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Dealing with a lot of anxiety and paranoia (hexbear.net)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Some background info: dad got cancer when i was 12, watched him take his last breaths on a hospital bed in the living room, with my mom and sister there. i smoked weed for 18 years but quit last year. I used to have every now and then panic attacks thinking about my existence and what it is and how it will end.

Lately though i've been having all kinds of shit going through my brain. It's unseasonably warm here so i freak out about climate change, ive recently started to be scared of house fires for no reason, and then last night i was on some anxious shit thinking about burglaries. Me and my gf have cats so i get anxious about them if im not at home. I've really become a slight agoraphobe. Was kinda wondering if anyone else had this stuff happening to their brain and what could help it. It's really ramped up the last month or so. I am trying to tell myself that im worried too much about things that probably won't happen but it's hard to trick yourself.

I've been looking up therapists, there's CBT which looks interesting i guess. Part of me just wants a pill to make it all go away.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

I've started taking kratom again mostly for body aches but it does help with anxiety. I should preface that with some people do seem to get addicted to it, maybe depends on what your relationship with prescription pain killers is but that's fortunately never been an issue for me and it does a lot for quelling my weed and alcohol cravings.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It's hard to give surefire recommendations because sometimes things are complicated and sometimes something that works for one person kinda sucks for another. Getting a therapist is definitely a good direction to keep going in!

Sometimes safe incremental steps can be nice. You mentioned anxiety about your cats and agoraphobia. Is it possible to start pushing those limits just a little bit at a time in a totally safe way? Something like this:

Hang on your stoup or balcony or front yard for longer and longer periods just chilling and having a good time.
After you feel good about that, go a little farther away. Maybe a park or cafe or taking short walks.
After you feel good about that go even farther. Could still be the same activities just farther away. If you make it walking that's even better because a little exercise will probably help too.

That kind of thing. You can mix it up per your own interests and needs of course. Doesn't hurt to give it a shot!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

funny thing is i did actually sit on my front porch(more of a stoop) yesterday for the first time in a while. thanks for the tips.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Nice!