Taking Aim at Anxiety
In May of 2021, I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder and it has been a bitter-sweet journey of self-discovery and self-care.
Through CBT and anti-depressants, I was able to understand that I had been living with anxiety since I was a teenager, mostly suppressing my feelings before they erupted into full attacks.
From about 16 years old until May last year, I could count on one hand the number of anxiety attacks I had, then one night I had an anxiety attack that lasted three weeks. There was no sleeping and no eating, only a restless mind that couldn’t right itself.
The NHS was contacted that first night, and, even during a pandemic, they were excellent in getting me the help that I needed and by the next day, I had been prescribed medication (propranolol and Valium). Under doctor’s orders I was limiting the amount of Valium I took, and the propranolol was only a temporary fix and the daily struggle mounted on.
One week later I had a phone consultation with Mind about starting CBT, however, I wasn’t the only one having mental health issues, and there was a several-month waiting list. So I ended up going private, and the following week I started CBT sessions over Zoom.
By the third week it was clear that in additional to the CBT I needed to go on antidepressants in order to reset my system, so I started taking sertraline.
A few weeks into CBT I devised the following acronym to help me cope when I felt my anxiety levels rising and I want to share it with you:
A - Acknowledge It
I - Investigate It
M - Measure It
S - Soothe It
Acknowledge It: As soon as you feel your anxiety levels rising, acknowledge it … ‘This is anxiety.’
Investigate It: Take some time to understand what’s causing the anxiety and then decide if it’s warranted or not.
Measure It: On a scale of 1-10, how anxious are you? By this stage, your anxiety might already be subsiding.
Soothe It: Decide how you’re going to react to the anxiety. If it’s warranted, maybe you’ll decide to:
• Meditate
• Go for a walk
• Exercise
• Journal
If it’s not warranted, you might want to do nothing, leaving the anxiety powerless to hang around because you have the power!
If you or someone you care about is struggling with anxiety, I hope that this approach will help you navigate through the anxiety to a place of calm.
The Hamblin Vision YouTube channel has several meditations that address anxiety. This video meditation recognises that internal anxiety is often triggered by external events and upsetting world news. It offers a very comforting and soothing approach. Give it a try and listen often for maximum benefit.
