Trouble with constant anxiety

[junebug123]

Lately, i have been under a lot of stress and i am falling behind on my personal studies as well as my school work. It seems as thou every-time i need to do work, i start to get anxious and have problems focusing on the task at hand. Last time i posted this people said i had ADD and attention problems yet no one offered any solutions to my problem.

 

Currently i drink water and take short breaks from time to time, i have also lowered my caffeine intake and listen to relaxing music when working. Also, i tend to go to Starbucks in order to complete assignments where there are less distractions. I would really like advice from anyone who suffers from a similar issue or can understand and relate to what i am going through.

 

I am 27 but i feel like i have the attention span of a 7 year old, i can't keep living like this . . . If drugs are a solution that people are going to offer then i would prefer them not to type anything because i am not willing to go the pharmaceutic route. I am sure you can get a scolded monkey to focus on amphetamine derivatives.

[SapphireNoir10]

Have you spoken to your doctor about this?

 

Or seen a therapist or counselor?

 

They don't just suggest the pharamaceutic route. If you tell them you are not willing to take drugs they may have other suggestions.

[Celadon]

The problem with constant anxiety is that you need to get out of it, break free from it, before you can actually deal with it. Until you can get a full break from it, that is several hours, at least, then you'll always be treading water in constant anxiety. Can you take a day, go off somewhere by yourself and just be chill?

[Feleretai]

I don't think there's a one-shot answer for you, sadly. It will likely need to be a combination of exercise, gratifying social interaction, comfortable 'you' time, and perhaps even a diet change that will help your brain chemistry. I know for a fact that these things have positive influence on neurochemistry. I suffer from anxiety daily and occasionally it borders on panic attacks.

 

Lately however I've been doing a few things that have really helped me stabilize: A few cups of hot tea daily (not before bed time though unless you want to stay up late!) really help with waking up and focusing. Riding a bicycle has me stepping outside, getting sunshine, exercising, having fun and even meeting new people. This third one is a bit odd and is less likely to suit everyone, but playing a $10.00 penny-whistle/recorder settles my breathing, relaxes me and sounds nice. I'm hesitant to post this last one, but getting drunk and going out with friends is a great way for me to drop weight from my shoulders.

 

Hope there's something of use in there for you.

[junebug123]

 

diet change that will help your brain chemistry.

 

A few cups of hot tea daily

 

playing a $10.00 penny-whistle/recorder settles my breathing, relaxes me and sounds nice

 

I am curious about the diet change, i like what you said about the whistle, it makes sense sort of the way breathing into a paper bag stops a person from hyper ventilating.

 

I am wondering what type of tea, maybe calming? I don't have anxiety when i am out and i am a very active person its only when i need to do school work on the computer, read or program (as i am studying computer programming). I think it has something to do with my mental stamina and how i get overstimulated. Thanks for the advice.

[Feleretai]

There a few foods that I know can improve brain function, sometimes I even seem to feel the effects almost instantly (may be a placebo effect I'm not sure).

-Wild salmon/Canned sardines (great on ritz crackers with or without some cream cheese!) have omega 3's, the sardines are a good cheap source.

-Avocados increase blood flow in general so that includes the brain.

-Chocolate has been shown to increase focus and concentration!

-Different nuts, seeds and berries have benefits but I forgot what they were...

-And tea! Green tea has been shown to increase memory and spatial perception. Most tea has caffeine so it will likely stimulate you, but there is such a thing as decaffeinated tea. If you're overstimulated as is this may be a good option. I find just holding a nice hot cup of cha is relaxing, even though I drink caffeinated tea. Especially a nice aromatic white tea, like Tazo's Berryblossom White. White tea's also have the most antioxidants.

 

Not sure if you listen to music while studying, but classical or music for meditation have been linked to higher cognitive organization and increases in serotonin. I know it seems so corny and trite to listen to Beethoven while you study (like you should be wearing a red robe in a wooden room on a bear skin rug sipping dry scotch in front of a fireplace lol) But hey people do it for a reason (the music that is). I particularly like this mix for its length and quality

 

Good luck studying!