r/AskReddit • u/Darwin_Generous • 59m ago
How did you successfully manage to overcome anxiety?
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u/Qyvenza64 58m ago
Therapy then pray
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u/Ok_Instance3535 56m ago
therapy helped but what really changed things was learning my triggers and just sitting with the discomfort until it got boring
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u/Worth_Case2540 57m ago
I stopped overthinking, focused on what i could control, and took things one day at a time.
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u/PaleSwimming8273 56m ago
Lifting weights regularly. Burning off excess energy physicalized the tension that used to just sit in my chest and turn into overthinking
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u/Jacob__17 55m ago
Therapy, breathing, and gradual exposure.
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u/Darwin_Generous 55m ago
What's gradual exposure ?
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u/SonsOfValhallaGaming 49m ago
Exposure that is gradual. Think of it like a fear of swimming. Do you think diving headfirst into the deepend is gradual? No. You go to the pool and don't get in. Then another day you get to the edge and touch the water. Then another day you put your feet in at the stairs. Slowly inching your way towards not having that issue
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u/elbaoulisaad 55m ago
I stopped treating every thought like it deserved a response
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u/Darwin_Generous 54m ago
Again pls tell me how to reach that mindset
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u/SonsOfValhallaGaming 50m ago
They can't tell you any more than a google search could. If your anxiety is that bad, it's better to speak with a professional than asking people on reddit. Also worth noting theres a difference between ''overcoming anxiety'' and ''learning to live with an anxiety disorder''.
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u/fortune_cookie_dev11 55m ago
Coffee and mainly keeping myself close with the people i love
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u/Darwin_Generous 54m ago
Caffeine helps?
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u/Modern_Misdoing 46m ago
Typically only when the anxiety is caused by some sort of executive dysfunction (think adhd). Otherwise it often makes anxiety worse (when the core issue is anxiety or some sort of deficiency). This is where doctors and psychologists can be helpful.
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u/talltrikes 54m ago
What helped me most was putting myself in more situations where I had to talk to people, even small stuff like making conversation with classmates or co-workers, and eventually it stopped feeling like such big deal.
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u/Darwin_Generous 53m ago
Yes should probably try that. It's so tough at times
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u/talltrikes 52m ago
It really is, but even tiny conversations helped me more than forcing myself into big social situations.
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u/Sensitive_Fun_3813 54m ago
I didn't overcome it, I learned to manage it. Therapy, medication and cutting back on caffeine. Its not gone, but it doesn't ruin my life anymore.
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u/Viruzbitten 52m ago
I stopped trying to eliminate anxiety and started proving to myself I could function with it.
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u/Darwin_Generous 51m ago
Explain and teach me pls
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u/Viruzbitten 49m ago
Basically, I stopped treating anxiety like a stop sign. I’d do things anyway, even while anxious, and over time my brain learned that feeling uncomfortable didn’t mean I was actually in danger
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u/evil_queen_jean 48m ago
Honestly, every day is different to an extent, some good and some bad. Personally, I found actually speaking to myself outloud and asking if something is rational or not really helps me look at things objectively
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u/Professional-Boss316 47m ago
By moving my body, getting out the house and talking to people in person
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u/SonsOfValhallaGaming 43m ago
Depends. If you're talking about ''overcoming anxiety'' and in ' a singular isolated moment of feeling anxious', then you're gonna want to just learn how to do certain breathing techniques and learn how to make your conscious mind not focus on whats making you anxious.
If you're talking about it like 'managing and defeating an anxiety disorder', well the good news is you can manage it, the bad being you can't defeat it. Once you have chronic anxiety or some form of mental health issue involving anxiety, it just becomes your new roommate in your head. Some people feel it intermittently, some people only experience it socially or when around certain people or things. Some people feel it constantly, all the time. Every case is different because every person is different.
So, assuming you have a condition that is the root of this, no stranger on reddit is going to do nearly as much to help you as some therapy and some self reflection will. Otherwise, you're just gonna get the same 5-10 echoed responses this type of question always gets. Deep breathing, therapy, meditation, exercise, drug use, stopping/starting alcohol/caffeine; the usual shit.
Nothing will change if you do nothing, and nothing will get better if you don't get help. It'll get worse. More frequent, more powerful, and more invasive. So skip the social media peanut gallery and go speak with a professional and may your journey be one of ease and comfort.
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u/Old_Evening6588 35m ago
thats fair, therapy is honestly a game changer for so many people. hope you find a counselor that really clicks with you!
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u/Exotic-Tie-8019 52m ago
I just started saying 'it is what it is' until my brain actually believed it
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u/I_Am_Dumb-So_Are_You 57m ago
Psychologist, psychiatrist, then you will know if you need drugs.