[symbio]

DISCLAIMER: I have no professional qualification for this statement, it is just an observation from my own experiences.

I think lumping all problems into one category is the first mistake. If you say to yourself "STRESS is going to eat me alive", all stresses become equal. Then, even the little things can carry a weight which will crush you. So, first you must decide what is bearable and what is not. In other words, you must prioritize the problems you need to fix. Most of the little things can either be fixed or acepted, you just have to face them one at a time. Many of the larger things can also be fixed (athough some may take considerable time and effort), and some will just have to be accepted. In short, there is no easy answer, things go wrong in this world, we just have to fix or accept them one at a time. Jeremy

P.S,

Reaxation techniques like controlled breathing will help you calm down enough to analyze your problems, but "STRESS" will not go away until you fix or accept them.

[Coral Rhedd]

Hi Kate,

I use a supplement called GABA. It seems to work better than most tranquilizers.

Symbio's suggestion to priortize is really a good one but first you have to calm down enough to to it. I am beginning to use an outline method to analyse step-by-step tasks that I need to do. This helps me feel in control. Also, you can always ask yourself "What can I do now that only takes a few minutes?'' Sometimes the best answer to that question is: "Take slow, deep breaths."

[coquina]

Quote

How do you deal with an overload of anxiety? If all your worries became a huge list that you felt you could not handle any more? What do you do, when life is extremely stressful and on top of that you have past worries that haven't gone away to add to the currant stresses? How can people get rid of their worries before they lose their mind? Just a question, please feel free to offer any suggestions on how to control or get rid of stress.

Kate

I certainly know about that. It's not quite so bad now, but there was a time in my life that I was dealing with sick parents, and ailing business, and a child who I thought for sure was going to be the death of me.

The first thing you have to do is to sort out the things you can do something about from the things you can't. For example, the "past worries". Since you can't undo them, let them go. If a mistake caused someone else a problem, go to them and apologise, if it caused you a problem, vow that you will learn from it and not repeat it.

As for the current things that are stressing you out - if there are things you can eliminate from your life, get rid of them. If you have a lot of "stuff" dump it. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

Prioritize the things you have to deal with and allocate the most time to the most important. Do the best you can, if it doesn't turn out the way you hoped, remember that life is not a controlled scientific experiment. There are too many variables, commonly known as "Murphy's Law", "What can go wrong will, and at the worst possible moment."

Learn how to "bob and weave". Try to be innovative in your thinking and problem solving, ask people with more experience than yourself how they would handle a problem.

Last of all - "Don't sweat the small stuff", and remember, in the overall scheme of things, when put in the proper perspective, most of life's problems are "small stuff".

It took becoming a widow to learn that last bit. A lot of the things my husband and I fought and worried over didn't really matter worth a tinker's damn.

[UCF-Forensic]

Hi kate, I too have some anxiety issues, and I've found a good way to deal with them.

First off, take it easy!! Things generally aren't as bad as you think they are!
Second of all, get your mind into a state that you can think clearly in
Symbio has the right idea here.

When I feel anxious due to a thesis paper being due or other stressful situation, I sit in a dark room and listen to pink floyd, namely the Dark side of the moon album. Although this may not work for you, try it. Try to disconnect your mind from the rest of the world, and concentrate on some part of the music other than the vocals. Thats why I love pink floyd, because there are an infinite number of things to concentrate on!!!

Dealing with this from a physiological standpoint, also think about what you have ate in the past 6-12 hours, this may be adding to your stress. I thoroughly believe in Bio-psychological solutions. What is wrong in the mind can be fixed partially by the body. I do not, however condone the use of excessive psychoactive medication.

Symbio also had it right in another aspect, list your stressors and their severity level, and find out what is really bugging you. I find this to be the best technique. I list out what is making me nervous or anxious, and rate them on a scale of 1-10. After doing this I analyze the list, and find out what I can do to take out the little things that are adding to the stress. Once all that rubbish is out of the way, you can think straight and find out how to solve the big issue.

Here is my own personal example.

I have a 9 page psychology thesis to write and it's due in less than 2 days and I haven't started yet. (Trust me its the way i write essays, and I always get A's when i do it that way)

My apartment is full of empty coke cans, and I need to take out the trash.

I have a pile of clothes the size of Everest to wash and organize.

To solve this problem I clean up the apartment, take out the trash, and put all the dirty clothes into one room where I cant see them.

After all of this is done I can concentrate on the big issue, in a clean, structured environment where I can think and not worry about other stuff to do.

[DarthDooku]

A lot of problems in psychology are due to unresolved conflicts. Not physical, but inside your head. Memories are stored in your head in clusters of similar subjects. So if you have something you are worrying about repeatedly, it is probably not being stored correctly and keeps popping up in your head waiting for you to take it apart and put it in its right place. So take your "worry" and think about it. Think about what and why it is bothering you. Once you have your "worry" disected, take the individual parts and find a way to rationalize it or find a way that you can cope with it.

It is always good to talk to someone you can trust. A lot of times an outside point of view can really put things in perspective. With unconrollable anxiety, you may want to talk to a doctor. My advice is to find a doctor you like, and that you wanna talk to.

[Molotov]

benzodiazepines

[YT2095]

Quote

How do you deal with an overload of anxiety? If all your worries became a huge list that you felt you could not handle any more? What do you do, when life is extremely stressful and on top of that you have past worries that haven't gone away to add to the currant stresses? How can people get rid of their worries before they lose their mind? Just a question, please feel free to offer any suggestions on how to control or get rid of stress.

Kate

you mention "a huge list". have you actualy MADE a List, something on paper, or is it all stored in your head?

I suspect the latter. so Make a REAL list, pen and paper, list everything down, even the small things. then address each one induvidualy.

it`s like being presented with 1 ton barrel of water and being asked to drink it all, the thought alone would probably make you feel sick.
but given a glass at a time over a period of time, you`ll have consumed the lot without a problem :)

do the same with your worries, dont look at the whole list, just one at a time, and ignore the others until you get to that part!

it works well for me :)