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...
I just popped on here to check the post feed, and there are two new posts about experiencing dread today and I'm in the same boat! Today is the one year anniversary of the first of a series of panic attacks/2-3 day depressive episodes that I had last year from "today last year" until September, initiated by a difficult and failed conversation with my then-boss. It is also the day that my husband returns from being away for 2 months and barely sharing anything about his work days. I have been near hyperventilating all morning trying to stave off the anxiety and near panic - lots associated with that - feelings of not getting enough done while he was gone, enjoying being alone (with my 3 kids) with him gone, being proud of myself for being fully competent as a temporary "single parent" for the 2 months, feeling like he is a stranger coming back, fear that he will be angry with me for any reason (justifiable or not), fear that he will yell at me for some reason (serious fear and that is common way for his to "express" himself even though he woudl never physical hurt me, and I legit just bear a general fear of being yelled at by family members, teachers, or employers (but the latter 2 I can walk away from!!!) and I'm working on that with my counselor.
So, I'm posting less for requesting support, and more just to note the oddness that the top two posts listed were about feeling dread today! And I'm feeling it with you!!!! Maybe there is something in the air? or something in the stars if anyone follows that kind of stuff.
Anyways, hugs, deep breathing, focusing, and calm for all of us. And peace.
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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.
You've taken the important first step in writing it out.
As a 'single wife' - this experience taught me independence, courage, bravery, strength, and quiet.
When hubs came home from his time away, we planned a short trip away for the entire family to allow for the adjustment of routines, conversations, and activities.
We planned time for quiet relaxation alone separately. Hubs needed time to figure out what he had missed, needed more of, and space to do it.
I needed to adjust from making ALL the decisions to sharing the decision making.
When he made a comment that normally I would say something less than kind in return, I took the time to listen to what he was saying, how he was saying it, and stopped, paused, breathed, choice until I was able to remain calm in replying.
I know I'm not responsible for what he says, does, reacts, and responds, and I am responsible for what I say, do, react, and respond. In changing my response, it changed the direction of our conversation to a better balance. Sometimes his response got worse before it got better, however, it changed because the usual response no longer fit.
When your anxiety helper gets overwhelmed, it takes work to get it back in normal range.
Best wishes as you work through the challenges of reunion and adjustment.
For today, specifically, our region is having an ozone alert day. The air is, quite literally, especially bad today. Must be summer in the sunbelt. . .
More generally, coming out of the Coronaville political chaos is creating record levels of anxiety for just about everybody. Pulling out of deep isolation is even harder than falling into it.