Looking back, I guess I have had some anxiety problems my entire
life. I thought the source could be fear or some childhood anger. I had some bad
experiences as a child but was never really abused. I can't really blame
anybody for my problems. By nature, I am just an introverted person with
little desire to socialize. The joy in my life comes from thinking about and solving problems.
Anxiety is basically a non specific nervous feeling. The
opposite of calm, clarity, and peace. At times my anxiety would manifest
itself in several ways. Brain fog, fuzzy eyesight, unclear thinking,
stomach acid, diarrhea, easily annoyed with everything, ringing ears, avoiding social
situations, and anger. Everyone experiences these things once in a while
but it seemed like I was feeling it more often than other people. And as
life went on, it got worse. When I was 30 years old, I had my first nervous breakdown.
It happened just after I changed jobs. Basically, I was so wound up, I
couldn't sleep. A horrific experience but
fortunately a doctor gave me some Xanax and I was able to rest.
A few years later I just started having more and more symptoms
like the feeling that other people were looking at and judging me. I also
replayed certain negative situations over and over in my head. I went to
doctors but the way the medical system functions now a days you only get ten
minutes to explain your problem. And I wasn't in any real pain.
So, I
started experimenting with a lot of different inputs. Lifestyle changes,
pharmaceuticals, alcohol, better diet, and self help books.
I'll bet tried 100 different things but individually none them really treated my condition.
The doctors had me try pharmaceuticals like Paxil, Zoloft,
and Effexor. I did get some relief from Effexor but it made me dizzy, I
had to take it everyday and it was expensive.
Then I started writing down and tracking my symptoms and studying
the inputs. One thing I noticed was that certain foods made me moody.
I also found that I had some very clear days. So I wrote down what I was
thinking about, doing, and eating before that. My plan was to figure out
what was causing the variation in my mood.
I did even more research on the internet and then I found that
anxiety is basically an over-stimulation of the Amygdala (fight or flight) area in the brain.
For some reason your brain is being triggered too much and this leads to all the
fear and nervousness. Maybe all that crazy stuff on television was stuck
in my head.
As I tracked the information, I started to avoid certain negative
inputs and increase the positive inputs. It took me years to figure out.
Here it is. In order starting with the most effective, lowest cost, and
easiest to implement.
1. Mimosa or Screwdriver - That's right champagne
and orange juice. One early in the morning is best. One late at
night is also good. I add 1 teaspoon of ground flax seed. Any clear
alcohol seems to work like Vodka. The main thing I've noticed is
that it
makes your mind and vision clear the next day. The government food pyramid website actually says one or two drinks per day is really healthy
because it thins the blood.
And Beer does not work for me. It tends to give me a
headache with mental fog. Pharmaceuticals seem to work but they cost money
and you have to keep taking them. Generally I only drink clear alcohol
when I feel I need to. Some people I know of drink 6-12 beers every night.
But that leads to alcoholism and rage.
2. Avoid caffeine and get better sleep. I
tried
a few different mattresses on my bed but I found that I sleep best under a nice quilt. Good sleep is essential to mental clarity. A
half cup of coffee is my limit and I drink it only when I am groggy in the
morning. Caffeine is a stimulant and everybody knows stimulants are bad
for people with mental issues.
3. Avoid negative people. I minimized my interaction with opinionated
relatives, verbally abusive coworkers, and straightened out my pent up marriage
issues.
Then I found work that allows me to control my schedule by making
my own hours. I make less money now but I can focus more attention on my
quality of life instead of worrying about work so much. Finding
ways to make money without the 40 hour grind is easier than you think.
When I made a lot of money, it just accumulated in the bank
without improving my life. And I did not have time to think and work on my
personal problems.
4. Meditate on abundance. As I fall asleep I
find it helpful to think about the most positive abundant things I can think of.
It seems to get planted down deep into my subconscious mind. These feelings
radiate the next day to attract opportunities into my life that were not there before.
5. 10 minutes of exercise. I tried lots of different
methods of exercise. Most people would agree that exercise is
uncomfortable. On some level you just do not want to do it. So I
keep the duration short and just try to get my heart rate up and pump the blood.
I found the best thing for me is to take a bike ride. I get the benefit of
some exercise without getting turned off. I think of it as cleaning my
pipes.
2/11 Update I am now on my treadmill at 144 bpm, 4-7 times per
week.
6. Added a raw fruit or vegetable to every meal.
When I decided to adjust my diet I really started to see that I was eating a lot
of fast food, processed food, and other junk. It took time to wean myself
off all this crap, especially the sugar. I had to write down and plan it
out each day.
I experimented heavily with foods because I thought I had a food allergy.
I tried avoiding wheat, dairy, etc. Then I read about a guy who switched over to
just eating raw food. He claimed a
lot of mental health benefits. That seemed a little extreme for me and my
family would never adjust.
It took some time and effort but I was able to add a raw vegetable
to every meal. My favorite is sour cream on lettuce and carrots with a
little western dressing for flavor. Sour cream seems to improve mental
clarity. I strongly believe that it provides the essential fats needed by
the brain. Sometimes I eat pickles, sweet corn, or a bag of mixed
vegetables. The fiber and other nutrients are helpful with lucidity and
perception.
Everybody is different genetically. You can pick any one
item from the list above and get relief from anxiety. See if you benefit.
Then you can incorporate some of the others.
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Now that your anxiety problems are gone, please consider my
products once again.
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