Living with an anxiety disorder

I think those of us who suffer would agree that living with an anxiety disorder is a rollercoaster of illogical thoughts and a constant feeling of nervousness. There is not much help given to those of us who have been diagnosed, and so many more people probably suffer without realising. So I thought I would have a chat about it today.

So over the pandemic, like many people, I joined Tiktok and started posting videos it is so much fun I really like it and I made some friends. Four witches like me who just hit it off right away, and we formed a coven a place to support one another in our spiritual practice.

On Sunday we met up for the first time, and I honestly felt like I was going to have a breakdown, I was so scared of meeting them and making a bad impression. I was applying an anxiety blend I have constantly while waiting and just felt so worried they wouldn’t like me and change their minds. But though my mind was going like crazy, it went really well they were all so lovely in person and I fit right in.

I find this again and again, no matter how much I try to fight my thoughts, how much I practice mindfulness sometimes it is impossible to ignore. An Anxiety disorder is so much more than just feeling nervous, my thoughts do not ever stop being intrusive and negative about anything outside of my routine. I do not veer from my routine very often because of this, and when things change I can often find myself experiencing a panic attack.

Like I said earlier, though I have had a lot of therapy over the years, nothing really concrete can be done for a disorder like this. It is all about helping yourself, taking the tools they give you and applying them every day so that you can cope the majority of the time.

Living with an anxiety disorder:

• Mindfulness – You knew it was coming, and yes mindfulness works! I have found being aware of my thoughts and in the moment means I catch escalating intrusive thoughts so much faster. This helps me not to spiral quite so often and to stay in the moment.
• Crystals – There are a lot of crystals that can help with anxiety, you can even buy worry stones that you can hold and rub when out and about. Things like this help ground you in the moment and stop you getting lost in your thoughts, and provide comfort on the go.
• Breath – I love meditation as you know if you have been here a while, and a big part of that is breathwork. There are many exercises that can be done so you can slow your breathing and calm down if you feel a panic attack coming on. I have found box breathing to work best for me, but try different ones and see how they go.
• Stay Grounded – Being grounded in the reality of the moment is so important when you have an anxiety disorder, you will often find reality is different to your thoughts.
• Talk it out – A big change came for me when I stopped hiding my thoughts and feelings, too many times we can feel like we need to say “I’m Fine” even when it isn’t true. But speaking up about how you are feeling is a much more healthy way of dealing with things, and often people understand and want to help.

I really hope this article helps if you are living with an anxiety disorder, that it maybe gives you some more tools for your toolbox. Just remember this is not your fault it is a disorder of your brain and nothing to be ashamed of the moment you accept it you can get help and support.

Thank you xxx

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