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dealing with anxiety without medication
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: Jan 17, 2017 | Replies (13)Comment receiving replies
In 2017, I am trying meditation to help change my relationship with anxiety. It doesn't necessarily make the anxious thoughts go away, but it is slowly changing my relationship to them. I find I am more able to observe the anxious thought and not get caught up in it. That helps reduce the physiological reactions, which dampens the cycle of anxious thought => physical reaction => more anxious thoughts (and so on).
If you are interested in exploring this, I've found a book that might be helpful. It's called The Mindful Way Through Anxiety by Susan Orsillo and Lizabeth Roemer. Both have PhD's in Psychology so they are well-qualified to write on the subject. There is also a book on the Mindful Way Through Depression with different authors. I've read both and found both helpful. I second the comments of others about counseling. I've done that in the past too and it was helpful, but I like the idea of meditation because I enjoy it and it really seems to be working for me. (Your mileage may vary, of course).
Best wishes for a healthy happy 2017.
Replies to "In 2017, I am trying meditation to help change my relationship with anxiety. It doesn't necessarily..."
This is great, thank you for sharing the link.
To answer your question, I use a free app called Insight Timer that has guided meditations, some of which are specific to anxiety. That has been very helpful and the support of the community within the app has been helpful too.
What seems to be happening is that I'm more able to notice the anxious thoughts and acknowledge them without getting caught up in them. (One of my fellow meditators in the app community uses the phrase "I see you there," which I thought captured the sentiment very well).
For a long time I thought that something was wrong with me because I have anxious thoughts. Now I realize that they are a normal part of the brain trying to protect us, but it's the response we make to them that can be harmful. Getting too caught up in them can cause a cycle of anxious thought => physiological reaction => more anxious thoughts (etc.) With meditation training, I can simply acknowledge the thought and watch it go by rather than getting caught up in it. For many years, I was a "ruminator" in that I sort of stewed in whatever negative thought came along, because I thought that was what you were supposed to do. Now, I'm realizing that I have thoughts, but I am not my thoughts, and I don't have to engage with or take seriously every thought that comes by. It's been very freeing and has improved both my anxiety and depression.
Thanks for asking. I wish I had found this 30 years ago. 🙂
This makes perfect sense, Coloradogirl. I like the phrase "I see you there." It helps keep the detachment from the thought. I am going to share this with 2 young people in my circle. They are in their teens and manage their anxiety fairly well, but this sounds like another tool that they can add to their toolbox. Perhaps with this they won't say later in life "I wish I had found this 30 years ago." Thank you.
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What a great resolution for 2017, @coloradogirl! Good for you.
There's a new Page and blog on Connect dedicated to Health & Mindfulness. You may wish to follow the page to get blog updates. Consider it a little injection of mindfulness as an occasional refresher to the practices you've learned from your reading. Simply click the + FOLLOW button on the Mindfulness page here https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/mindfulness-in-health/
So how does this work for you? Do you now see the anxious though more objectively and are therefore able to not get caught up in it? I'd like to learn more.