NEED SOME COPING SKILLS

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2004
NEED SOME COPING SKILLS
5
Wed, 03-16-2005 - 1:17pm
I've had intrusive thoughts for 6 months due to anxiety. I know I need meds to lessen my anxiety. Can anyone suggest coping skills I can use to supress my anxious negative thoughts? I do self talk, "I"M A GOOD PERSON, ETC.", I tell myself the thoughts aren't real, I replace the thoughts with positive thoughts. I'm costantly talking to my inner self trying to get the positive to overcome the negative thoughts but they still creep in and it bothers me greatly. I just want to be NORMAL again and not think badly. Any suggestions. Is anxiety a life long thing or does it ever go away? I should also mention I have some obessive compulsive and have to have things a certain way. I have a 6 month old baby and I know I have to change and just "let things go" but it's so hard. HOW DO I CHANGE?????
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Wed, 03-16-2005 - 2:33pm

Hello & welcome to the board. You sound distressed, but please know that you aren't alone. Many of us have faced the same challenges. It is difficult to do it alone. Meds & cognitive behavioral therapy do give the best results, according to the research.
 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2004
Wed, 03-16-2005 - 3:17pm
Jan, thanks so much for your help. I printed out the info and will read it often. My anxiety increased after the baby so giving birth does mess with the hormones. However, I really am better since Sept. b/c I have a better understanding of what's happening to me. it's a daily mental struggle. I listen to anxiety tapes where it says if you are a negative thinker, you become addicted to the negative thoughts. that is so true for me. I've had these negative thoughts for 6 months so in my mind, although they are disturbing they are a part of me. It's like, I try to think positively but still have to hold onto those negative thoughts. Strange. Thanks again for your help.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-18-2004
Wed, 03-16-2005 - 5:36pm

Hey! I used to have very upsetting thoughts as I went to bed, and I had to come up with some strategies that could help me relax and get some sleep. Some of them were taken from seeing a counselor, and others were elaborated on that. Here's what worked for me and maybe they can help you too.
- Getting very into something, like I'd begin playing a solitaire game. It's really repetitive, but some of them can be difficult (like spider at the hard level) and i'd get sucked into the game. Coming away from it, no anxiety :)
- Maybe try getting into a pattern, like reading always right before you get into bed. it feels strange saying these since I don't know what life is like having a 6-month old, but i can imagine that you don't have much time for yourself. i have a cat, who thinks she's a kid, and it definitely feels like she is sometimes, but i know that she isnt. Also, i know that when i don't lay down much during the day, when my bed's in a location where im never there, as soon as my body hits the bed it knows its time for bed and I go right to sleep within 10 minutes.
- At nighttime, i'd have little mind things that would distract me, like counting backwards, sometime it would be normal, other times id start at like 2000 and other times, id count backward in different multiples (i suck at math, trust me, this distracted me!) Also, i'm really interested in names and i'll go through the alphabet, trying to name as many names i can for each letter.

Things will be okay though. Although anxiety is normally something you have throughout your life, there will be many periods where you won't notice it at all, and you'll learn the coping skills that work best for you, so that when you do have a panic attack, you can help quiet it. The medication I used was ativan or klonopin (lorazepam and clonazepam) these are not anti-depressants, but rather something you can take right as a anxiety attack is starting, and it keeps your mind focused on the future. Maybe something different would work for you tho. Seeing a therapist really helped me out, it was nice hearing that i wasnt alone, and hearing some ideas for working through it. Maybe seeing your doctor would help, since he would be able to give you a medicatin appropriate, if this was caused by hormones, and something safe for you to take if your breast feeding. Good luck tho!

Liz

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Wed, 03-16-2005 - 6:56pm
Thanks for sharing those techniques, Liz. I am going to try the alphabet name game. Sounds like a winner! (((hugs))) jan



 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2004
Thu, 03-17-2005 - 12:22pm
Liz, thank you for the techniques. I will try them. I have more anxiety when I'm alone, like taking a shower, doing the dishes. But I have no problem falling asleep, it's when I wake up at night and try to fall back to sleep, my mind races. When I'm doing the dishes and feel panicky, I count 1-10 over and over or say a favorite quote. I plan on calling a dr. on monday to make a therapy appt and ask for medicine. Thanks for the help.
patsy