Rate your current mental health level out of 10

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by bluejays

What are coping mechanisms for anxiety? Genuinely curious. Could help a lot of people. Myself included!

Talk to your doctor. Anxiety is no joke.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Talk to your doctor. Anxiety is no joke.

And the other thing is...don't stick with just the one.

There are a lot of forms and manifestations of anxiety. Your Doctor might suggest something and it just doesnt work. I'm not going to comment on Weed/CBD because it doesnt work for me and I know nothing about it, it might work great for others.

Its not a 'one-size-fits-all' kind of thing. Its a journey and its work.

And it SUCKS. You can take meds that make you sick for months that don't do jack for your anxiety and you can take meds that make them worse.

Its not easy. Its a battle.

And the thing is...it is so hard to really qualify. To tell a Doctor...'this is whats happening how do I fix it?'

Because they're largely guessing too.

"This might work, that might work, I dunno lets give 'em a whirl!"

Because everyone's anxiety is different and everyone reacts to medication differently.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by bluejays

What are coping mechanisms for anxiety? Genuinely curious. Could help a lot of people. Myself included!

See your doctor and get him or her to set you up with some talk therapy that will help you discover the root causes and to help you develop some coping mechanisms.

Stay away from caffeine as this can make anxiety worse.

Exercise releases the feel good endorphins that help to counteract the anxiety.

Focus on your breathing and heart rate which most likely will be fast. Take deep breaths and release the air slowly. Do this for a few minutes and this will slow down your breathing and heart rate.

Negative thoughts and awfulizing situations can really mess with your anxiety. Again therapy help you discover ways to deal with this.

Antidepressant medication can help manage anxiety. It works for me but not with everyone.

[ThisIsAnOutrage]

Originally Posted by bluejays

What are coping mechanisms for anxiety? Genuinely curious. Could help a lot of people. Myself included!

For an intro to non-medical intervention, and sone very helpful information, get a copy if the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook. Can be purchased at/through all major book stores and online.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can work wonders, sometimes in the same amount of time it takes to get on medication and feel any effect. Results.will vary by therapist.

[PepsiFree]

CBT cured my anxiety. Medication worked but I hated it so I was so happy to throw it in the garbage.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by ThisIsAnOutrage

For an intro to non-medical intervention, and sone very helpful information, get a copy if the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook. Can be purchased at/through all major book stores and online.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can work wonders, sometimes in the same amount of time it takes to get on medication and feel any effect. Results.will vary by therapist.

I haven't read that book so I can't recommend it but I've found this one related to Perfectionism quite insightful. https://www.amazon.ca/CBT-Workbook-P...s%2C212&sr=8-1

It hasn't stopped me from trying to perfectly complete it but that's probably because I haven't gotten around to completing this workbook. https://www.amazon.ca/CBT-PROCRASTIN...s%2C161&sr=8-5

[D as in David]

I didn't care for the anti-depressant medications my doctor recommended because I found they impaired my thoughts instead of enhancing them.

[Russic]

I suppose I'll just echo what's already been said... therapy will vary heavily based on a ton of different factors. I loved therapy, but then I kinda went into it excited. CBT is very much like dealing with a child (you're the child)... they don't so much tell you what to do but rather ask questions and get you to arrive at what you have to do yourself.

Worked great for me, but there's a ton of people that wouldn't react that way. It seems the way with these things is there's about 20 healthy activities to try, but we all respond to a different cocktail of them, so you have to mix and match.

As for anxiety, for me mindfulness and meditation was the silver bullet that I used (and continue to use because that's anxiety for ya).

[Dion]

Originally Posted by D as in David

I didn't care for the anti-depressant medications my doctor recommended because I found they impaired my thoughts instead of enhancing them.

Side effects from anti-depressant medications can be brutal and in my case I had to try 5 before I found the right one that I could tolerate. I remember Effexor giving me vivid nightmares.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by D as in David

I didn't care for the anti-depressant medications my doctor recommended because I found they impaired my thoughts instead of enhancing them.

Try different types or scale back the dosage. There should be a happy medium where the balance is restored without putting you in a fog, emotional blunting, tired, etc.

[KelVarnsen]

Originally Posted by D as in David

I didn't care for the anti-depressant medications my doctor recommended because I found they impaired my thoughts instead of enhancing them.

The first few days or weeks can be like this as your brain adjusts

[kipperiggy]

Originally Posted by RoadGame

I have been reading this thread without planning on posting. I would have already rated my mental as not great due to a long list of factors that have been building over the past couple years, and then in the past ten days we've had: a family member die (& within days become the victim of identity theft, complicating everything), our summer vacation venue & plans go up in flames, and a counterparty that had verbally committed to a career-defining business deal reneged at the decisive moment.

My wife suggested therapy for each of us separately on the basis of everything going on in our lives, and I have agreed. I'll be honest though, I don't have a good sense of how to make productive use of the time. The facts on the ground aren't going to change, there are still only 24 hours in a day, we still need to fund our retirement... she has suggested that therapists can offer "tools" and/or coping strategies that can be helpful... it's not like I'm finding solace at the back of the fridge or the bottom of a bottle...

If this sounds at all like you and you've gone through therapy and have some tips on how to engage in the process effectively, I'd love to hear it. I'm choosing to go into it with an open mind but it does feel a bit like an open-ended liability (time and cost), and I know I don't have great answers to "what are you hoping to get out of this". I don't know what to ask for that a therapist could possibly deliver.

Part of the reason your wife suggesting therapy could be she has to work through the issues as well, and if she is your sounding board, then it becomes more difficult for her to work through her issues while trying to support you in yours.

My therapist always starts our appointments asking what I want to talk about today and she listens and then pulls out key topics for us to discuss.

Sometimes just putting something out there and saying it out loud helps. If saying it out loud doesn't work, some people prefer to write it.

Sometimes we all get into our own heads too much and a neutral third party can help.

Biggest thing is to give it a try and worst case, it doesn't work.

Jiri already mentioned but don't call it quits after one person. Took me 5 to connect with someone.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

The first few days or weeks can be like this as your brain adjusts

My wifes experience with the drugs was that starting/changing does almost made it worse briefly, before making it better. That's normal.

It was rough ramping up the dose.

[KelVarnsen]

Gonna give this a bump.

I've been on anti depressants for 3 weeks now, and they've helped. Lows aren't as low anymore. Despite a recent cancer diagnosis I would say I am at 4 or 5.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

Gonna give this a bump.

I've been on anti depressants for 3 weeks now, and they've helped. Lows aren't as low anymore. Despite a recent cancer diagnosis I would say I am at 4 or 5.

Wait...out of 10? Keep fighting the good fight!

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

Gonna give this a bump.

I've been on anti depressants for 3 weeks now, and they've helped. Lows aren't as low anymore. Despite a recent cancer diagnosis I would say I am at 4 or 5.

Best of luck man! For the first time in my life I've realized how life situations can really throw you off. Talking with people and getting help, really helps. Keeping it in all the time doesn't.

[KelVarnsen]

Today is a ####ty day. So I will bump this thread as its a great resource for everyone.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

Today is a ####ty day. So I will bump this thread as its a great resource for everyone.

Yeah I feel ya.

Between work and home, life isn't fun right now.

[undercoverbrother]

#### me it is hard.

Really ####ing hard right now.

[BlackArcher101]

Abysmal, haven't slept since Thursday night.