Confronting Symptoms- a lesson I need to learn.
Hi there everyone!
Welcome back to another edition of Julie fails at life or rather what I need to do to confront both the direct and indirect symptoms of my Eating Disorder.
So often I do feel like a complete failure when I have a bad day. Anyone else feel like that sometimes? Then once it is all over and I have worked myself up and lost all sense of control and eaten my feelings away or dissolved into a blubbering mess on the floor- I feel better. Its a constant struggle of feeling like you are hitting the emotional bottom and then bouncing straight back up. There is a sense of catharsis in letting it all out after being wound up and up and up all day only to explode into a mess of emotion and let it all go. I mean it works- but it isnt exactly practical. Having a melt down every so often, especially when you are under a lot of stress, just seems to get in the way. Then there comes the back lash you can get when you then feel weak, like you can not make it or you aren't strong enough.
The question then remains- how can I combat the increasing tension and anxiety that builds beyond what working out can curb? That rising tide of nervous energy seems to build and build like waves coming at you and your feet can't touch the bottom and then you are swallowing mouth fulls of water- in some ways you feel that gulping sensation in your throat and then the heaviness in your stomach- the kind that you felt when you were a kid and you accidentally swallowed too much pool water in the summer.
What I found via research is challenging that anxiety in the moment using a few careful steps:
1. realize that you are anxious, and in the moment, and take a deep breath.
2. remind yourself that barring any life threatening situations that you are ok, this a just an emotion like any other.
3. remind yourself that you are in control of how you feel- the world might be on fire around you but you can control how you feel about it and how you can handle the situation
4. try to look at the scenario objectively.
5. try some positive self talk- remind yourself and then the world just who they are dealing with
6. make a plan of action - or- refocus your energy on another task ( I like cleaning )
I thought that this link was pretty helpful when it came to challenging anxiety: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-to-cope-with-anxiety#when-to-see-a-professional
As always please remember I am not a mental health care professional- if you are having anxiety, anxious thoughts, or behaviors- if your anxiety is triggering other behaviors like disordered eating or anything else please contact a mental health professional, a counselor, your Primary Care doctor, or even a friend or family member to get some help.
Welcome back to another edition of Julie fails at life or rather what I need to do to confront both the direct and indirect symptoms of my Eating Disorder.
So often I do feel like a complete failure when I have a bad day. Anyone else feel like that sometimes? Then once it is all over and I have worked myself up and lost all sense of control and eaten my feelings away or dissolved into a blubbering mess on the floor- I feel better. Its a constant struggle of feeling like you are hitting the emotional bottom and then bouncing straight back up. There is a sense of catharsis in letting it all out after being wound up and up and up all day only to explode into a mess of emotion and let it all go. I mean it works- but it isnt exactly practical. Having a melt down every so often, especially when you are under a lot of stress, just seems to get in the way. Then there comes the back lash you can get when you then feel weak, like you can not make it or you aren't strong enough.
The question then remains- how can I combat the increasing tension and anxiety that builds beyond what working out can curb? That rising tide of nervous energy seems to build and build like waves coming at you and your feet can't touch the bottom and then you are swallowing mouth fulls of water- in some ways you feel that gulping sensation in your throat and then the heaviness in your stomach- the kind that you felt when you were a kid and you accidentally swallowed too much pool water in the summer.
What I found via research is challenging that anxiety in the moment using a few careful steps:
1. realize that you are anxious, and in the moment, and take a deep breath.
2. remind yourself that barring any life threatening situations that you are ok, this a just an emotion like any other.
3. remind yourself that you are in control of how you feel- the world might be on fire around you but you can control how you feel about it and how you can handle the situation
4. try to look at the scenario objectively.
5. try some positive self talk- remind yourself and then the world just who they are dealing with
6. make a plan of action - or- refocus your energy on another task ( I like cleaning )
I thought that this link was pretty helpful when it came to challenging anxiety: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-to-cope-with-anxiety#when-to-see-a-professional
As always please remember I am not a mental health care professional- if you are having anxiety, anxious thoughts, or behaviors- if your anxiety is triggering other behaviors like disordered eating or anything else please contact a mental health professional, a counselor, your Primary Care doctor, or even a friend or family member to get some help.
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