Member
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Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: The Twin Cities
Posts: 281
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: The Twin Cities
Posts: 281
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Hello pink kitty: Yes, I struggle with generalized anxiety. I'm on no medications of any kind. I presume you're aware of such things as avoiding caffeine & that sort of thing. Getting plenty of physical exercise can also be helpful. I don't know if you've ever tried meditation. I personally find it difficult to just sit. Plus, too much sitting isn't healthy anyway. So what I have taken up as an alternative is walking meditation.
I also avoid violent TV programs, movies, etc. There was a science series on public television a while back titled: "The Brain with David Eagleman". One of the points Eagleman made in one of the segments was that although consciously we may understand a TV program or movie is fictional, non-conscious areas of our brain respond as if it were real. Plus, one thing I have read that is coming out of current brain research using fMRI technology is that much more of who we are, & what we do, is controlled by non-conscious areas of the brain than we would typically imagine. So, from my perspective, exposing the non-conscious areas of one's brain to repeated assaults of fictional violence is just really asking for trouble, especially if one is prone to anxiety anyway.
Oh, & then in a similar vein, I don't listen to loud music. My personal preference is chant or what is sometimes referred to as "new age". It soothes me. There's a lot one can do to just manage one's environment that will help with anxiety. And, again from my perspective, it's important to do so if anxiety is a problem & one wants to stay off medication. Therapies, including individual therapy, CBT, DBT, etc. can also help I presume. I personally have not found therapy to be useful.
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