Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav

How can I overcome anxiety if I can't talk to a therapist or my own doctor?

308 Answers
Last Updated: 06/10/2022 at 1:54am
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Lauren Abasheva, LMHC

Licensed Professional Counselor

A sex positive, and kink knowledgeable therapist with an open mindset and a clear understanding that we are all different.

Top Rated Answers
TheLadyK
August 14th, 2016 5:30pm
I struggle with this very issue. Particularly, since talking sometimes feels a bit detached. Or makes me feel more anxious. I have been exploring something lately, where I approach whatever is bothering me with curiosity. Where do I feel the anxiety in my body? Does it have a color? A shape? What does it feel like, if I let myself get closer to it (without necessarily ascribing words to the feeling)? I will often set a timer for 2 minutes, and let myself fully experience this. I can handle anything for two minutes. Make friends with your anxiety -- it might be trying to tell you something.
HopieRemi
August 11th, 2016 10:07am
There are things you can do for your anxiety on your own. Know your triggers. Know how to avoid them and if you can't avoid them, learn how to not react. Looking up grounding techniques.....now that you have looked it up.....what do you feel about trying that??
Anonymous
August 6th, 2016 12:20am
Come here on 7 cups and there are plenty people just like you 😊 A lot of listeners you can talk to and a lot of support 🙂 Come up with strategies and plans that will help you manage your anxiety more
Vronica23
March 31st, 2017 3:32pm
There are so many resources available when dealing with anxiety. I like using an app called SAM by the University of the West of England. It is a self help app with an active community for when you feel anxious. Among the many tools, my favorite is the Help for Anxiety Now tab. It provides simple, proven techniques, such as breathing exercises and interactive methods to combat anxiety. I have used it before when I felt panic attacks coming on with great results. It's so nice to have something so helpful at the tips of your fingers when a professional is out of reach. I highly recommend it.
BigGreenCat
August 20th, 2016 7:00pm
A good place to start is writing your feelings out or practicing saying them to yourself or your cat or someome you trust
kristenisaninjaturtle
August 7th, 2016 4:27pm
try grounding exercises, they help me,,, you can find techniques on Google.
Georgia
August 27th, 2017 1:22pm
When you aren't able to talk to a therapist or doctor it's definitely hard to overcome anxiety. But that doesn't mean you can't! Finding ways to overcome anxiety is easier than most people think! Keep a "trigger journal" listing what triggers you. When you've been able to pinpoint your triggers, finding the solution to them is easier! For example, if your trigger is public transport, then one way to overcome it is listening to music and talking to friends, distracting yourself from the people on the bus/train - or just avoiding them as much as possible. Furthermore, the lovely listeners here, and the Anxiety forum, sub-community and Chatroom are available for you to get ideas from other people completely anonymously! ❤
0nigiri
August 6th, 2016 5:02am
Find what works for you! The classic breathing exercises don't work for everyone, think of something that calms you down, playing an instrument, looking at the sky, drawing, watching/reading shows and books, etc!
OctopusGarden
November 3rd, 2016 2:46am
Speak to friends and family members. They are sure to give you warm support and advice. There are several other ways to overcome anxiety, such as engaging in a hobby or sport.
NocheAzul25
June 1st, 2018 7:08am
I've been in this situation, and I used to ask the same question. It's very difficult to seek help for things; specially if the thing you want to talk about is the thing that is keeping you from talking. It is this vicious cycle, but you are capable of breaking it. When I first began seeing a therapist, it took 3 or 4 sessions before I began actually speaking. The important thing is that you take that first step. Maybe you could even have a friend set up your appointment for you. Therapists and doctors both understand what you're going through, and want to try their best to make sure your comfortable with the situation, but also help you how they can. I know it's intimidating, but taking the first step is the biggest part. Thank you for reaching out, and good luck
Anonymous
December 7th, 2018 3:54pm
Overcoming anxiety can feel like there is no possible way, but it's understandable if you can't talk to a therapist or your own doctor. Anxiety's enemy is distractions, happiness, and feeling loved. You can overcome anxiety in many ways. For example, pick up a hobby or learn about someone new, make connections. Embrace your newly found happiness and tell anxiety "No." Wake up each morning and smile for at least 60 seconds, it automatically makes you happier. My progress over the last 4 years learning and figuring out how to get rid of my anxiety quicker has become easier following these steps.
WarriorAri
September 17th, 2020 12:44am
Anxiety is a very common issue found in people. It can be overcome with few methods. Anxiety is the negative counterpart of excitement. When you are anxious you are worried because a negative thought or fear is troubling. So you can just replace it with a positive thought or some hope. Many people start to feel anxious when they think it as life or death situation, (like if I don't clear this exam,I will become a worthless person for my entire life). It is not a healthy practice. You can think the situation as a mere challenge which has nothing to do with your career or future. Labeling the thoughts help sometimes. For example, if you are having problems, you can write what negative emotions you are feeling, like anger, or fear or sad . And finally it is better to hope for good. Because we have only 2 choices : be happy or sad. The chance is 50/50 (if you can control your mind's chattering). So why not choose the positive side and stay calm?
lifefighter1012
April 22nd, 2018 12:15am
There are many ways to deal with anxiety. Most anxiety triggers are related to the uncertainty of something or a big fear of something. A great way to ease this is to have a sort of distraction, like a phone call to your bestie and have her/him laugh your anxiety away or try deep breathing exercises. Inhale and as you exhale, count down from 10 to 0. Do this until you feel better. Normally after the third you start to beef calm. Don't do this too much because you might feel dizzy lol another way that helps is watching videos of you favorite animal, like a dog or cat running around the grass or something. Hope this helps :)
Anonymous
March 19th, 2017 1:36am
If you are experiencing anxiety it is best to surround yourself with people you feel safe with. If there is no one you want to talk to, maybe try sites such as this, and refer to the guides and hotlines. Many times we feel more relieved once we say our problems out loud and reflect on their importance. Breathing is also what may help, when you feel overwhelmed try and take a few deep breaths to calm yourself.
Calmriver18
April 20th, 2018 4:37am
It can be hard to break this cycle, but there are ways iv found we can do it especially when we dont have someone like our therapist to listen or help guied us. Some things i find that help me are taking a short walk outside amd breathing in and out calmly allowing my mind and heart to slowly get back to normal, relaxation techniques can help you with the mental and physical feelings of anxiety so by just going to a quiet place and breathing deeply and playing some nice relaxing tunes can help, writing down how you feel and letting it out as you would to your therapist can also help life some weight of your shoulders i fimd doing this while having a nice chamomile tea and sitting outside helps me fee much less anxious, sometime a good scream out loud helps release tension 😊 it may be silly but it helps i know, a warm bath with some nice relaxing soaps could help you reduce the stress and anxiety you may be feeling, spending somw time with your pet can also relive stress and anxiety. There are many ways we can try to help us het through that rough day and help is get a firm hold of our body and mind ☺
Anonymous
January 26th, 2019 10:58pm
Anonymous conversations especially like the ones on 7 cups would be a great way to have others help your feelings of anxiety while helping you feel more safe and less alone. From my personal experience, feeling anxious makes you feel like no one should be trusted and everything that you are feeling should be kept to yourself. However, not reaching out will impede you from getting the help you need. Anonymous conversations can help you with both of those problems, because you are able to safely reach out without breaching your personal identity or feeling like you've gone too far out of your box.
Littlehelper77
March 22nd, 2019 9:08pm
I would start with brainstorming. Think about, and figure out your triggers. Figuring out your triggers is important in helping your anxiety. Make a list of your triggers and become aware with them. Whenever you panic, write down what situation you are in, how your body is feeling, and how your mind is feeling. This will help you figure out and document how your attacks affect your body and mind. After completing this, I would make a list of Distraction Methods to try doing when you start to notice panic. This could be holding an ice cube, washing your face with cold water, taking a bath or shower, going for a walk, etc. This will make it easier for you to follow during an attack, rather than attempting to think on the spot while panicking. Then make a Self-Care list to begin practicing, as well as a comfort box to go to while panicking. These take some time to assemble, but are very helpful in the intense moment of panic. In my experience, these have all helped tremendously. Hope this helps!
artlover66
March 15th, 2019 1:04am
You could try writing out your feelings and thoughts and, if you feel up to it, share those with your therapist or doctor. You could also work on desensitizing yourself at home by role playing. Ask yourself questions a doctor or therapist might ask you, and then answer them. If anxiety comes up, practice breathing, tapping, or using another coping strategy you have. Once you feel ready, you could try talking to an online therapist, and then move onto a face-to-face doctor or therapist if needed. Remember all change for everyone is scary and we need to take small steps to reach our destination. Start taking some small steps, and you'll be on your way.
jkimz
March 9th, 2019 12:45am
There is an exercise that I did a while ago that was eye-awakening for me. Imagine that you finally got an an interview dream job. You wake up 2 hours early, get ready, play out the interview in your head over and over again. Just as you open your door to step out, however, you see your bag on fire. What is your first thought that comes to mind? How would you interpret this event? This exercise reveals how we think when given a situation we don’t understand nor expect. These incomprehensible and unexpected catch even “normal” off guard and lead them to panic. Predictably, it is worse for people with anxiety, because anxiety creates an irrationally extreme worst-case scenario. When you do this exercise, try to catch any errors in your thoughts. How likely are those thoughts to come true? While there are things that are out of control, what are some things you can do to alleviate the situation? When I had anxiety, my first thought of this event was “of course this would happen to me on this day.” I would instantly lose my motivation and close the front door. Drag my feet to the bed. Not want to come out for days. Then I would feel guilty and regretful for not even going to the interview. For not being as motivated and strong as I should be. I would call in a few days later to apologize. Maybe I won’t even do that. As you can see, anxiety is strongly linked to depression because when we are anxious, we make irrational, regretful decisions that lead to depression. Having anxiety for a long time is like being in a toxic relationship with someone who is constantly telling you to give up, get out, stop trying...So when you do the exercise, try to find where exactly you make your thinking errors before you fall deeper into a downward cycle. Is it that you give up too easily? Is it that you assume nobody will hear you out if something as crazy as this happened? Is it that you don’t look for help when you know you cannot handle this yourself? Is it that you assume you deserve it? Think about them carefully and stop the cycle.
Anonymous
February 21st, 2019 11:16am
It's important to talk to whoever you feel comfortable with, It's very normal to not want to talk to certain people about your anxiety, there are many online mental health charities that you could e-mail, message or speak to on the phone anonymously that offer great advice if you don't want to speak anyone in person, but taking the first step by speaking to someone you trust is the most crucial step. It's also important to note that it's absolutely normal to talk about anything that is causing you anxiety or that is playing on your mind and that there are many people out there who are willing to listen and that have experienced similar issues especially on 7 cups, you're definitely not on your own.
Anonymous
February 17th, 2019 2:58am
You can try various things that smooth you and calm you . Anything that makes you relieved of stress can help whatever you like to do and think is right . It’s all up to you because only you knows what’s good for your mental and physical health . There is also a lot of hotlines that will listen to you if you feel like 7 cups doesn’t really connect with you and what you’re looking for . You’re never alone there is always someone to talk to no matter what state you’re in or what you need help with .
Anthony6779
February 9th, 2019 7:27pm
The first thing I do if I have anxious feelings is to tell myself to remember that this uncomfortable feeling will pass! It might not be right away but by telling myself that it will pass I start to become more calm. You will never overcome anxiety, but that's ok because anxiety is normal at some levels because it often keeps us safe, but uncontrolled anxiety is very uncomfortable and if you can't talk to a therapist right away or your doctor, take a break...if you have a pet, sit with you pet, animals can be very therapeutic and often calming, it often works for me.
Rebeccapersoncentred
January 11th, 2019 2:09pm
There are lots of ways to overcome anxiety. Talking to someone can help but not everyone finds it helpful. Here are some suggestions that may help manage your anxiety. Be kind to yourself - self care helps with so many things, think about things you enjoy and try to do those as often as you can manage. Make a list of what you enjoy and try different ones. Accept that you are anxious - try to accept that you are scared, anxiety is fear, try to pinpoint what it is that is making you feel scared, you might want to try writing things down or brainstorming ideas if you cannot work out what it is. Knowing the cause will help to overcome it. Practice relaxing - there are lots of ideas for this, mediation, exercise such as yoga, watching ASMR on youtube, etc. Finding something that help calm you down can help manage your anxiety when you are feeling it.
Anonymous
January 23rd, 2020 5:21am
There are actually many exercises you can try out, they don't always work for everyone, but worth a shot. It also depends on what really gives you anxiety, I'd also think. Because I've read up on trying to conquer those specific fears slowly, so that confidence can be built up the more you come across said situation. For example, social anxiety. That one can be where you're fearful of quite a few things, like public speaking, talking to someone new, or even just worrying about what people will say/think about you. It's all different, so depending on the anxiety you're experiencing, how you'll deal with it will vary. Anxiety can be difficult, but I believe in you!
Anonymous
January 3rd, 2019 2:43am
Try to breathe and think of other ways to cope. You can write down your problem or someone around you. Remember that it isn't the end of the world and you should take things slow. Even though things may seem like baby steps, they are steps towards a better direction. If you talk to others who have dealt with anxiety, you can feel better and your situation and know that you can get through this. I recommend learning breathing exercises you can do in public and when your at home you can meditate. In school, bringing a journal to draw/write things in can help.
CuddlyPanda
January 6th, 2019 8:59am
I talk to my friends. I write it out, listen to music. Put my fairy lights on, light some candles and incense. I make my space happy and comforting. I say no to things I can and I ask for support when I need it. I spend time creating an environment that helps me to feel less anxious, that means letting people in and doing things that don't necessarily 'fix' my anxiety but they do make a difference in the moment. I may still be anxious but I have created a positive space. Then I make time to talk to a professional, doctor or counselor.
Anonymous
May 2nd, 2019 4:16pm
A great place to start is re-connecting with yourself to find out which may cause your anxiety and how intense it/they can trigger you. I've been dealing with anxiety by writing journals. At the anxious time, take notes about your feeling and current situation, then by the end of the day write a full page of journal to fully keep track with your anxiety. Also, being able to write down what is on your mind might be a stress-relief activity. I hope that you can add this hobby into your daily life to get know yourself better from time to time so you can overcome anxiety easier.
N0vakIndustries
February 6th, 2019 4:09pm
Consider using resources such as this! There are lots of online free chatrooms for you to vent about issues that could be causing the anxiety. Also consider looking at relaxation techniques to minimise the negative effects of generalised anxiety or anxiety attacks. Personally, I think grounding techniques are the most useful in preventing anxiety attacks or combatting them. Overall, a therapist or doctor could only give you the tools you need to overcome your anxiety- you are the one who has the power to overcome it. You are strong enough, all you may need is the right advice, the right tools, and the right mindset :)
Anonymous
February 8th, 2019 9:16am
First step is understanding your own feelings. If you dont understand why you feel the way you do then it is hard to put it across to others. Sometimes I couldn't explain my anxiety to my doctor or therapist because I would freeze, I'd talk about anything that meant I avoided the problem at hand. This is perfectly normal. First step is always understanding what is making you anxious. Second step is separating those issues you can do something about from those you can't. It's about learning to let go of what you can't change and working on what you can
WorriedWolfListens
January 24th, 2019 5:53am
In my experience it generally helps to ask yourself the questions “Why am I anxious? What about is is making me anxious? Is it worth being anxious over? Why?” Just placing names and words to what’s making you feel anxious in and of itself helps. If the opportunity exists to talk to someone like a friend, family member, or partner I would suggest taking it. Talking to someone even if they don’t have a degree can still help very much. Talk them through what is making you feel this way and why it’s important. Ask him if they’ve ever felt this way before and how they got through it if they did. If the opportunity isn’t available to talk to someone talking yourself through what made you anxious in the first place and figuring out why it made you anxious help a great deal. After figuring out what and why think hard about how to change the situation causing the anxiety and if it’s a situation outside your control think hard about how to cope with it healthily.