Goals for Coping with Anxiety Discussion (Mental Health Awareness Event :) )
Hi there everyone! For the Mental Health Awareness Event, August 8th - 15th, I will be leading my first ever discussion for goals for coping with anxiety :) Feel free to participate! There will be a new discussion question each day, a total of 7 questions, one for each day in the discussion. I will try to stay consistent with my posting times.
Let's begin with our first question:
What are the first symptom of your anxiety? Do you get specific symptoms of your anxiety, or is it more of a general anxious feeling?
I will start with the first reply, I tend to feel anxious when a stressful situation occurs, and often times the symptoms of my anxiety are irritability, panic attacks, trouble breathing, shaky, distant/day dreamy, stuttering and a few more that I think I am forgetting to list.
Please feel free to share only what you are comfortable with down below :)
~~~MissSkeleton
@MissSkeleton
Tagging the Anxiety Peeps in this Come join us if you wish :)
@Adrjust1 @Alex @Allen @Amberosa @amethystunicorn @amicableStrawberries1852 @ASilentObserver @asthebeesays @Aubrynn @aud44 @AzureWinter @bear228 @Belis @Bella20 @BlissfulMusic @blossombreathe @bluespruce123 @bouncySeal96 @BugInaRug @bunnypants @chasingghosts17 @Cherm @chlowii @Christi125 @colorfulSpace59 @compassionateHuman8369 @countrygirl1231 @CrazycatPerson @crimsonCherry68 @DanaMH @DancingAlong @dancingStrawberry34 @DayCap @DrDonut @DylanxYuzu @ekimb @elaine.s @Elliejays @EmikoKokoro @Emmur @empathicForest15 @EnchxntedRose @evil.dragon.queen @Fluffypea @FluffyUnicorns84 @Freetotalk333 @GentleFlameOfCaring @GimmeTheMuffins @GraceKitty @greenAcres1614 @Gregariouszebra20 @HealingAngel4u @HeatherfeatherC @HelpingStarlight @HeyItsRoo @HydrangeaField @ImACow @ImEditBtw @InvisiblyBroken1219 @ItsDev @itsunaa @jandro21 @Joe2017 @Kaitlyn1204 @Kajlian @KarisSolace @Kate @KateriSua @Keanan @Kiari225 @Kimberp @KittyCat15 @lightstar7 @Lilibuth12 @Lonea @lovelySpring74 @lovingstrawberry @magneticForever58 @MajesticCat @Makayla124 @Mandegar698 @Marshmaiiows @matthewslistening @mehidgaf @MicrobeT @MidWestOlivia27 @mimameid @MissSkeleton @Mochix @Moodyson @MysterySpirit @Nomadicmind @OrangeBanana2017 @owengiraffe @pamfrost003 @pamharley003 @Penguinlover01 @PhiloshipicalShip9444 @PhoenixAsh @piercetheaiden @Poppynose @Pumpkin74 @Sandford @scarletWheel8308 @sensitiveLime1670 @shakyscarlett @SilverWaterfall @SkolSuper1976 @Strawberrypie122 @Suranta @ThePenguinofGotham @TheWayofImagination @thrs6 @TinyTea @tryingmybest7 @VickyP @Vimex22 @VinylFly @wallflower1996 @WashedOutPink @windflowers @Zizy
@MissSkeleton
What are the first symptom of your anxiety? Do you get specific symptoms of your anxiety, or is it more of a general anxious feeling?
sweaty palms and an anxious feeling then i begin panicking is the specific ones i get first
@CaringBrit
I see, those are common indicators of anxiety or panic attacks that may be on coming, and do you have any current coping methods for your anxiety?
@MissSkeleton yes music ( DJin ) gaming , art , movies
@CaringBrit
Those are excellent!! When do you tend to do these activites, during, or before full blown anxiety occurs?
@MissSkeleton they are also my self care methods so fairly regular but if i am anxious id try everything possible during feeling anxious til it clears if all fails ill rest using rain drops/thunderstorms to fall asleep too sound of rain is relaxing so by time i wake im fine
@MissSkeleton
Thanks @CaringBrit for tagging :3 This sounds really fun!
What are the first symptom of your anxiety? Do you get specific symptoms of your anxiety, or is it more of a general anxious feeling?
Well, my anxiety symptoms are bit random XD
The most common ones I experience are heart palpitations, sweaty hands, something that maybe is called the nervous energy? That feeling that fills up my chest Idk what it's called QwQ, and trouble breathing.
@EmikoKokoro
Oh wow, we share some similar symptoms, do you have coping methods that you use?
@MissSkeleton
What are the first symptom of your anxiety? Do you get specific symptoms of your anxiety, or is it more of a general anxious feeling?
For me, my first symptoms are usually my heart starts beathing fast, then I can feel my skin start to sweat and I feel shaky and a then little light headed. It gets worse the longer I'm in the sitaution thats bothering me. I hate standing in lines. The whole purpose of standing in the line is because there's something I need to get done and makes the whole thing worse.
@magneticForever58
That must be really difficult :( What ways do you cope? Do you think your coping methods would work for others?
@MissSkeleton
I have at times, when I'm in the moment I will usually try to control my breathing and repeat things in my head. Like when I'm on the bus and I'm forced to be around people until I reach my stop and it's crowded and standing room only. I tell myself that I can do this I can make it, there's no reason for anyone to focus on me, I'm just standing here like everyone else. I close my eyes and I imagine that I'm standing out in the woods I had gone to as a kid for camp. I remember that it was so quiet and everything was so still and peaceful. I can remember the smell of the trees and the ground in the summer heat. Other times I imagine a place I've never really been before like standing in a meadow of tall grass. There is a big mountain in the distance and a stream to my right. I can hear the trickle of the stream and see the tall grass making wave like patterns as it's blowing in the wind. Sometimes it's not enough, but it has helped.
General anxious feeling for me. Not anything specific. Although when it's real bad I feel like I'm dying.
@mimameid
That's no good :( I am so sorry to hear, we are here to support you, do you have severe anxiety?
@MissSkeleton
I used to get panic attacks but now I just have generalized anxiety. Sometimes depending on the situation it can be severe.
Day Two!!:
Now we are moving on to our next topic, what are some positive ways that you have coped with your anxiety? Do you have a specific coping method, or maybe is it an activity that calms you down, let's talk about it below :) Feel free to join in on the discussion, if you hadn't already, we love welcoming new people <3
~~~MissSkeleton
@MissSkeleton music ( DJin ) gaming , art , movies are my specific coping methods :)
@CaringBrit
That's awesome! In what ways does it help you control your anxiety?
@MissSkeleton Distracts me Gaming Art and DJin all have the same effect i go in my own little word im focused basically time flies by while doing it its very calming is Art and DJin especially and movies are relaxing they dont always work though but they do usually
when they dont work ill play a loop of rain drops/ thunderstorms etc and fall asleep a bit sort of grounding myself to it as rain drops are so calming to hear on the window
@CaringBrit
Just thinking about it already sounds relaxing, those are excellent methods :D
@MissSkeleton
I personally love writing my thoughts down when I'm overthinking XD!!
@EmikoKokoro
Journaling/writing is a fantastic way to relieve anxiety and stress, it is a good form of venting and can be public or private depending on your preferences.
@EmikoKokoro @lovelyWhisper66 @mimameid @magneticForever58 @CaringBrit
Just a quick taglist, so those who are part of the discussion may see the next question :)
I love to listen to music. I also meditate and do deep breathing.
@lovelyWhisper66
Listening to music is awesome for calming down, any relaxing auditoral methods is also good for bed too, if you have night time anxiety :)
Day 3 Discussion Question:
Sorry for the late post, lots of real life stuff going on :) Anyways, onto the next topic, coping methods, there are several types of coping methods, such as grounding where you understand your enviroment, and slow your racing mind down, visualization, a bit of an opposite to grounding, where you imagine yourself in a relaxing environment, deep breathing, where you focus on breathing, and relaxing your body/mind, venting, and several other methods. If you had to choose a primary method what would it be, are there any coping methods you could share with people who may not already have a good coping method?
@MissSkeleton primary method movies
@CaringBrit
That's new to even me, would you like to talk more about what it is?
@MissSkeleton how is watching movies new ? ive found grounding and the other techniques to be unhelpful so my primaries are those ive mentioned twice already
@CaringBrit
I'm silly, my brain inserted grounding next to method, so I thought you said grounding method movies, is there a specific movie you like to watch, or any sort of genre?
@MissSkeleton theres not a particulr genre no but i do tend to steer towards adventure, mystery, Syfy as matches
@CaringBrit
That's awesome :) Why do you think they help you calm down, is the immersement of the movie able to distract you, or is it the comfort of being home, and watching a movie is what helps the most to cope with anxiety?
@MissSkeleton im not sure
@MissSkeleton
My primary method is to slow down my racing thoughts and take some deep breathes XD
Blushing, sweating, stuttering. All I can think of at the moment
Hi there I'm hoping to gain ways of coping with my anxiety panic attacks which have got worse. It is normally when eating or drinking with friends. I start to shake uncontrollably and heart races. Some times light headed and twitching. I now try to avoid situations as much as possible. I have tried breathing technique but has not helped. We are due to stay with friends and I am dreading it.
