I need some advice. Lately I have been worrying a lot about different things, and it is causing me to have more frequent (sometimes daily) anxiety attacks. I cannot keep taking xanax for them everytime, I don’t want to form an addiction.
But anyway, I’ve had worries and thoughts bouncing around in my head at 100 miles an hour. I worry about dad who is working 2 minimum wage jobs and having an nondependable car to travel to work. , I worry about my brother with cerebral palsy who is confined to his room because he doesn’t like to go places for fear of inconviening other people (he’s in a wheelchair), I worry about my mom and her weight, my mother’s boyfriend who has kids that abuse him, and my grandparents passing away. I love them so much. I worry about my fiance being unemployed and not being able to find work.
I worry about the homeless people I encounter in this cold weather. I’ve even been breaking down in tears if I see a dead animal in the road.
I want SO BADLY to help these people, but I can’t like I want to. I just want my mind to slow down!!! I know worrying won’t help anything, but I can’t stop. What should I do? How can I stop these anxiety attacks and worrying so much?
4 comments
Here is a question: Is the worry caused by the things you obsess about or do you seek things to worry about?
If the former, there is no end to it; the world being full of insoluble problems: Israel-Palestine, human traffickers, smokeless tobacco, etc.
If the latter, there is hope, because you do have the power to make decisions and decisions do have affect upon the mind making them. You pick a radio station or a movie or a book and the effect is not the same between the alternatives. “Out of Africa†simply has a different impact than a slasher movie.
First, you must help yourself. You need an emotional anchor that will help when the worries come and you give in to them. What is the first thing that you think of that might serve this purpose?
A network of people who can help, starting with a counselor. Those who really help are mature, often in a helping profession, and do not seek to ‘enable†you by justifying the worries.
The worries are really an attack upon your own mental well being. When you resolve to deal with that, you will be available to help others.
G.W.
You already realize the most important fact, that the worrying literally does nothing to change any of it, so you already know its pointless. If you cant stop it at that point then i guess it might really be a compulsive behavior that you can’t just choose to stop. One possible idea, instead of just worrying which helps no one, why not turn some of it into action. If you’re worried about your brother isolating himself then be the one to ask him if he’d like you to take him anywhere or even hang out at home. If you think about the homeless then go volunteer at a kitchen. If you worry about your family write them letters or let them know whats on your mind. Maybe if you turn some of this worrying into action, your brain will finally let you rest. Maybe it’s trying to tell you something and trying to provoke you to take action and make a difference. You’ll never be able to save the entire world but you might find if you actually get proactive and try to change what worries you, the thoughts will relax.
Set aside at least 15 minutes of each day to think about nothing and do nothing. Lay in bed. Listen to music. Take a shower. Commit yourself, during that period, to think about nothing. Simply listen to whatever’s around you: water, your breath, etc.
Slow down. Realize you can’t solve even half the problems you’d like to. Realize that doesn’t make you a bad person. Realize you neither benefit yourself nor the people around you by worrying about every problem in the world, real or imagined.
Im 47,,,,,, I can tell you…. from experience,,,,,,,, most, if not nearly all, of what I worried about in my life , never actually happened.
I hope that helps 😉