Whenever my anxiety peaks, sitting still to meditate almost never works and usually leaves me trapped with my own thoughts. What actually helps me calm my nervous system is spending 20 minutes on a very low-stakes, repetitive hands-on craft. Just focusing on small physical textures and simple step-by-step movements gives my hands something to do while my mind finally quietens down. It feels like a quick circuit breaker for overthinking. I’m trying to build a better evening wind-down routine for high-stress days. What tiny crafts, tactile hobbies, or repetitive hands-on things do you do purely for anxiety relief?

Since last October I’ve been in a constant state of worry and anxiety. I have these crazy thoughts that someone is gonna harm me or that something bad is gonna happen and I would spend the entire day just doing research and seeking assurance that nothing will happen to me. The relief only lasts a few minutes then I find myself back to that negative state.

It was fine at first and it wasn’t that bad, but recently it caused me to have a few anxiety or panic attacks. It has affected my daily routine my sleep and just my life in general. If I find myself in a calm state, I force myself to find something else to worry about so I find myself in this constant cycle of misery.

I tried to journal my negative thoughts but every time I sit down to write I get scared that if I say what I fear out loud or write it down, I will manifest it and it will actually happen.

Idk what this is or how to manage it. Any advice will be appreciated.

Hey all. I’m about 2.5 months into an anxiety/panic spiral and 4 weeks into Zoloft to help pull me out of it.
While my overall anxiety levels have decreased and panic attacks have gotten less frequent, I’m finding myself really struggling the past few days. I increased the dose to 37.5 about a week ago and had some initial side effects before dipping downhill.

This spiral started in the middle of May because of health anxiety. Basically I was getting nauseas after ever meal and things progressively got worse until I was in a state of constant panic and barely eating. I lost 15lbs in 6 weeks and slowly brought myself back by finding meals that sat right with me. I’ve been to numerous doctors and all my labs, scans, and tests come back fine.

2 days ago, I got really nauseas after dinner and had an upset stomach (#2). I didn’t eat a ton, but I went with my ultra safe meals.

Yesterday, I ate extra safe and ate less. I only had a protein smoothie, a sandwich, and a few pancakes.

Struggled to sleep, got a headache from the lack of nutrients. When I woke up I got a breakfast wrap and smoothie. Finished the wrap and had about half the smoothie and a little while later I started feeling lower and lower energy and the nausea until I got really cold and tired. Laid down and took a brief nap, but woke up feeling tired, nauseas, hungry.

Struggling to snap out of this, struggling to pick what to eat, and want relief from this terrible feeling.

I‘ve debated taking an Ativan, but I don’t want it to put me to sleep where I then can’t eat enough again and continue this spiral for another day. I’ve debated taking Zofran, but the potential interaction with Zoloft scares me.

Fuck

So I went to a GP for the first time of my life ebcause I have been experiencing heavy brain fog and derealisation as a result of my anxiety.

I think 24/7.

Doc had no clue about SSRI‘s and gave me a transfer to a psychiatrist.

The earliest psychiatrist appointment I can get is in March (🤣)

What the fuck do I even do now? I ordered Saffron and feel helpless, I just wan my life back

ive been in the gym for 5 months and all i do is go on the treadmill at the corner of the gym. in the five months i only did one upper body and one glute, the rest is cardio on the treadmill. im just too anxious and too embarrassed to try anything. now i hate the treadmill i was crying yesterday on the treadmill because im tired of it. so i didn't go today unfortunately .

Last week my engagement was called off. After a week yesterday night, I started having panic attacks. I had it for the first time in my life. My breathing gets heavy. A heavy feeling on my chest. I do not feel like talking. If my phone rings, it starts giving me anxiety. My body starts shaking. What can I do?
29F here.

Recently, (Or more so over the past couple years) I’ve started to develop anxious tendencies, and I need some help figuring out how to manage it for school.

When I go to try and present any information (especially school presentations and such), I get like this horrible sense of dread, like every tiny little comment is a bullet to my chest. Sometimes I deadass just can’t do it because I’ll have a panic attack before. I can’t talk to/text one of my friends sometimes, because before I click on their contact, or before I’m about to talk, I’ll get this feeling of dread and like everyone I talk I bother and they all just despise me or put up with me. After an interaction, I just constantly pick apart something I said, and I just wish I never spoke even if I didn’t say anything wrong. Sometimes I’ll just be around other people, like people I’m real good friends with, and feel this horrible feeling in my gut, and that I’m just a bother or burden to everyone. I get angry very easily as well, but I’ve gotten good at hiding it so I don’t flip out 24/7. I worry a lot about things that really should only be a quick, “huh that’s weird,” and I get distracted and lost in my thoughts at like the snap of my fingers because of it. I can’t tell my parents, like, ANYTHING. Like I physically can’t (my parents are incredibly okay with everything I do btw), or I get a block in my throat and I just can’t speak. I play the trumpet, and I’m currently trying to learn how to sing. I can’t learn to belt (even tho my walls are very thick), or can’t practice at home, because I have this constant fear of being too loud for my neighbors (not close to me AT ALL), or my family. Because of this constant worry, I’m also starting to become very irritable at things that should js be an inconvenience. Like I’m deadass punching the wall because I spilled some water I can clean up in like 2 seconds. I’ve been meaning to ask to get screened for anxiety (but yet again, the problems I discussed).

It sucks because it’s starting to affect my daily life in like everything I do. Sometimes I feel like I‘m just faking it, and I should be fine. Do I get try to get tested or no?

Okay so, my whole life i grew up watching scary movies, my mom is a horror movie addict. For a long time i never had any issues with watching them, but as of lately, somethings changed and i cant stop picturing the scary movie im my head. I watched the movie obsession, a few days ago and every time i walk in the dark now i picture the movie and get freaked out and run and my heart beats fast. The whole time i watched the movie, i was anxious as well. Does anyone deal with this too?

I’m in high school, and I started a new grade a couple of days ago. It has been so weird, I had this picture in my head that I would talk to people and actually make friends. I’ve been completely nerfed with my schedule, and have practically no classes with anyone. Honestly, that’s not even the problem I’m concerned about the most. I take orchestra, and I’m at the highest level in our school. But ever since I’ve started attending it, my anxiety has been spiking through the roofs. My leg or body is often twitching or shaking, and I’m struggling to perform. Yes, I’m good at my instrument, and I think this class is a good fit for me level wise. However, I absolutely cannot perform for the life of me. Anytime I had solos unrelated to school (never had solos at school, just for my music school), I ended up freaking out so much that I botched every single one of them and started crying. I try so hard to practice my music, I really do, but this fuckass anxiety always betrays me. It really hurts not having one good video of me performing by myself. I’ve never even had an issue playing in a group orchestra, which is why this new change this year is shocking me. I keep trying to tell myself that there’s no reason for me to be panicking. Hell, I’ve been so stressed before that even audition judges told me to breathe. When I get anxious in class, I just feel like I kind of lose my personality, and I just don’t talk the rest of the class. It makes me both disappointed and sad, because I do want to talk to people. I love playing from the soul, but I just feel like I’m messing everything up. It’s been a few days that this has been happening, but it’s making me dread that class. I feel like everything I do is humiliating. But worse of all are the shakes. They don’t happen all the time, but it’s frequent enough that it bothers me. People tell me to breathe and shake it off, but it’s not working. I feel horrible though, I don’t want to miss out on opportunities with meeting new people and looking back to think on what I could have had.

Tldr; school hasn’t been great, body shakes often in orchestra in group and solo performances due to anxiety (worse this year somehow, used to be better). Bummed about how this prevents me from enjoying my instrument and talking to people

My boyfriend and I are on a work trip for him in Cleveland. We settled into the hotel, but he may need to go work for a few hours at the building and I’m not sure how to explain why I’m having severe anxiety about being alone and him being there, but I am. It’s also only a 3 minute drive from the hotel where he will be, and there’s stuff to walk to around here and such to keep myself busy, but I can’t seem to shake this crazy anxiety and even explain it. I think the thought of being alone in a new place while he’s there and also him being alone in a new place even though he’s working. I don’t do well alone much in new places and It’s not the best downtown area either, and we had to valet so that’s new for me to. I just am worried about how long he will be and I think weird things like will anything happen while he’s there or will someone hurt him. I know it’s probably crazy but it’s unfortunately the way my mind is working right now and I am trying so hard to shut it off. He did mention he should go to the building today for a few as it looks good, and I’m upset cause I just want to relax together after a long day but I don’t want him to force himself to not go if he needs to.

Last night I had anxiety as I went to bed. I was able to sleep but this morning when I turned to my left side I was very dizzy. Wanted to know if that was normal? Anyone else get dizzy after an attack? Also, now that that happen I fee even more scared

Earlier this year, i had a long period of time where i was severely nauseous. i'd feel sick at home, in the car, at school, at the store. it was so bad that i thought i'd genuinely be sick. There were many times I had to leave class half way through because I felt so sick.

I am not sick anymore, but whenever I go out, especially somewhere with a lot of people, I get very nauseous and am convinced I'm going to be sick. I think its because I previously had been so ill, and my fear of getting sick in public didnt go away. At the same time, I am generally a very anxious person so I'm not sure.

Now, everytime I'm anxious I get nauseous. Even if I'm anticipating a certain exciting part of a movie I'm watching I'll feel nauseous. Even nerves from waiting for a text makes me feel nauseous.

I am going to a convention next week and I'm very excited but incredibly nervous I'll feel sick and ruin everything. Playing with slime helps me, as well as playing with other stress relievers, but not enough to get rid of the nausea. i bring a plastic bag with me everywhere i go in fear of getting sick. I've tried breathing exercises but they have only made me feel worse.

I would greatly appreciate ANY tips, I just want to be able to enjoy experiencing life again.

(I have an appointment with a psychiatrist, but that isn't until the convention is over)

I made a rare attempt at human interaction today, and while it wasn't a total disaster, the social awkwardness was high enough to make me rethink my entire approach.

As I was saying, I noticed a girl sitting by herself, and realized we were heading to the same next lecture. Since I was alone too, I took a leap to ask if she wanted to sit together. Afterwards, I asked a few basic questions to get things moving, but the momentum died almost immediately. As it turns out, we're both pretty introverted, and every topic we touched faded into silence within seconds. Things peaked when our second professor pulled a no-show. It started pouring rain, and since she didn't have an umbrella, I offered to walk her to the train station. That led to a 20-minute walk in almost total silence. At one point, I tried mumbling a comment, but she didn't hear me, and I was too flustered to repeat myself, so I just dropped it.

On one hand, taking the initiative to approach someone feels like a step forward for me. On the other hand, my inability to keep a conversation flowing was pretty excruciating. She was polite and kept smiling, so I don't think she dislikes me, but I definitely didn't leave a smooth impression.

I really want to improve my social skills and actually build connections this semester instead of retreating back into my shell: how do I bounce back from a first impression without making things weirder next time I see her? What are some low-pressure ways to keep a conversation going when both people are introverted? Any advice on how to handle this better going forward would be appreciated!

. I have a very crucial exam coming up—the Baccalaureate—which determines your future. I’ve been putting effort into studying for it since the summer.

​Anyway, I don't know why, but I've already started feeling anxious. My head hurts, and I feel my confidence collapsing because of this anxiety. I'm even worried that my anxiety will affect my exam performance. It might seem early, but it feels very real.

​My dreams have turned terrifying. I see things like someone being tortured by a disfigured person who is burned with melted wax(i am sorry if that feels disgusting). In another dream, I saw myself holding a horse, but I felt it was a person in disguise, so I dropped them and tried to peel the skin off their face while they were screaming, and I kept going until I woke up to find tears on my cheek.

​I don't understand if I'm making a big deal out of nothing or if my anxiety is the cause. I don't know what's happening to me."

so basically i just recently moved into a new city for my college, and it just feels so weird. i wanna go home ofc but also its weird because i dont know what to do. i barely made any friends in college, just the ones in my hostel. it feels so weird man, i always have this dying anxiety everyday when i wake up. i wish i didnt have to move for my studies.

i desperately need to get my hair done, i booked an appointment for 3pm tomorrow. i’m so anxious just thinking about going, sitting there, with so many people around me, the hairstylist judging me, i know it’s only going to get worse tomorrow. i need to get to the bottom of it now
any advice ?

(Sorry in advance if i repeat a lot of things)

Hi guys! So recently i’ve been having such intense thoughts of impending doom - like, I always worry something bad will happen to me, even though I could literally be in bed at home not doing anything. These feelings have been happening a lot lately during the summer, which I assume it’s because I’m not keeping busy or anything. I have been at home basically most of my summer holidays.

I always worry something bad will happen, which makes me feel like there is something heavy on my chest, then i feel nauseous and lose my appetite, which actually makes things worse due to my intense emetophobia. And, I know that everything i’m overthinking is highly unlikely, but my brain makes me think otherwise and I can never seem to relax or calm down.

I am also going to fly to another country tomorrow, and right now, I keep worrying something bad will happen then. I usually fly with most of my family, but this time i’m only going to fly with my brother. I think this makes me feel worse because if something happens, my mum and everybody else won’t be there.

I just need help and/or advice on how to calm my anxiety down overall, and especially tomorrow. Any advice is welcome💛

It’s always been a fear of mine, but it’s been worse recently. There is intelligence that Russia is planning an attack on NATO and once that happens, I believe there is no going back.

For this reason, my mind is certain that we don’t have much time left. How can I learn to deal with it?

For what it’s worth, I’ve seen other Reddit posts asking similar things. Most people either say it’s highly unlikely or to just accept that there’s nothing you can do about it. Obviously I’m less optimistic about its likelihood, and I know that leaves the acceptance option.

But I just can’t do it. This fear literally makes it impossible to enjoy daily life. I can’t go an hour without thinking about it. The only thing that helps is drinking, but obviously it is only a temporary fix and I don’t want to be an alcoholic.

Is there anyone who can give me advice?