Hiding under blankets used to be my favorite pass time when I was depressed or feeling anxious. I could get my whole body under them, toes and all. Not a tiny bit of me would be exposed. The only thing bothersome about it was that since I was completely covered up, the air would get slightly stale. I had a solution for that. I would just slip my c-pap on and I could stay under the covers for hours and hours.
For the first few months that I was seeing my counselor, she was fully aware that I was still using my hiding technique as a way to cope. When she finally let me know that she thought that I could manage my depression and anxiety without hiding under blankets I was scared. I honestly did not think I had progressed enough to manage my anxiety and depression without my hiding technique. Then she just had to go and make things worse. She told me that I would have to get up in the mornings, take my shower, and get dressed so I would not be as tempted to go back to bed and hide under blankets. In my head I knew I would end up a quivering ball on the floor, crying for my blankets.
The reality of what happened was completely different. For the first few weeks, when I would feel anxious or I was having a bad mental health day, I would really , I mean really, really want to hide under blankets. I would resist the urge though. After a few weeks of resisting the call of hiding, I began to realize that hiding under blankets was not my first choice when I was experiencing anxiety or feeling extra depressed anymore. I had replaced that hiding habit with other things to do as a way to keep myself occupied until I could work through whatever it was that was causing me extra depression or anxiety.
I still get anxious and I still have depression. Those things are still there. However, I have coping skills that I did not have before. I may have lost my blankets, but I have also lost that powerless, paralyzed feeling that I used to get when the anxiety would strike. In my book that is a good trade off.
Have you ever been overwhelmed with anxiety?
If so how did/do you manage it?
If you manage your anxiety well, what tips do you have for those of us who do not?
My inspiration for writing this post came from Jodeen-Kitterman-Leck at A Road Newly Traveled
I am looking forward to your answers, Neighbors!
Dissociation. It's not a good choice, but it's the one I've been using since I was little (first choice of abused children.) I was instructed to "gently bring yourself back" and at first that was REALLY hard. I find when I'm tired or overwhelmed (like during orientation) it's best to just let it go, if I have some time at home and nothing important is going on. However, if I was feeling anxious and hyper aware, I would give myself something to dissociate into… world of warcraft, a book, a movie… something that would take me away from the thoughts I was having and into another world that didn't exist. Now, instead of letting myself escape it, I will find a quiet room and sit or lay down and let myself feel it. "Be with it." Sometimes the answer to my anxiety is right there… and sometimes it is in my blog, and sometimes it is in a conversation with Husband. Once I know what's bothering me and I can actually talk about it instead of pretending it's the dishes that are bothering me (not as simple as that, but you get the gist) I find I can breathe easy again.
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Dissociation. It’s not a good choice, but it’s the one I’ve been using since I was little (first choice of abused children.) I was instructed to “gently bring yourself back” and at first that was REALLY hard. I find when I’m tired or overwhelmed (like during orientation) it’s best to just let it go, if I have some time at home and nothing important is going on. However, if I was feeling anxious and hyper aware, I would give myself something to dissociate into… world of warcraft, a book, a movie… something that would take me away from the thoughts I was having and into another world that didn’t exist. Now, instead of letting myself escape it, I will find a quiet room and sit or lay down and let myself feel it. “Be with it.” Sometimes the answer to my anxiety is right there… and sometimes it is in my blog, and sometimes it is in a conversation with Husband. Once I know what’s bothering me and I can actually talk about it instead of pretending it’s the dishes that are bothering me (not as simple as that, but you get the gist) I find I can breathe easy again.
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.
.-= Enguardia´s last blog .. =-.
Guess human nature is to want to hide when the going gets tough! My mountain right now is facing the man at a case presentation that is responsible my not graduating in May as scheduled. I have been losing sleep over this. Sometimes when we are required to face a giant and we have no choice it is a matter of forcing one foot in front of the other. A very good friend recently said – "At this point it is not a matter of doing it well or poorly, it is just a matter of doing it period." Thanks for buzzing me. I enjoyed your post "Hiding Under Blankets"
Guess human nature is to want to hide when the going gets tough! My mountain right now is facing the man at a case presentation that is responsible my not graduating in May as scheduled. I have been losing sleep over this. Sometimes when we are required to face a giant and we have no choice it is a matter of forcing one foot in front of the other. A very good friend recently said – “At this point it is not a matter of doing it well or poorly, it is just a matter of doing it period.” Thanks for buzzing me. I enjoyed your post “Hiding Under Blankets”