Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
The harder I work to **just get over** a thing, the more ^it^ dominates my thoughts and reactions. The example of the week is the start of maskite school for 2 of my 3 foster charges on this coming Monday. I still can't look at masks, etc., and the thought of taking a guardianship role in a maskite elementary school is tying my brain and heart in knots. The absence of Mommy and Daddy means are already socially marginalized, even before the social distancing begins.
Exercises I learned in ACT (Action and Commitment Therapy) suggest that instead of beating myself up for being so abnormal, I lean gently into the emotions and anxieties as objectively as possible and *simply* observe where they take me. I probably won't achieve **just getting over it**, but at least I will have some clues what to expect and prepare for when I have to close those Arfian Proper social distances for the sake of the children.
General discussion. Thoughts, experience, opines and copy/paste expertise welcome.
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Ever since I stopped doing therapy because of insurance, I've been feeling that old tense and irritable sense of anxiety and stress. I hate that. I was making so many strides and changes during therapy, my therapist would acknowledge all of my progress and accomplishments, and I miss that reassurance. Today I thought about it, and I made those changes! She would always tell me that I chose to...
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I haven't written in my diary on my computer since May because I thought that my computer was dying. I got away from writing but my computer is hanging in there. I think that I will start writing in it again. It's so therapeutic.
I committed one of my recurring "Freudian Slips" in this post. The "A" in ACT stands for "Acceptance" rather than "Action." The facilitator of my ACT workshop said that particular slip is rather cliche among the human doings who attend her workshops. "You folks instinctively go for action in place of acceptance. It gives you a sense of control."
Go through this process gently. Work out it will unfold in your mind to prepare yourself for what is going to happen. Walkthrough the process. I do each time for ECT as I have surgical anxiety and ECT sets me off each time.
Those behind the masks are not frowning, snarling or disagreeing with you. Assume they have a smile and treat them that way.
How long will this interaction be (each day) and then how often do you have to do this (weekday?)
Trying to assume the best of what is behind the mask, be the mask literal or figurative, never has worked for me. Allowing others to take personal responsibility for their own yaddah blahs while I shoot for simple observation in the here and now seems to work better for me.
At present, Hubs is handling all the masked encounters, including the med pros. My sister has been handling the shopping, et al, but she just moved back to her home state and I, at the very least, will have to suck up that part.
God, I miss indecently exposed smiles, even the ones which are only a metaphorical mask.
Thank you for sharing this.
It provides a way for me to move through some of the more "mental conflict" situations my brain has multiple discussions in order to make a choice.
The mask ... is so visible.
I find myself looking at people's eyes to see what level their emotions are.
Just staying in connection with your thoughts and feelings help. The masks are hard to look at because you can't see the smiles. Looking at people's eyes shows their expressions. Gentle healing through this process.