What do you do when ANXIETY starts to raise its ugly head? When the weight of daily life starts to siphone off my serenity and other peoples' problems start to stake up tents in my head, I have to re-center myself on the "Thinks What Got Me Sober," and re-vitalize my recovery efforts.
Sometimes, it's ALL I can do to (metaphorically) watch my own shoes and not focus on everyone else's, and put one foot in front of the other. I never understood what, "Do the next right thing," really meant, but I can wrap my head around watching my own feet when I start thinking about involving myself in others' issues.
It's like flying down the road of life in my little cart--I gotta remember sometimes to keep my arms and hands inside the cabin 'cause there are 1) people out there that don't WANT my hands in their face and 2) people out there who'd love to snatch me right out of the cart. If they want to ride with me there's plenty of room--so long as they stay on their side...
How do YOU cope with the anxieties of life and living sober?
What a great post Skg, thanks......
For me it depends how bad the anxiety is.....
Sometimes I feel a rising panic....thses days it's not as raw as it was....once or twice in the past I felt the urge to flee, my body leaping up off the sofa and half way across the room before I even realised what was happening....nothing like that nowadays....
but when it was very bad I'd
- go for a walk....literally one step at a time, looking at the flowers, trees, birds, cars, people, streams, clouds, flowers, windows...really looking and listening, noticing textures, colours, sounds, smells....
- phone someone...family, friends, new Al-anon friends, new AA friends, The Samaritans - who are there for anyone in emotional distress for any reason at all
- go for a drive, again, something to take me outside of my head and into the world
- tidy up, wash up
And I'd pray....the Serenity prayer, over and over again....or I'd ask for the wisdom to know His Will for me and the strength to follow it, or prayers of thanks for being alive....zac is right about gratitude being so wonderful....as soon as I could remember how lucky I am just to be breathing all the beauty of the world wrapped me in its arms and hugged me until I laughed with joy....a miracle indeed....I'd pray thank you with every atom of my being, every step I took....and I'd be filled with joy and love.
When I could stand the anxiety I'd let myself feel it, recognise that I am NOT my anxiety or my fear...they're just feelings, that's all they are, and they pass....and learning to sit with them and acknowledge them and not react to them has been great for me....I can FEEL and don't have to ACT on those feeligns...I can want a drink and don't have to act on that feeling....I can CHOOSE which feelings to inhabit, to let possess me....joy yes, love yes, compassion yes, bliss yes, but anger, for example, I will feel and acknowledge and decide what to do about....be assertive or let it go, but never let it possess me....I have anger at times and that's ok, but I will do my best never to let it have me ever again....
Thanks for those reminders....I'm sitting here a bit anxious tonight, my kids have gone to my ex's for the first time in a couple of weeks and I miss them....but that's ok, I am so, so lucky to have them. My life is blessed.
Have a wonderful day Skg, and everyone.
Martin
p.s. and music.....music makes my soul sing and my spirits soar....ipods should be on the National Health....
For me it depends how bad the anxiety is.....
Sometimes I feel a rising panic....thses days it's not as raw as it was....once or twice in the past I felt the urge to flee, my body leaping up off the sofa and half way across the room before I even realised what was happening....nothing like that nowadays....
but when it was very bad I'd
- go for a walk....literally one step at a time, looking at the flowers, trees, birds, cars, people, streams, clouds, flowers, windows...really looking and listening, noticing textures, colours, sounds, smells....
- phone someone...family, friends, new Al-anon friends, new AA friends, The Samaritans - who are there for anyone in emotional distress for any reason at all
- go for a drive, again, something to take me outside of my head and into the world
- tidy up, wash up
And I'd pray....the Serenity prayer, over and over again....or I'd ask for the wisdom to know His Will for me and the strength to follow it, or prayers of thanks for being alive....zac is right about gratitude being so wonderful....as soon as I could remember how lucky I am just to be breathing all the beauty of the world wrapped me in its arms and hugged me until I laughed with joy....a miracle indeed....I'd pray thank you with every atom of my being, every step I took....and I'd be filled with joy and love.
When I could stand the anxiety I'd let myself feel it, recognise that I am NOT my anxiety or my fear...they're just feelings, that's all they are, and they pass....and learning to sit with them and acknowledge them and not react to them has been great for me....I can FEEL and don't have to ACT on those feeligns...I can want a drink and don't have to act on that feeling....I can CHOOSE which feelings to inhabit, to let possess me....joy yes, love yes, compassion yes, bliss yes, but anger, for example, I will feel and acknowledge and decide what to do about....be assertive or let it go, but never let it possess me....I have anger at times and that's ok, but I will do my best never to let it have me ever again....
Thanks for those reminders....I'm sitting here a bit anxious tonight, my kids have gone to my ex's for the first time in a couple of weeks and I miss them....but that's ok, I am so, so lucky to have them. My life is blessed.
Have a wonderful day Skg, and everyone.
Martin
p.s. and music.....music makes my soul sing and my spirits soar....ipods should be on the National Health....
| QUOTE |
| How do YOU cope with the anxieties of life and living sober? |
I stop and think about how much worse it would be if I was'nt
Skg however bad your anxiety is it would be tripled if you weren't sober. Drinking will never ever resolve a situation it will only add to the turmoil,you know that. You've got it all together just tap into it. As you would probably say ACCEPT your anxiety, deal with it and move on. Do some gardening, yard work, walking ,ANYTHING but drink. Keep busy. An idle mind is the devils' playground and we all know that alcohol is the biggest demon of all. Take a look in your rear view mirror and ask yourself ,do I want to go back there or keep on driving ?????? Take care,Good luck and relax.
For me I don't let alcoholism be the focus of my life. I think about it alot more when I am on the boards and sometimes I just take little breaks. I try to stay present and not let my ego and the feeling of always having to be right rule my life. Letting go of self-righteousness is always good for me to keep in check. I still do it from time to time but becoming conscious of my ego creeping back in makes it all but disappear. Awareness is the key. JMHO
SKG I liked this thread and I get it. :-) Chat soon.
SKG I liked this thread and I get it. :-) Chat soon.
My Sponsor suggests that I sit through it until it passes...boy one time in early sobriety I sat in it beginning in the afternoon and fell asleep and awoke the next morning anxiety free...journaling and also being of service helps keep anxiety at bay for me.
LOL. Valarie...I've been taking a board vacation, myself.
Maybe I read the initial post wrong. I didn't get the impression that SKG was under duress but just starting a topic. If I am wrong, SKG, hope you are doing better.
As for anxiety...recently, I have found breath work and meditation to be useful. Also, writing, hiking, walking, praying, reading.
Hope everyone is having a great day.
Maybe I read the initial post wrong. I didn't get the impression that SKG was under duress but just starting a topic. If I am wrong, SKG, hope you are doing better.
As for anxiety...recently, I have found breath work and meditation to be useful. Also, writing, hiking, walking, praying, reading.
Hope everyone is having a great day.
Hiya Zip,
Girl I took it the same way. Never did I think he was in trouble. Just giving some food for thought. Hope you are well. YGM
Girl I took it the same way. Never did I think he was in trouble. Just giving some food for thought. Hope you are well. YGM
Valarie...my dearest. I've missed you.
Oh yea, YGM. Hugs.
Oh yea, YGM. Hugs.
Meetings and more meetings, I guess. In my really bad moments I flirted with the idea of having a non-alcoholic beer. Just to have the 'feeling' of having a drink without the rotten consequences.
I told my sponsor and she admitted to doing this in the early part of her recovery but said that in truth, I would only be kidding myself and that I was on the way to a full blown relapse.
I didn't buy the beer.
Now I will take a walk, say a prayer, do a yoga class, anything to keep my mind busy and not thinking about that first drink.
I told my sponsor and she admitted to doing this in the early part of her recovery but said that in truth, I would only be kidding myself and that I was on the way to a full blown relapse.
I didn't buy the beer.
Now I will take a walk, say a prayer, do a yoga class, anything to keep my mind busy and not thinking about that first drink.
skg will you let us know if you have anxiety and if some of us took your post wrong or just trying to get a point across?. Please. :) If you did have anxiety I hope you are feeling better and have worked through the problem Take care and have a great day.
It was simply a topic that was brought up in a recent meeting. Worthy of discussion and contemplation. No worries.
:)
It's ALL good.
:)
It's ALL good.
skg HAPPY to hear all is well. To tell you the truth the post kind of shocked me because I sort of look at you as an indestructible rock of AA. Phew!
I've read in some stuff that, "Anxiety is the opposite of serenity," which sort of answers the mail, although my serenity seems to be a composite of much more than 'peace of mind,' as it were. Someone said that if their serenity was deteriorating, there was something in their program they'd let up on. For those NOT privy to The Steps, that would simply mean that these folks had developed a set of principles for dealing with Life on life's terms and were easing up on that set.
Anyway, something to think about... Have a great day, everyone.
Anyway, something to think about... Have a great day, everyone.
AAAAHHHHH anxiety my friend and occupier of my fear based thinking in early recovery....the warmth of your aloneness and deadliness still chills my heart...... zac 08
Anxiety for me early on was get to a meeting quick or talk to someone who understands real quick because it is like mud if i play in anxiety i get dirtier and dirtier and it sticks and drys and only falls off in flakes...meetings and talking out loud were the showers i needed to cleanse me of the self imposed negativety of my minds anxiety
Now if i feel anxious i try to look at all the lead up the H.A.L.T.s hungry, angry, lonely, tired and the fear that is driving the anxiety
Self belief and gratitude, trust and faith in a higher power all help immensely in the battle with anxiety and also never go into your head alone negatively:)
light and love zac
Anxiety for me early on was get to a meeting quick or talk to someone who understands real quick because it is like mud if i play in anxiety i get dirtier and dirtier and it sticks and drys and only falls off in flakes...meetings and talking out loud were the showers i needed to cleanse me of the self imposed negativety of my minds anxiety
Now if i feel anxious i try to look at all the lead up the H.A.L.T.s hungry, angry, lonely, tired and the fear that is driving the anxiety
Self belief and gratitude, trust and faith in a higher power all help immensely in the battle with anxiety and also never go into your head alone negatively:)
light and love zac
