What are effective methods of relieving anxiety & stress?

[Ms.Lady]

I'm going through a lot and it's really taking a toll on my health I feel. I recently got out of a relationship not too long ago. I've lost my job 2 months ago and my nerves are very bad and I just have this anxiety and lonely feeling all the time. It doesn't feel very good. I really can't relax and I'm constantly in this state of worrying and thoughts running through my head. Then I got another blow this morning that my friend is leaving town for school. She's one of my close friends and she's always there for me. She was the main person I hung out with. I'm glad that she decided to go back to school, however I'm going to miss her.

 

My main fear is being alone and it looks more and more like I'm going to have to face that. It's not easy for me to make friends with people but I will try to keep myself busy by looking for a job and trying to keep my sanity. But what's effective in getting rid of this butterflies in my stomach feeling that I feel just about 24/7? It really makes me feel ill...

[Wolf_22]

I bet I can top your woes...

 

I graduated back in May of 2007 with a degree in IT. At the time, I had a girlfriend whom I thought would be more than that once I bought a ring. Once I moved to the city my first career job was in, though, she left me and that's when it all came crashing down.

 

I eventually lost my job after a year and then after that, I was unemployed for almost an entire year. I eventually moved back to the city where my school was and began re-attending. Things got better but at the time of re-attending, I could only take 1 class due to being unemployed. With 25% of the semester completed, I finally found a petty student job that paid $7.00 / hour. After a few more weeks, I acquired 3 other jobs (1 internship, 1 scholarship, and 1 mini-grant project). The student job was my favorite because it gave me time to work on things that had nothing to do with my job there and the people I helped in that place appreciated my help. It made me feel great despite the horrible pay.

 

Anyway, with 80% of the semester completed, I was terminated because of a policy that said no student can work on campus unless they're taking 6 credit hours (2 classes). My supervisor never told me about this policy pre-interview because he never knew about it nor could never find information on it anywhere once it became an issue. The director of student employment told me to my face that I should be re-instated, but even with his help, I found out that I wouldn't get the job back. While the smoke-screen of "policy issue" was their motive, I believe the higher-ups actually terminated me because I left a previous job on bad terms before graduation back in 2007 (and that's an entirely different discussion about how I was hosed by someone who is not even there now but who is also on one of the higher-up's Facebook friends list).

 

So out of all this, I completely understand your stress. I ofter considered suicide during all this crap (especially during my unemployment). I had a perfect plan too: go get knife and slash wrists in tub.

 

I'm still here, obviously. I'm still fighting people left and right. I'm still taking on the world from day-to-day and I'm still making people smile left-and-right. You have to keep fighting, too. Life blows. It sucks and stinks and is very careless and hard-headed, but that's the cards on the table and we've got to wager everyday in order to win that not-so-frequent hand that makes all these rough days worth playing. Sorry to hear about your woes. I really am because I know exactly what you're going through, but I guess the one good way of looking at those situations is that you get tons of free time to focus on personal projects and soul-searching. I do miss that from the time I was unemployed...

 

Just keep your chin up and keep swinging.

[loulee]

Get on anxiety medication..I do stress anxiety medication these are not anti depressants..They will ease your anxiety within half an hour...stop that horrid knot in your belly..And basically with all the hardship you have been through you need to refocus with a lot more positive thinking and forward planning about your future..it will be difficult but the sooner you become very proactive about making things take a turn for the better the happier and less anxious you will feel....good luck to you...

[chicagogirl]

I would suggest to see a doctor first to rule out anything physical so you don't have to worry from that point. There is a great website and book that I highly recommend. Its found on link removed and I have used his techniques to deal with panic attacks and anxiety. I do take generic xanax but not a great deal. A total of three doses a day at .5 mg. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations. Its just how you deal with it that will really help you in those trying times. I hope you feel better and I hope the website will be able to be of use to you. Good luck!!!

[calidreamin0]

If you don't see an end in sight to your anxiety, its best to try some medication. That is what a doctor suggested to me when I was 19, and im convinced it saved my life. I was in the very same boat, very anxious about my life, my future, a horrible relationship, my parents health, my grandmothers recent death, everything just piled up. I could barely breath and took all this negative energy inward.

 

I was so scatter brained and nervous all the time I was always sick. So finally I went to talk to a doctor about it and he sent me to a therapist. I was prescribed prozac and ativan. Within a few months I could function normal enough to workout, go out, and live again! I have had a few anxiety relapses, but im thankful to say they are shorter and shorter each time.

 

The best thing that helps me is working out, and doing things for yourself regularly. Whether its just buying some new item of clothing, or reading, or writing... whatever you can do to 'reward' yourself with positive energy. I recently started gardening and its a very calming activity. Ceramics is also a great therapeutic tool as well.

[DenialTwist]

I was at a similar point in my life and anxiety kicked in....

 

Anxiety is a negative downward spiral...an emotional black hole.

 

You need to start re-energising and drawing positive energy.

 

Tapping really works...try it out, it's a 3 min exercise you do sitting down...you won't even break sweat!

 

 

 

Also meditation. Try closing your eyes and think of nothing. Seems easy, i bet that within 10 seconds something popped into your head

 

The benefits of meditation and being able to re-energise your energy fields are endless. I started using them to cope with panic attacks, it worked so well I still use these techniques.