Anxiety, What do you do to cope?

[snuffaluffagus]

Exercise. Brisk walking and/or cycling. If you can manage, 1 hour per day or even 1 hour twice per day would be a tremendous help. If you're a coffee and/or pop drinker, don't stop cold turkey but gradually reduce the amount you consume until you no longer feel you need it.

Someone mentioned still feeling anxiety despite being on medication. If it's been more than 3-4 months, you may want to discuss with your doctor a change of prescription. Not all meds work for all people; you have to find the right one for you.

[Zonny]

I drink one coffee a day during the week, sometimes two on weekends, and don't drink pop usually. DH has also suggested walking in the evenings, and i think I'm going to try that. I've been eating and drinking like a crazy person lately, I need to get off that, I'm putting on pounds plus all my stress!

[Ciel]

http://www.amenclinics.com/conditions/anxiety-issues

How I wish Canada had these clinics! The author is a doctor and talks about brain areas over and underfunctioning. Check your libraries for books/e-books on Healing ADD or Change Your Brain Change Your Life titles. What is amazing to read is how an old injury or supposedly no-effect head injury indeed can affect an adult life for years unless detected by the scan and followed up by one's support team.

@Zonny-your mother's fall must have jarred her brain enough to make her fearful. See if you can arrange some kind of brain function scan for her--maybe something can be done to help her to feel in control about matters she can still decide on. The suggestion for you to take walks is great--try for the same time of day/night and see if you can do 20min one way (it might take 10min to get into the walk and you'll notice your mind lighten or ease at that point).

[Amanda Heenan]

Cipralex.

[Ami1984]

I have cut back my caffeine bye 95% (maybe once a week I have a coffee or tea) and I have been exercising quite a bit, my next thing to change is quit smoking (I heard it causes anxiety) and also have tried other little techniques and my anxiety is worse now then it was a month or 2 ago...I am starting to question whether my decision to not take meds at all is a good idea or if it is something that can be worked on

[Ciel]

Protein in your diet-see that you have some for each meal. I did not think about that much before but I feel more grounded if I eat well. When I have meals that are mostly carbohydrates and no protein, I keep opening the cupboard doors and fridge to eat away my feeling of being hungry.

I need to get a big jar of peanut butter so I can have it on cracked wheat toast when the munchies hit.

[muggos0101]

I'm not sure if I really suffer from anxiety, but when I'm feeling especially stressed, I find that deep breathing can help quite a bit, if only for the time being.