone, we had to dip into savings, and my retirement to survive. This hurt a lot, and my wife was ready to leave me.

The depression hit, I had no desire at all. I tried several things, including insurance sales, MLM's, and even consulting and contracting. Just to damn depressed to be an effective person.

It took the threat of divorce, losing my children and a bit of others saying stuff to me for me to realize what the hell my problem was.

I sought help immediately. Doctor helped me a lot, but in the process, we also found out I as ADHD, imagine a 29 year old man being diagnosed as ADHD on top of Depression.

I sought football for my excerise, that helped me in several ways, including building my confidence. This in turn got me off my ass and looking for a job. I found one, it was a commission sales job, but it put food on the table while I was still looking for others. Finally I landed one, making what we are used to, and I have the ability to bring the wife back home.

Why did I share this with you all. Well, one, it was therapeutic for me to write it. But, it took others to tell me to shape up, see what I was blinded too. I took several steps to change it, and none of them included medication. My doctor didn't want me on them, so we created a plan of attack together. You might have to do this, sit down, figure it all out, and create the plan of attack to end it. Cause it is a never ending cycle that cause it to continually go down hill.

[Eaglesfan27]

Good post. Good point about medicines. 10-15% (it would be higher but insurance companies don't like to pay doctors to do therapy - they pay social workers or sometimes psychologists instead) of my patients are not on any medication and i just perform some form of therapy with them (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for some, intrapersonal for others, insight oriented for others, and supportive for the rest.)

[WussGawd]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Well, I don't know enough about your situation to say if this is clinical depression or anxiety. Some warning signs that would tell me you should go seek professional help (i.e. a psychiatrist - mental health professional) would be:

1) Greater then 2 weeks of disturbed sleep (disturbed sleep being 2 hours more or less then usual)

2) Greater then 2 weeks of decreased interest in doing things that you usually enjoy.

3) Decreased energy for 2 weeks where you can't get done what you need to get done.

4) Depressed mood with or without crying spells for greater then 2 weeks.

5) Decreased appetite for greater then 2 weeks or a 10% weight loss (without intending to diet or lose weight) in the period of a month.

6) Feelings of Suicide at any point.

7) Inability to concentrate for greater then 2 weeks.

If any of the above conditions are being met, I should you go seek some professional help ASAP. Being in Ohio, there should be a medical school that is hopefully not too far from where you live where you could see a psychiatric resident for a reasonable fee. Good luck with your situation.

This is the best advice I've seen in a thread full of good advice.

As a depression sufferer, I can tell you that treatment or therapy (or both) can make a huge, huge difference.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Ask Tommy Chong for advice, man...

[Balldog]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Well, I don't know enough about your situation to say if this is clinical depression or anxiety. Some warning signs that would tell me you should go seek professional help (i.e. a psychiatrist - mental health professional) would be:

1) Greater then 2 weeks of disturbed sleep (disturbed sleep being 2 hours more or less then usual)

2) Greater then 2 weeks of decreased interest in doing things that you usually enjoy.

3) Decreased energy for 2 weeks where you can't get done what you need to get done.

4) Depressed mood with or without crying spells for greater then 2 weeks.

5) Decreased appetite for greater then 2 weeks or a 10% weight loss (without intending to diet or lose weight) in the period of a month.

6) Feelings of Suicide at any point.

7) Inability to concentrate for greater then 2 weeks.

If any of the above conditions are being met, I should you go seek some professional help ASAP. Being in Ohio, there should be a medical school that is hopefully not too far from where you live where you could see a psychiatric resident for a reasonable fee. Good luck with your situation.

Well pretty much every thing but #6 I said yes too so I figured it is best to call and setup up an appointment with a counselor. As of this morning I have lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks. Ten lbs I need, I have absolutely no appetitte at all.

Thanks for the advice guys.