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...

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Getting back to real life

JudyFZ
JudyFZ
Well, it has been a month since my anxiety drove me to seek professional help. Since then, I've been doing everything I could to sort it out - cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, deep breathing, improving my sleep routine, yoga, meditation, and new medication. Especially in the past week, I've been feeling so much better. I've had moments where I could actually sit and just be, no wild thoughts and pounding heart.

I am a freelance artist and designer and I work from home, so I am fortunate to have the freedom to kind of clear off my plate when I need it. However, I know I need to get back to it. I have some social and professional engagements coming up which are keeping my anxiety alive and i know I need to get back in my studio and work again. I wonder if I am using my disorder as an excuse to procrastinate? I'm afraid once I get back to normal, my anxiety will go through the roof again, which will suck after feeling so much better.

At any rate, what do you do when you have to get back to real life and resume your responsibilities? I know there are a lot of you out there who don't have the luxury of setting everything aside to focus on yourself. How do you do it?
hyperpgal
hyperpgal
do test runs--just go and drive by your studio--go as far as you can--maybe visit-with no expectation of doing anything-see how you feel--that's what I did...I just put myself closer and closer to it until I did it....like dipping your toe into a pool--then your ankle...I loaded my car with relaxing music--carried plenty of water and even a plastic bag in case I yarfed...lol....I also put things in my desk and work space like-bags of lavender and boxes of altoids and essential oil to distract me--also bought decaf green tea and chamomile tea....
mjones0608
mjones0608
Actually right now i'm struggling greatly on getting back into it. I am trying to work again and it's not working. I don't know what to do about it. I'm on regular meds, but they don't seem to be enough. My psych has just started me on new meds so I'm hopefully, but terrified.
BlueYonderDreams
BlueYonderDreams
What you do is keep doing what you're doing currently to combat your anxiety. That should keep you on the right track.
ECC
ECC
Why do so many creative people suffer from anxiety? I made my living as a writer. In retirement, I still pursue the arts. I wonder if there is any connection to being anxious. I also do not suffer that much from anxiety anymore, which is a blessing. Older and wiser perhaps?
JudyFZ
JudyFZ
Thank you all for your comments. This week I'm going to ease back into it and I'm feeling okay about that so far. If I start to feel the anxiety rising, I will just ease off and do my breathing and definitely yoga every day, no matter what.

ECC, I think creative work produces anxiety because you are putting everything on the line all the time and that's super scary! You put your heart and soul into the work. And you have to cope with failure on a regular basis in order to grow as an artist. It's also difficult because you work alone and it has been well-documented that the isolation can create a bunch of mental health challenges. It's no wonder that so many artists and writers have turned to drugs or alcohol in times past. Don't you think?
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