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What do you do to cope with stress/anxiety?

X Factor

Anti-Socialist
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Things are just so messed up right now, it feels like. Found out that someone tried opening a credit card account using my personal info. That's just freaky. Also got into a fender bender leaving work today and all that is on top of a really, just, sad family situation. Magnify all that by my tendencies toward OCD and I just don't even really know what to do. I know everyone has hard times and my problems are nothing compared others but if you've if you've got some trick or tip for dealing with those times you feel like a bug on the windshield of life, I could use some advice.
 
Things are just so messed up right now, it feels like. Found out that someone tried opening a credit card account using my personal info. That's just freaky. Also got into a fender bender leaving work today and all that is on top of a really, just, sad family situation. Magnify all that by my tendencies toward OCD and I just don't even really know what to do. I know everyone has hard times and my problems are nothing compared others but if you've if you've got some trick or tip for dealing with those times you feel like a bug on the windshield of life, I could use some advice.

Your family situation is the basis for other day-to-day annoyances to take on huge importance.

The fender bender, sucks. I hate it when that happens, but hey, you're insured, so drop the car at the shop, get a rental and let the shop/insurance solve the problem. The credit card thing really is freaky, but the most important word is tried. Most major credit card companies have folks who can backtrack attempts at Identity Theft, and they might have information that will relieve your mind a bit. These two things happening at the same time is enough to make anyone mad as hell, but they can be reasonably resolved.

So it's back to the crux of the matter, your family situation. If you have a physician or other professional you can talk to who may be able to assist with anti-anxiety prescription, you may want to contact them. I'm told by people I knew that also suffered from severe stress/anxiety that the medication was a big help.

If all else fails, I know a couple of stiff drinks drains the stress out of me for a short while, but since liquor is a depressant that might not be the best idea for you. Another reason to ask questions of a professional who knows you and your situation.

Mostly, life just sucks at times, and you have been and are still going through an emotional wringer. Give yourself permission to be sad, mad, furious, and everything in between. It's okay to be human. Sometimes it's difficult to look around our homes, pet our beloved animals, and count the number of blessings that we still have. You're in my thoughts, Xy. *hugs*
 
Things are just so messed up right now, it feels like. Found out that someone tried opening a credit card account using my personal info. That's just freaky. Also got into a fender bender leaving work today and all that is on top of a really, just, sad family situation. Magnify all that by my tendencies toward OCD and I just don't even really know what to do. I know everyone has hard times and my problems are nothing compared others but if you've if you've got some trick or tip for dealing with those times you feel like a bug on the windshield of life, I could use some advice.

I'm sorry you are feeling so stressed, Xy. Di offered really great advice.

My tip is exercise. It's good alone time if you walk (or run). It takes you out of the environment where you might just sit and ruminate over things you cannot fix or cannot be immediately fixed. And the endorphins counter the sadz.

Hope things change for the better soon.
 
Extreme, unforgiving discipline and resistance training. Weight lifting.

If you have some place around you that can coach you in Olympic Lifting and/or sparring, as in physical fighting, take that up.

Judo works, too.
 
Things are just so messed up right now, it feels like. Found out that someone tried opening a credit card account using my personal info. That's just freaky. Also got into a fender bender leaving work today and all that is on top of a really, just, sad family situation. Magnify all that by my tendencies toward OCD and I just don't even really know what to do. I know everyone has hard times and my problems are nothing compared others but if you've if you've got some trick or tip for dealing with those times you feel like a bug on the windshield of life, I could use some advice.

A great meal, a bottle of wine,good jazz music,and making love to my wife.
 
Scotch and a cigar usually works for me.
 
Get out of the house, and hang with friends or associates.

Nothing distracts me like socializing outside of my usual life's venues of work and home. No idea why, but it does.

Alternate: Verthaine's post above - as long as you and her don't revisit the day's troubles.
 
Things are just so messed up right now, it feels like. Found out that someone tried opening a credit card account using my personal info. That's just freaky. Also got into a fender bender leaving work today and all that is on top of a really, just, sad family situation. Magnify all that by my tendencies toward OCD and I just don't even really know what to do. I know everyone has hard times and my problems are nothing compared others but if you've if you've got some trick or tip for dealing with those times you feel like a bug on the windshield of life, I could use some advice.

Vitamin B12, 1000 units taken 15 minutes before eating. If you take it between meals, your stomach acid will destroy it.

Have a drink in the evening. Works for me.

Get busy. That works for me as well.

Stress. A little is good. Too much is unhealthy. If you can de-stress some of the stressors, make it a point to do so. Otherwise, try to keep in mind that, "This too shall pass."

I'm with Dianna, though. *Hugs*
 
Things are just so messed up right now, it feels like. Found out that someone tried opening a credit card account using my personal info. That's just freaky. Also got into a fender bender leaving work today and all that is on top of a really, just, sad family situation. Magnify all that by my tendencies toward OCD and I just don't even really know what to do. I know everyone has hard times and my problems are nothing compared others but if you've if you've got some trick or tip for dealing with those times you feel like a bug on the windshield of life, I could use some advice.

Heh... Oh yes, I know this feeling well...

To be perfectly honest, a lot of the time I just trudged through it. There were times that I was under such a constant onslaught that I had no energy left for self-care, and sometimes my knowledge that I'll be fine gets in the way of me making the effort for myself. But when I don't let it get in the way, a couple things of particular use to me...

Gina's suggestion is a good one. Exercise. A lot of it. What's happening in your brain is that it is now expecting to be attacked all the time, so it's pumping you full of completely unnecessary cortisol so you're ready to move. But you don't need to move, so it just sits there... giving you the fidgets and making your mind race. So, you have to burn it out of your system. Run, find something to punch, lift weights, whatever suits you. Just burn it off.

Along a similar line, I like finding something to be pumped up about. A mission. It's better than just looking for a fight. ;) When I'm on a mission, there's no room for anxiety. But this might depend on whether you have that "BURN EVERYTHING!" sort of setting in your brain. Not everyone does. I was never anxious when I worked on a paper -- always on a mission.

Talk to people. A lot. Not necessarily about what's troubling you, but just talk to them. It helps keep you in your body and aware of the world, rather than caught up in your thoughts.

Also towards the end of staying in the world... take your shoes off and go stick your feet in a lake or a river or something. I'm serious. Sounds silly, but seriously.
 
Heh... Oh yes, I know this feeling well...

To be perfectly honest, a lot of the time I just trudged through it. There were times that I was under such a constant onslaught that I had no energy left for self-care, and sometimes my knowledge that I'll be fine gets in the way of me making the effort for myself. But when I don't let it get in the way, a couple things of particular use to me...

Gina's suggestion is a good one. Exercise. A lot of it. What's happening in your brain is that it is now expecting to be attacked all the time, so it's pumping you full of completely unnecessary cortisol so you're ready to move. But you don't need to move, so it just sits there... giving you the fidgets and making your mind race. So, you have to burn it out of your system. Run, find something to punch, lift weights, whatever suits you. Just burn it off.

Along a similar line, I like finding something to be pumped up about. A mission. It's better than just looking for a fight. ;) When I'm on a mission, there's no room for anxiety. But this might depend on whether you have that "BURN EVERYTHING!" sort of setting in your brain. Not everyone does. I was never anxious when I worked on a paper -- always on a mission.

Talk to people. A lot. Not necessarily about what's troubling you, but just talk to them. It helps keep you in your body and aware of the world, rather than caught up in your thoughts.

Also towards the end of staying in the world... take your shoes off and go stick your feet in a lake or a river or something. I'm serious. Sounds silly, but seriously.

Great post.
 
Things are just so messed up right now, it feels like. Found out that someone tried opening a credit card account using my personal info. That's just freaky. Also got into a fender bender leaving work today and all that is on top of a really, just, sad family situation. Magnify all that by my tendencies toward OCD and I just don't even really know what to do. I know everyone has hard times and my problems are nothing compared others but if you've if you've got some trick or tip for dealing with those times you feel like a bug on the windshield of life, I could use some advice.

Dwelling on problems that cannot be solved can be a burden that feeds itself. I have no true solution to this problem, for there is no way to truly solve it. The only thing i've been able to do there is distract myself.

Sometimes when life turns into a total cluster****, i just laugh. Breathe slowly and deeply, relax the muscles in my body, and focus on the good left in the world.

One thing that gives me a calm is reflection on the past. Often we get anxiety for the future, but the past is set it stone. It cannot be changed. Those we survive will always have been the greatness that they once were. Ideas, thoughts, impressions, personalities- these things propagate through humanity like the clouds in the sky. They do not cease to be, though the vessels that we can interact with directly may no longer give us guidance.
 
find a local soup kitchen and volunteer
you will be surrounded by a bunch of good hearted, well intended people
serving another bunch of people whose personal situations will cause your own to pale in importance


and be good to yourself
 
Things are just so messed up right now, it feels like. Found out that someone tried opening a credit card account using my personal info. That's just freaky. Also got into a fender bender leaving work today and all that is on top of a really, just, sad family situation. Magnify all that by my tendencies toward OCD and I just don't even really know what to do. I know everyone has hard times and my problems are nothing compared others but if you've if you've got some trick or tip for dealing with those times you feel like a bug on the windshield of life, I could use some advice.



Best advice I could give is to learn how to live in the moment
I say learn but its actually more about practicing.

Those who are predisposed to anxiety project without even realizing it sometimes and you have to remind yourself to focus on the here and now.

Focusing on the past leads to depression and focusing on the future leads to anxiety.

You cant change the past and you really dont have much control over whats coming so exist in and learn to enjoy the moment.
 
A great meal, a bottle of wine,good jazz music,and making love to my wife.

How do you know that X Factor would want to make love to your wife?
 
Things are just so messed up right now, it feels like. Found out that someone tried opening a credit card account using my personal info. That's just freaky. Also got into a fender bender leaving work today and all that is on top of a really, just, sad family situation. Magnify all that by my tendencies toward OCD and I just don't even really know what to do. I know everyone has hard times and my problems are nothing compared others but if you've if you've got some trick or tip for dealing with those times you feel like a bug on the windshield of life, I could use some advice.

Sounds like it's just the fender bender that threw your day off balance. That sucks. I used to drink to alleviate stress but that has limited benefits. There's a reason that "exercise" is the most common advice here. The biggest cliche is often the truth.
 
Things are just so messed up right now, it feels like. Found out that someone tried opening a credit card account using my personal info. That's just freaky. Also got into a fender bender leaving work today and all that is on top of a really, just, sad family situation. Magnify all that by my tendencies toward OCD and I just don't even really know what to do. I know everyone has hard times and my problems are nothing compared others but if you've if you've got some trick or tip for dealing with those times you feel like a bug on the windshield of life, I could use some advice.

Put a whole bunch of Ramones songs on your phone, plug in your ear buds and go for 3 mile walk listening to them. Repeat daily until you are addicted to the Ramones and walking (feed that OCD, baby).

Seriously though. Things aren't really that bad. Having your credit compromised isn't that hard to deal with, contact your bank and make sure that they are aware that it happened and ask them to help you notify the reporting agencies so that they can red-flag your credit and stop anyone else from doing the same thing. Insurance will pay for the fender bender. Draw close to your family and draw/give strength to/from each other. Then watch a Sarah McLaughlan commercial to get things into perspective...
 
Dwelling on problems that cannot be solved can be a burden that feeds itself. I have no true solution to this problem, for there is no way to truly solve it. The only thing i've been able to do there is distract myself.

Sometimes when life turns into a total cluster****, i just laugh. Breathe slowly and deeply, relax the muscles in my body, and focus on the good left in the world.

One thing that gives me a calm is reflection on the past. Often we get anxiety for the future, but the past is set it stone. It cannot be changed. Those we survive will always have been the greatness that they once were. Ideas, thoughts, impressions, personalities- these things propagate through humanity like the clouds in the sky. They do not cease to be, though the vessels that we can interact with directly may no longer give us guidance.

"When the wolf is at the door, tell him the joke about Rusty the Rooster and while he's rolling on the ground laughing, club him over the head and have wolf stew for dinner."
~Faithful Servant
 
Regular vigorous exercise does wonders.
 
A short nap can sometimes at least change the state of mind if not the reality of the situation
Talk to someone, like therapy
Finish a task that can be done quick but still gives sense of control and accomplishment
Write down my thoughts and problems so they seem more manageable
 
I agree with everyone who suggested exercise, I'm sure it's the healthiest thing you can do for yourself and it is good for handling anxiety. I also keep in mind that all things pass eventually. And of course, hardships build character. Also, I don't think we could know how great life could be if we didn't know how bad it could get. And lastly, attempt to work through these hardships with class and courage so that those who see you may hope to do the same when they encounter their own major hardships.
 
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