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...
My son finally opened up to me last night about the stress he's been feeling lately with online school and the new set of classes he just started. He's really stressed and he's getting anxious about it. He has dealt with pretty severe anxiety in the past, so that is worrying. There is also a layer of guilt mixed in because I listen to him talk about the expectations he has of himself and I can both identify with them and realize that I've helped create some of them... the same beliefs and expectations that have caused me so much pain in my life. I was trying to help him achieve what he wanted... I was trying to help him deal with the stress of school... and, without even realizing that I was doing, honestly, I helped create some of the same flawed beliefs. I'm not angry with myself or anything, but I do feel some level of guilt. Mostly though, I'm sad.
On the positive side... and the major thing that's helping balance the sadness... is that these are precisely some of the things I've been working on in myself right now. So, I think I was able to say some things to him last night that really cut to the heart of the issue. We had a really good talk and I think he's really willing to be more open and discuss this stuff right now, which, for a 15 year old boy, is saying something.
I realize this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. It's the first conversation, not the last, and we both have a lot of work to do ahead of us. But at least we've started talking about it.
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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.
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Years ago, I won a mirrored armoire from my job. It's in my bedroom but I rarely stand in front of it. Yesterday, I had to have a dexascan done so I had to change into a gown. There was a full length mirror in the changing room. I'm aware that I gained 5 to 7 pounds over the last year from cheating on Keto but I didn't know what it looked like. It was a reality check.
Learning how to use anxiety as a strength is awesome.
Excellent work!
Far more important than anything you'll ever say is the patience and wisdom to listen. There is no shortage of expert lectures available. Someone to open up their heart and let the feelings through is both rare and precious.
Ears open, mouth shut.
My son is in sophomore college, at first he’s stressed with the online class but now, thankfully he has adjusted to the new normal. Once a week, he attends the online meeting with his life group and it’s helping him not to feel alone.
Please keep us posted. God bless.