How to deal with anxiety

How do you cope with feelings of anxiety, stress and emotional pain in a healthy way?

Lately I've been very anxious, to a point where I feel my heart beating faster in my chest.
The thing is, I'm not used to feeling this much (To be clear, I relate more to ASPD, but as you know the forum is closed) so for me it gets a little overwhelming... Plus I have a very low tolerance for negative feelings.

Now I've never been interested in drugs and alcohol, which I know I'm lucky for, but now this 'pain' keeps torturing me.. I don't know. Something to get away from it sounds nice.
However I don't want to grab a bottle of liquor or get into a weed smoking habit.. So does anybody have some tips to deal with anxiety in a healthy way? Or do I just sit here and wait for it to go away..

I have anti anxiety meds called clonazepam which I take as and when I feel anxious.

regular exercise and meditation help a lot. you could also start keeping a journal and write down your feelings or even do cbt exercises to get to the root of your anxiety and challenge it. or come up with a distraction plan so you have healthy ideas in mind for how to deal with these feelings when they arise (go for a walk, do some chores, cook something you enjoy, watch a funny show or movie, listen to music, go to the library...)

When we are depressed our minds are focused in the past, when we are anxious our minds are focused on the future. When we are content, we are focused on the present.

Try not to think too far ahead in the future. It will come soon enough. Check your thoughts, and really ask yourself: "do I need to worry about this right now?"

Maybe it can wait. Be mindful of the moment you are in, and learn to appreciate the small things.

I paint. I draw. I play video games. And I pray... prayer helps me so much. (I don't mean to sound preachy but my faith helps me.)

When you're feeling anxiety, it's important to allow yourself to take care of yourself. How are you feeling in your body when you're feeling anxious? Allow yourself a moment to take the time to cry, to vent, to feel. Love yourself.

That being said, I can definitely relate. I deal with anxiety often and it's no picnic.

I used to get really anxious in pre-teen early teen years. Some how, maybe to do with the onset of BPD, now i just don't accept delivery. Or perhaps it's the only benefit of disassociation. I can give a speech or what ever no problem.

bateman99 wrote:regular exercise and meditation help a lot. you could also start keeping a journal and write down your feelings or even do cbt exercises to get to the root of your anxiety and challenge it. or come up with a distraction plan so you have healthy ideas in mind for how to deal with these feelings when they arise (go for a walk, do some chores, cook something you enjoy, watch a funny show or movie, listen to music, go to the library...)

Meditation makes me even more anxious (I don't like to be alone with myself..) but exercise sounds like a good idea! I should walk my dog more anyway.

I'd like to do CBT or DBT therapy, though I'm unsure if it's available in my country and even if it is, can I afford it?

The biggest problem is that I suffer from very severe anhedonia, so I can't really enjoy anything at all.

Anyway, thanks for the advice.

-- Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:01 pm --

AngelTears wrote:I paint. I draw. I play video games. And I pray... prayer helps me so much. (I don't mean to sound preachy but my faith helps me.)

When you're feeling anxiety, it's important to allow yourself to take care of yourself. How are you feeling in your body when you're feeling anxious? Allow yourself a moment to take the time to cry, to vent, to feel. Love yourself.

That being said, I can definitely relate. I deal with anxiety often and it's no picnic.

Nice that you have so many hobbies.. It's a shame that I'm easily bored + anhedonia. I'd really like to be able to have some consistent hobbies that I enjoy.

Usually it feels like I'm not able to take the feelings. I'm so used to feeling nothing at all that this feels like an intense pain inside and I want to get rid of it as fast as possible