I have always had to cope with anxiety & depression brought on when feeling overwhelmed. Of course being HSP means I feel overwhelmed a lot. I use all kinds of tools to help myself. I see a therapist & take Prozac & Xanax when necessary. I attend DBT meetings.

DBT ... Dialectal Behavior Therapy
teaches coping skills
understanding our emotions
reducing emotional vulnerability
decrease emotional suffering
mindfulness
distress tolerance
crisis survival
emotional regulation
accepting reality (pain is part of life)
balancing priorities & demands
how to take care of ourselves & sooth ourselves
and much more

Yes, I think DBT could be really useful! I will look more into it.

Thank you.

Awareness is key. Becoming aware of your negative thoughts, answering them with a more realistic, constructive, and adaptive view, and taking action to break out of your self-imposed trap, you can get control of depression and anxiety. Can you ever be cured? Cognitive therapy is a skill-building process- CBT works for many people on many different levels and once you get control over the self defeating behaviors and thinking patterns you will feel more in control once the anxiety or depression shows itself once again.
There is a book by Dennis T. Jaffee, Ph.D, and Cynthia D. Scott, Ph.D. called 'From Burnout to Balance' it suggests another technique to counter negative thinking. 'When you find yourself being self critical, write down a list of positive things about yourself, and things that you would like to happen," they say. "Place the list where you can read it often, on the refrigerator or bathroom mirror perhaps, and try to repeat these affirmative messages to yourself several times a day."
Affirmations- defined by Drs. Jaffe and Scott as "positive personal statements that modify negative personal beliefs and expectations, and motivate and influence us in new directions" - "people who begin consciously to modify their inner conversations and assumptions report an almost immediate improvement in their performance. Their energy increases and things seem to go better.
Reprograming the mind for more positive results- when practiced properly and often, it can become "our internal reality."
Create a few of your own. Think of short positive statements to counter some of the negative ( self-critical ) thoughts such as "I am happy with my work," "I am a giving and loving person," "I am healthy and full of energy."
"Spend a few moments several times a day slowly repeating your affirmations to yourself," Drs. Jaffe and Scott explain. "As you repeat them, try to imagine how that affirmation is- or can be- true in your life; you might imagine the affirmation as it comes to be part of your life.
Actually see yourself changing."

Hugs...

I did trauma therapy for anxiety and over whelm and that worked really good. Same for me on the emotion as in not safe to express , experience and process feeling. I to got really exhausted of the cycles and now although life has ups and downs as well as anxiety it is not something that detours into depression. Just action and pace.

I feel the same thing. I try hard and am OK for a while, but then some trigger comes along and its all gone again. I find it hard to express what I am feeling to others. At the moment I am trying to remortgage our flat but everything is going wrong. Financial matters are a huge trigger for me and I have been embroiled in them for months now. I am so scared and there is so much I don't understand. And when something like this happens I lose interest in self care, I don't monitor my diabetes or do basic things. It is bad for me. I am trying to fight it but I am alone. Anyway, I don't have an answer, but just wanted you to know you aren't the only one.

I was on a bus..just staring out the window..kind of daydreaming and got off..suddenly I felt odd..my heart was racing many different things..I went to the toilets shut myself in a cubicle and tried to talk myself into calmness..I had this happen and its hard to describe but sure never want that experience again..looking back it was a panic attack and my sympathies to anyone who has them..what I did was what was the root cause and address it..I always now keep one step ahead of anxiety..not easy depending on what it is..but I keep my health to a top level..Im into dream meangs not deeply but use the to see whats going on in my suconscious example..I was stealing a trunk..which when looking up meant..I was overworked and I was deprived of something an unfulfilled goal..which is true..I have been overworking but its up to me to be assertive..I did loose a dream and it went unfulfilled but I applying well if you fall off a horse just get back up on it..might be a donkey but Im getting back up..I also talk to a balanced friend LOL well as balanced a friend I can find..I also now dont let a negative inner voice come in that one brings a viscous circle of all kinds of stuff..also moods for myself and emotions are important as for myself I know these are healthy..I think being hsp even creative people we feel very deeply..but an artist needs moods and ups and downs thats why some fantastic pieces of creativeness happens..poetry writers etc etc ..also I look at whether its my hormones also drugs have side effects..so its alot to look into..

I have to say I am really touched by all the responses and I think there is some great advice here. Yes, thinking has a lot to do with it. Sometimes I am not sure if I become anxious because of negative thoughts or vice versa. I feel like a lot of times, it just comes out of nowhere and builds and more than anything, its a physical feeling of burning in my stomach/solar plexus and when this happens, I am not sure how to make it go away. The only thing I guess is to just accept it and try to think positively, even if my body feels anxious. But at the same time, I think that maybe there was something that happened or some emotion I am not allowing myself to feel that has triggered it.
Yes, I think I would like to really start to become more aware, but not in an obsessive way---just in a curious way to help myself.

Hi Jupiterjazz, I have had anxiety attacks for most of my life. Sometimes I will go months without them and feel like they will never happen again, but then they do. And it does seem to be tied in with being angry (you are right about that connection) and not allowing myself to express my anger, especially with the person I am angry with. One of the best things I have found for my anxiety is guided meditation. I just listen to a CD and the narrator guides me through the meditation. I can't do the meditation very well where you play music and then guide yourself. It has helped me tremendously with my anxiety. I also take an herbal mixture of catnip and fennel made my Nature's Sunshine when my anxiety is through the roof. It is safe and no side effects. Moms give it to colicky babies. Since my anxiety always affects my stomach, it is perfect.

I used to get panic attacks a lot where I felt out of control and unable to function. It would bring on all types of symptoms. I found that whatever was bothering me I needed to learn more about it and take control of it and not let it control me. It is hard to do but when it comes on a person has to immediately stop it and be strong to overcome. For me prayer and trusting God is what I lean on, having faith that he will see me through. It was only until I could surrender these feelings to God that I began to feel better about myself. I needed to realize I could not do it myself.

Sometimes a person does not realize that their physical well being affects their mental well being. In other words I realized that my blood pressure needed some meds to take away the anxious feeling I was having all the time. I have struggled with anxiety all my life also, mostly I have found it is due to physical ailments. A person needs to be very careful with herbs, they can affect us more than we realize. There are some that are very dangerous in fact. I also realized that anxiety can have a kind of snowball effect, kind of like rolling down a hill of snow as it rolls the snowball becomes larger and larger. I know also if I don't deal with anger deep down inside me from past issues it tends to eat away at my self talk, causes me to be negative to the point where I would just shut down mentally and physically. Kind of almost become numb with no emotion to protect myself. Anger is really a waste of energy, because it serves no purpose and drains a person of circumstances sometimes that we have no control over. Kind of like watching a house burn and be angry and mad because it is on fire instead of analyzing can I do anything about it -- if so do it and if not let it go.

I guess I have found it involves a great deal of self control. My anxiety became somewhat of habit and as soon as I started to back away from it right away it began to leave. I still struggle at times but it is much better than it was. Medication can help a person to get started and form a "good" habit of denying the anxiety before it takes over. Best wishes to everyone.

One of the things that helps me to move out of the state of anxiety is connecting with what is supportive to my life. That can of course be breathing but at the same time grounding and being in the body with what is truly happening physically. Conceptual thinking can be responsible for trigger and anxiety so it is important to get out of the thinking mind and into the body and pulse in order to address and change.

There are times when what is really going on is going to create anxiety and some times it is not only understandable but necessary. Anxiety can be used to increase action towards solving the means of distress.

yet again there is balance in being fully aware of what is supportive in life. I am highly into feeling gravity through my body to ground and know that I stay on the planet and not fly off because of something beyond what I control or even create as in the earth creates me . I practice recognizing this feature through out the day/ when needed to remain in body and not so over saturated up in the head. There are a whole list of things I do to get into this mode starting with being physically creative ... like cut and paste or cooking or walking or or the list is really quite large. The point is to give total attention to the physical project. Be involved in doing and not so much hypothetical thinking/conjecture/dialoging while being idol.

Yes, I think doing has helped me in the past. Lately, I have felt like work takes up most of my time and I no longer really get to do the things I have enjoyed. For example, I used to go to yoga 2-3 times a week and now I only go once. I used to take a singing class and practice a couple times a week and now I no longer do this. There were other things too like painting, dancing, taking a sewing class, selling vintage clothing on ebay, tae kwon do.

As an HSP, I feel really great when I have a lot of time by myself. Ideally, I would only work three times a week and then have a lot of time to do the things I enjoy. My fiance has somehow been able to arrange this type of lifestyle for himself. He is a computer programmer from home and only comes in to work three times a week, but he can sleep as late as he wants. Maybe I'm wrong, but sometimes I think the 9-5 life is not ideal for us HSPs. Of course, structure is good, but I find that this type of routine seems too fast paced. This is partially why I'm not sure if I should have a child. I worry it could be too overwhelming, without any time to myself.

pageo,

Can you tell me how you feel gravity in your body?

I am aware that I need to be constantly redirected in this way. There are different things I try to do in order to ground myself--get accupuncture, do yoga, and even practice breathing down from my solar plexus, into my lower diaphragm, and into my feet. I have imagined a cord extending from my root shakra to the center of the earth, where I exchange energy with my higher power and so on.

Astrologically, I have hardly any of my planets in earth signs, so perhaps this is why I lack grounding.

Wow, I just realized how selfish I sound in these past posts...but maybe I don't sound selfish.

jupiterjazz, You don't sound selfish to me, I think you sound like you are looking for answers and trying to figure out how to get back to feeling better, more balanced.
I think you know that you need to make more time for the things that you enjoyed. Maybe somehow you can work that out.
I notice that I am at more ease and less anxious when I am being creative. I suppose we need to fulfill that part of ourselves.

Having a child certainly takes up a lot of our time that is for sure. I was young and not really ready when I had my first child. I was still not knowing who I was and discovering life myself at 21 but it all worked out and I love both my sons immensely and wouldn't be without them. somehow moms can find time for themselves. It's important to do that. And not get lost and lose identity in being a mommy. but still find time to be "jupiterjazz". If you are aware of that. then you will be fine if ever you decide to have a child.

I find I feel better after laying on the ground especially outside. If you can lay on the grass, I think connecting with the earth and just allowing the ground to hold you can feel really good. I don't know if that is grounding or anything to do with gravity but hey if it feels good and calms then do it. LOL.
You can't go wrong with connecting with nature, I always feel good after being down on the beach. watch the waves, listen to them. breathe, calm, beautiful. Find time to do these things. Reconnect with whatever you are drawn to, whatever you like.

I have had anxiety problems forever and a day. LOL. I take medication on more challenging days. I pretty much manage it with the usual self help suggestions we always read about. Breathing exercises meditation, aromatherapy, EFT, self hypnosis, You can find on Tube videos.
I have done some of the chakra balancing myself. I do the chakra vowel sounds, a sound corresponds with each chakra in the body and you can feel the vibrations within the body. It actually feels really good and I do feel calmer after.
I know I need to be more consistent with these self help things.
I don't know if I have a wiring short in my brain or not. LOL. I feel that I'm out of balance and I am trying to get back on the track, but I feel that I am so far off it. I feel that brain re training is the way to go. change thinking patterns. and all of that good stuff. but it takes time and energy.

I have started listening to binaural beats or binaural tones. You can get apps on phone or find on You Tube.
Brain Entrainment may help with anxiety. The beats, pulses or tones are at different frequencies, and can induce the feeling you want. eg. calm, focus, creativity, energy, sleep.

Different brainwave frequencies = Delta for sleep, Theta - deep meditation, Alpha - relaxation (while awake) pre sleep, Beta - Active, busy or anxious thinking and active concentration, Gamma - higher mental activity .
I listen to binaural beats or tones for Delta sleep. pretty cool. I use headphones. the use of headphones is required usually.


I have taken herbal things before. it is actually good to take breaks from herb supplements. The body can become accustomed and the herb can lose potency. so take a break for a week or two and then resume the herb. And you may find you will respond again. You can try other alternatives during that break time.

I hope you feel better soon.

Thank you, nature girl.

I like the idea of binaural beats and the chakra vowel sounds. Have not really heard of that before, but I will check it out on youtube.

I'm sorry you are struggling right now also. I really wish you the best in terms of getting back on the right track. This seems to be what I am doing now too.

There are good days and sometimes difficult days. I seem to forget that managing it sometimes takes a lot of work and discipline and I often feel lazy where this is concerned. You are right, it takes time and energy and sometimes I feel sorry for myself, rather than doing the work I need to do. Yes, I am finally devoting more attention to the idea of really disciplining my mind.

Believe it or not, I heard that martial arts can also be great for this because of the breath control involved--breathing deep into the tunga(sp?) + all the focus involved (your mind does not have time to think anxiety thoughts) + the great exercise for the body. I have thought about getting back into this too, but I am afraid of the discipline and the time it takes to be away from home and away from my fiance(the school I really want to go to is far away). I have actually earned my first-degree yellow belt and a start and would like to move up, but I am also afraid of the fighting I would have to do once I move up to my 2nd degree orange belt. But at the same time, I think it would be good for me because of the very fact that I have been bullied throughout my life and it would help me earn more confidence (which I also really need). The only reason I would be involved in tae kwon do is for the mental discipline benefits.

Yes, maybe I will try taking a break from the herbs for a while too.

Anyways, thank you again!