How to reduce anxiety?

[kray]

@Jennifercelebra BIG time. They even have pure CBD gummies at some medicinal shops. Really effective in easing anxiety symptoms (though not 100% a cure).  

[Someone here]

18 hours ago, Michael569 said:

@Someone here on the top of what guys many times wiser than me already advised, I would be curious what is the current state of your health:

* what's your diet like? 
* sleep? 
* exercise routine? 
* any addictions? 
* stressors in life? 
* digestive problems? 
* any mold, toxins in house? 
* any medication?
* any ongoing health condition?

1 I eat whatever I find in the fridge lol. Sometimes it depends on what I can afford. I don't have a specific diet.  

Most of the time.. It consists of carbs (rice.. Pasta.. Bread etc) and meats. 

2 I sleep 10 hours a day. 

3 no exercise. 

4 I'm addicted to cigarettes. 

5 no digestive problems.  No toxins etc 

6 I took Prozac and serenace last year during a depression phase. I casued me chronic fatigue.. So I stopped. 

7 kinda. Feeling low energy. Anxiety. And mild depression. 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Someone here

[Someone here]

@Mu_ I agree. Though easier said than done. Maybe the luxury of modern life grows tendency of attachments. And it doesn't help with being unconditionally on with whatever have you. 

I've been wrestling with the idea of suffering for a while and I feel like I'm not making much more progress on that issue.. the evolutionary process of the universe towards a more desirable state makes more and more sense to me and it's hard for me to see it any other way. I disagree with the idea that everything that the universe experiences is desirable.. but rather that it's a necessary byproduct of evolution, which we can eventually overcome as the universe converges towards greater and greater self-love. 

Not enough suffering yet actually. I guess  otherwise I definitely wouldn't keep riding in samsara like a chimp. Lol jk. 

Thanks 

[mandyjw]

@Someone here Set an alarm, cut back to 8 or 9 hours of sleep, start an easy exercise routine and add in some veggies and fruits. Do you get outside, and get sunlight? If not, take vitamin D. Those things will make an enormous difference. 

Try different breath exercises and replace the urge for a cigarettes with that every now and then, just for curiosity's sake. When you do smoke, notice how the urge for a cigarette triggers you to take a break, when you relax and consciously breathe without having to "do anything" or make it into a chore or a "should do". See how the smoke diffuses into nothingness when you exhale it, how the entire ritual is sort of metaphoric of letting go and dissolution. See the need that it's meeting. 

[Someone here]

3 hours ago, Jennifercelebra said:

It is a serious matter and needs to be cured at a prior stage.Anxiety sometimes even leads to depression and faster heartbeats.CBD is recommended as medication to relax the mind.

 

3 hours ago, kray said:

@Jennifercelebra BIG time. They even have pure CBD gummies at some medicinal shops. Really effective in easing anxiety symptoms (though not 100% a cure).  

Thanks. Will definitely look it up. 

[Michael569]

48 minutes ago, Someone here said:

1 I eat whatever I find in the fridge lol. Sometimes it depends on what I can afford. I don't have a specific diet.  

Most of the time.. It consists of carbs (rice.. Pasta.. Bread etc) and meats. 

2 I sleep 10 hours a day. 

3 no exercise. 

4 I'm addicted to cigarettes. 

5 no digestive problems.  No toxins etc 

6 I took Prozac and serenace last year during a depression phase. I casued me chronic fatigue.. So I stopped. 

7 kinda. Feeling low energy. Anxiety. And mild depression. 

couple things I see here that may help. 

1. if you're eating a lot of simple carbs you'll be riding an insulin rollercoaster which has a direct impact on your stress hormones -> anxiety rises

2. lack of exercise also has profound negative effects on mood -> exercise stimulates BDNF your main stimulator of neroplasticity -> basically exercise helps your brain to adapt and rewire, this is essential in anxiety 

3. cigarettes will absolutely destroy your mood and energy 

Anyways, these are the 3 areas that if you put work into your anxiety will reduce at least by 50-70%. Happy to help you in that if you'd like. 

[seeking_brilliance]

I agree about cigarettes. They lie to you and say they will reduce your stress, which they do for about.... Five minutes or so, and oops, time for another one.  I stopped smoking last year during covid break. Was my third or fourth time stopping. Luckily this time it held, thank brilliance. 

Edited March 4, 2021 by seeking_brilliance

[Someone here]

3 hours ago, mandyjw said:

Try different breath exercises and replace the urge for a cigarettes with that every now and then, just for curiosity's sake. When you do smoke, notice how the urge for a cigarette triggers you to take a break, when you relax and consciously breathe without having to "do anything" or make it into a chore or a "should do". See how the smoke diffuses into nothingness when you exhale it, how the entire ritual is sort of metaphoric of letting go and dissolution. See the need that it's meeting. 

Yes that's pretty accurate. It's a way of relaxing and letting myself go. Escapism. But also there is the physical addiction. Once that nicotine is well established in your blood stream..you start physically depending on it to get going like food and water. It's hard. I'm making some progress recently in battling the addiction tho. 

3 hours ago, mandyjw said:

Set an alarm, cut back to 8 or 9 hours of sleep, start an easy exercise routine and add in some veggies and fruits. Do you get outside, and get sunlight? If not, take vitamin D. Those things will make an enormous difference

I do get the sun. I eat fruits and veggies every now and then.  I sleep a lot because I feel fatigue often. 

 

3 hours ago, Michael569 said:

if you're eating a lot of simple carbs you'll be riding an insulin rollercoaster which has a direct impact on your stress hormones -> anxiety rises

2. lack of exercise also has profound negative effects on mood -> exercise stimulates BDNF your main stimulator of neroplasticity -> basically exercise helps your brain to adapt and rewire, this is essential in anxiety 

3. cigarettes will absolutely destroy your mood and energy 

Anyways, these are the 3 areas that if you put work into your anxiety will reduce at least by 50-70%. Happy to help you in that if you'd like. 

Definitely. Thanks  .  I need to make improvements in my diet and fitness. And I definitely need to put the damn cigs down. I didn't smoke for about two weeks now.. So I guess I'm making some progress. 

BTW may I know what pills you might suggest that can help with anxiety symptoms and can be without side effects? 

[Mu_]

@Someone here   As Michael has said, diet, excercise and reduce/eventually eliminate cigarettes, and will do wonders to baseline stress, feel good emotions.  I know they seem like stuff that everyone talks about and may come across as cliche at this point, but they make a difference.

[Someone here]

@Mu_ indeed 

[Michael569]

13 minutes ago, Someone here said:

BTW may I know what pills you might suggest that can help with anxiety symptoms and can be without side effects? 

Are you currently on any SSRI/SNRIs/TCAs? Or any other pharmaceuticals? 

[Someone here]

10 minutes ago, Michael569 said:

Are you currently on any SSRI/SNRIs/TCAs? Or any other pharmaceuticals? 

No.... I don't take any medication currently 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Someone here

[Michael569]

14 minutes ago, Someone here said:

No.... I don't take any medication atm 

Then experiment with the following (note that none of these will fix the root cause, they numb symptoms without side effects to allow you to work on the root cause by the following advice from Nahm, Mandy or Mu_ above and working on your diet and exercise. 

* Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis) - good evidence in anxiety, mildly sedative and mildly adaptogenicFor dosages, follow what is on the bottle 

* Chamomile - Excelent agonist of GABA (relaxing neurotransmitter). Commonly found in teas 

* Valerian Root Extract (Valeriana Officinalis) - somewhat sedative so best taken away from when you have to drive or work with heavy machinery. This is a great sleep aid. You can find extract in capsules, tinctures or a tea. Valerian is like your natural Valium without taking all the toxic stuff in. 

* St John's Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) - this MUST NOT at any cost be mixed with SSRIs or 5HTP or Tryptophan. SJW has the best evidence of effect by far by some people expect nausea with it.

* Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) - this is an adaptogen more than a sedative so this helps you push over the first adaptation level. Again, it does not fix the root cause but a lot of people feel great on this. It would however not be my first go to.

* Ginkgo Biloba- ginkgo is an excellent supporter of BDNF and neuroplasticity so this may be effective in later stages once you start working on everything else. 

TRY TO APPROACH THIS AS FOLLOWING
* Stay away from caffeine & all energy drinks 
* Get a tea from either Chamomile or Lemon Balm and drink that throughout the day 
* Alongside that consider getting a capsulated extract of either Valerian Root or St John's Wort
* If you have time, practice some light yoga, or find a local pullup bar and get the blood flowing 
* also consider getting your vitamin D checked as @mandyjw suggested, this could indeed make a profound difference if your levels low
* and finally if there is a deep trauma or emotional scars, those need to be healed otherwise the anxiety may not go away completely, I think Nahm and Mu have a lot to say about that

Good luck! Drop me a line if you have any Qs
 

[Someone here]

@Michael569 thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Will look into those and hopefully trying them out and let you know how it went. 

[snowyowl]

Some great suggestions here. I'd just like to add a couple of quick 'emergency' techniques which sometimes help me. 

* Deep slow mindful breathing, especially as I do this as part of my meditation routine, so it has a kind of automatic effect of shifting me to a more relaxed state. 

* Reminding myself about the fight-flight-freeze mechanism. Anxiety is bound up with hormonal systems, the sympathetic nervous system and brain stem. Telling myself "It's just a chemical reaction" can help me to disrupt irrational thought patterns, while I try to reset my thinking onto something more constructive.  

Edited March 5, 2021 by snowyowl
spelling

[mandyjw]

1 hour ago, Someone here said:

Once that nicotine is well established in your blood stream..you start physically depending on it to get going like food and water.

Thoughts, STORIES!!!  I hear you though. 

 

[lmfao]

@Someone here Good thread here, I'll steal some of what @Michael569 said in regards to the physical aspect of this. Just buying chamomile tea and valerian root. I realised today after eating some shit food that my anxiety suddenly got a lot worse.

One random thing I'll add in regards to relaxing at nighttime or whenever is smothering vaporub on your chest, neck, and back. I've taken Xanax before on rare occasion in small doses to sleep before, I stopped that. Nothing can match the effectiveness of that easy drug, but this works well. 

Of course that still leaves the psychological and spiritual. And there will be different sides to this. I'm not one to talk in this regard since I'm still working on it. Obviously you didn't write much about what specific things you feel or are dealing.

One thing which is very crazy to see and understand about anxiety is how perspective is everything. I might have my heart racing in a situation, but someone else is completely relaxed, and the two people in the situation are living in different worlds. If you have a very loud mind with lots of internal conflict, its amazing to realise how much doesn't actually exist in the real world. 

Edited March 4, 2021 by lmfao

[Someone here]

10 hours ago, lmfao said:

taken Xanax before on rare occasion in small doses to sleep before, I stopped that. Nothing can match the effectiveness of that easy drug, but this works well. 

Thanks for the suggestion. Will check it out. 

10 hours ago, lmfao said:

Obviously you didn't write much about what specific things you feel or are dealing.

Well as I said it's a sudden fear of death or of bad things happening to me out of the blue.. And that causes me to semi-panic. I didn't want to dig into details because obviously that in itself might cause me to panic. 

Edited March 5, 2021 by Someone here

[Someone here]

@mandyjw SURE lol! 

15 hours ago, snowyowl said:

Some great suggestions here. I'd just like to add a couple of quick 'emergency' techniques which sometimes help me. 

* Deep slow mindful breathing, especially as I do this as past of my meditation routine, so it has a kind of automatic effect of shifting me to a more relaxed state. 

* Reminding myself about the fight-flight-freeze mechanism. Anxiety is bound up with hormonal systems, the sympathetic nervous system and brain stem. Telling myself "It's just a chemical reaction" can help me to disrupt irrational thought patterns, while I try to reset my thinking onto something more constructive.  

Thanks for the tips. I'm actually doing the slow breathing exercises with stilling the body. It seems to relax the body. 

[allislove]

On 3/2/2021 at 2:16 PM, Nahm said:

When you decide to stop caring about being right, or knowing anything...or how you’re thought of or seen...and decide to start caring about how you feel. 

Nailed it.

"We can be 'right' and we can 'know' things or we can be happy." – @Koyaanisqatsi