Help how to ground yourself when anxious?

[aerilana]

hi, I can't really say in detail why im anxious as my brain isn't really processing and is blocking me from acknowledging what im going through as of the moment. but sometimes i get anxious over the situation that i can't stop but comfort myself by thinking about death (i seriously don't know if i will ever get better) and i know that's not really healthy but nothing really works to calm myself down and when i get anxious i start spiraling (i used to self sabotage every time i spiral but i don't really have anything to sabotage anymore since i ruined everything already).
I've been trying to learn how to read tarot card as a form of self-help/therapy, but it starts giving me bad cards whenever im anxious while trying to ask about a situation. i think it's reflecting my anxiety back to me which makes me spiral so much more. I can't really listen to music, and I've decided to delete all social media because they trigger me too. it's not really that bad rn as im completely ignoring what happened but im scared of how I'll be once it comes crashing down. i really just want to calm myself and have at least a tiny bit of hope while im not ready to process my emotions. Hopefully, I can get a consultation and be medicated by next month since i think i really need help and i can't stop but feel guilty and resent myself for what i did with my own life and it turns into really intense suicidal ideations. i don't know if it'll help me since i can't still see myself alive by next year. i know I'm still young and I can always start over but I just really think I deserve to die for what I did and for ruining the only thing i want in this life. I don't know if I can ever forgive myself.

i am also sorry if i talk too much or you don't understand. english isn't my first language:)

thank you in advance!

 

[unluckysadness]

I take benzos (valium) for my anxiety and sleeping pills when I need it. I tried a lot of natural things in the past (meditation, yoga, hypnosis, ...) and nothing worked. Now at my age (43), I prefere taking pills. I don't smoke and I don't drink alcohol so I think 5/10mg valium is okay.
I don't encourage you to take pills, it's only my personal experience. Severe anxiety and multiple phobias ruined my life.
I hope you'll find relief

 

[FoxSauce]

Well i take buspar for that wh3n im anxious I always have a fidget toy with me or my phone helps too. I cant be in crowded places without my phone or somwthing to do.

Ofc is just me

I hope you can cope in some way dude

 

[n4gui]

hi, I can't really say in detail why im anxious as my brain isn't really processing and is blocking me from acknowledging what im going through as of the moment. but sometimes i get anxious over the situation that i can't stop but comfort myself by thinking about death (i seriously don't know if i will ever get better) and i know that's not really healthy but nothing really works to calm myself down and when i get anxious i start spiraling (i used to self sabotage every time i spiral but i don't really have anything to sabotage anymore since i ruined everything already).
I've been trying to learn how to read tarot card as a form of self-help/therapy, but it starts giving me bad cards whenever im anxious while trying to ask about a situation. i think it's reflecting my anxiety back to me which makes me spiral so much more. I can't really listen to music, and I've decided to delete all social media because they trigger me too. it's not really that bad rn as im completely ignoring what happened but im scared of how I'll be once it comes crashing down. i really just want to calm myself and have at least a tiny bit of hope while im not ready to process my emotions. Hopefully, I can get a consultation and be medicated by next month since i think i really need help and i can't stop but feel guilty and resent myself for what i did with my own life and it turns into really intense suicidal ideations. i don't know if it'll help me since i can't still see myself alive by next year. i know I'm still young and I can always start over but I just really think I deserve to die for what I did and for ruining the only thing i want in this life. I don't know if I can ever forgive myself.

i am also sorry if i talk too much or you don't understand. english isn't my first language:)

thank you in advance!

I'm feeling the same but I take antidepressants and mood stabilizers sometimes, op. You shoukd try them too. Hope you get well soon.

 

[EmptyBottle]

I take deep breaths, which seems to help moderately within a handful of seconds, and a lot within a minute.
That can be combined with anything from words like "relax" repeated (to break the thought), or even playing simple online games, if that feels relaxing.

 

[MapleS]

'Crisis' Resources for anxiety attacks and emotional overwhelm

Written by @Dot, I am just being the voice so more people can understand it. Okay, so you are having an anxiety episode. It is worth remembering when suffering anxiety attack, that you are safe, despite your body throwing out symptoms and telling you otherwise. We have compiled a list of...

sanctioned-suicide.net

especially this one for me, it fucking saved me

 

[Cherry Crumpet]

I do '3 things you can see'. This helps me a lot. Sometimes add in two things I can hear. Mindfullness is really helpful. Try this also: if possible, sit down. lay your feet flat on the ground. Place a hand over your abdomen and push inwards (pressure). Place your other hand over your sternum. Press inwards. So one hand is pressing against your abdomen and hte other is pressing against your sternum. Lift your tongue so it's pushing against the roof of your mouth where your front teeth are. (somehow the tongue thing can disrupt your nervous system.) while doing this, rapidly shake your shoulders and then let them droop and let your shoulders open so the muscles around your diagram are opened a bit. there's something about putting the tongue in tha tposition, while applying pressure, and relaxing your shoulders that tells your nervous system that it's okay. I've found all of these to help a lot. Oh, somatic movement also helps me, but so far all i've done is cross my arms so my fingertips are against the opposite collar bone. then tap on one side and then the other. Something bout the alternating movement makes it really hard to spiral because it keeps yanking my brain back to the physical sensation. Another one.. saying random words or numbers. It should force your brain to focus on the random numbers/words. I hope that makes sense. Another one - grab two ice cubes and clench them tightly in each hand. What you're trying ot do here is jolt your nervous system out hyper vigilance mode. I use these techniques when i sense a spiral coming on, which for me can be either anxiety or depression or sometimes the fun mix of both. Hope this was somewhat helpful.

 

[nocatwaslost]

When I am in emotional overwhelm I try to focus on my feet touching the ground, look to the right, left, up down and repeat and try to keep my eyes open. And always remember to breathe.

 

[Shiitake]

hi, I can't really say in detail why im anxious as my brain isn't really processing and is blocking me from acknowledging what im going through as of the moment. but sometimes i get anxious over the situation that i can't stop but comfort myself by thinking about death (i seriously don't know if i will ever get better) and i know that's not really healthy but nothing really works to calm myself down and when i get anxious i start spiraling (i used to self sabotage every time i spiral but i don't really have anything to sabotage anymore since i ruined everything already).
I've been trying to learn how to read tarot card as a form of self-help/therapy, but it starts giving me bad cards whenever im anxious while trying to ask about a situation. i think it's reflecting my anxiety back to me which makes me spiral so much more. I can't really listen to music, and I've decided to delete all social media because they trigger me too. it's not really that bad rn as im completely ignoring what happened but im scared of how I'll be once it comes crashing down. i really just want to calm myself and have at least a tiny bit of hope while im not ready to process my emotions. Hopefully, I can get a consultation and be medicated by next month since i think i really need help and i can't stop but feel guilty and resent myself for what i did with my own life and it turns into really intense suicidal ideations. i don't know if it'll help me since i can't still see myself alive by next year. i know I'm still young and I can always start over but I just really think I deserve to die for what I did and for ruining the only thing i want in this life. I don't know if I can ever forgive myself.

i am also sorry if i talk too much or you don't understand. english isn't my first language:)

thank you in advance!

Hide in the public restroom, lol im pathetic

 

[EmptyBottle]

Hide in the public restroom, lol im pathetic

That strategy is somehow quite useful tbh, tho for me, it's used at home, and used for short amounts of time.

 

[Shiitake]

That strategy is somehow quite useful tbh, tho for me, it's used at home, and used for short amounts of time.

I just love toilets, it doesnt help that the one in the house has heated flooring, god damn i feel like a monk in my own temple.

 

[Hime]

For me, doing some weird brain task, like picking a random number (e.g. 9824) and subtracting 7 from it until I reach 3 digits, helps send me back to reality. It makes me actively focus really hard on that task, so it kinda calms me down. Alternating between counting odds and evens also works. Distraction is my way of surviving anxiety...

Sadly, pills like Valium just end up biting me in the ass cuz they feel so euphoric. I end up taking them daily and then eventually I start getting withdrawal symptoms, so I have to stay away... It sucks. Why does the cure to anxiety have to also be the thing that kills us? (seizures from withdrawals)

 

[parader]

I either pray the rosary (I ain't even sure I believe it haha, but I like the sense of rhythm of different prayers and the progress of beads in my hands, feels meditative, and if it perhaps helps me spiritually that's a bonus) or I do the dishes and try to pay attention to the sounds, the cool water, the foam in my hands, by the end of it I feel at least a tiny bit better to see a clean sink. :'')

 

[BeanCurd]

I hope you find some meds that work for you soon :) I've found mine take the edge off, which then also makes it easier for me to do other things that help me feel slightly better.

In terms of grounding, there are a tonne of resources out there. I've also been in the process of trying to find things that work for me. I like holding solid, cold, metal items to get a sense of stability. Showering while chewing gum for the sensory aspect. And humming out loud for the vibration I feel in my throat, and to remind myself I'm real and can be heard (even if no one else is around!).