Many of my patients, friends and family already know this about me – I have battled anxiety. I try to be really open about this and talk about it.\u00a0 Not only to help remove stigma (what that successful doctor person has anxiety?) but also, selfishly, to help myself.<\/p>\n
In this blog I am going to tell parts of my story and journey and give some tips on what has worked… for me.<\/p>\n
Hopefully you will find it helpful if this is also one of your struggles.<\/p>\n
I think I have always tended towards anxiety. But the first time it really hit me in a debilitating way was 7 months after my son was born in the form of post partum depression and anxiety.<\/p>\n
At that time I stopped sleeping, eating, enjoying life and knew I had a problem when I was thinking about turning the car wheel while driving on the busy highway and wondering if it would really matter.<\/p>\n
I needed help and got it in the form of medication, therapy and exercise.<\/p>\n
Since then I have gone through ups and downs but did not need the medication for most of the 6 or 7 years in between.\u00a0\u00a0 Then last summer, I did again.\u00a0 Unfortunately I think that once you have had a serious episode of anxiety and\/or depression you are more likely to experience another one.<\/p>\n
What I have learned is that the medication can be helpful but for me, it is only one part of the story.\u00a0I have learned that I need to do several other things to help myself and I do hope that I will never need it again.\u00a0 This is a continuing journey for me but I am always learning, refining and adding to what I do for myself.\u00a0 Here is some of what I do and, amazingly, now also what I teach my patients:<\/p>\n
meditation (daily)<\/p>\n
reading personal development books<\/p>\n
listening to inspiring audio books<\/p>\n
visualization<\/p>\n
probiotic supplements<\/p>\n
proper nutrition<\/p>\n
exercise<\/p>\n
breathing techniques<\/p>\n
practicing mindfulness<\/p>\n
practicing gratitude (journals or thank you notes- HEY KAREN!!! Note to self: please get better at doing this more!!)<\/p>\n
self-care<\/p>\n
massage<\/p>\n
chiropractic<\/p>\n
positive self-talk<\/p>\n
practicing feeling connected to everything around me<\/p>\n
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I try to do most of these things daily and the self care techniques (like massage and chiropractic) regularly.\u00a0 While it is a process to learn to do some of these things I have found them extremely helpful in my life and in changing my outlook on life and developing a sense of inner peace.\u00a0 I watched a great TedTalk yesterday though about this that I thought was spot on so I will attach that link here:<\/p>\n