You're probably not always confident about your ability to be okay. And I understand why. You are filled with doubt, negative anticipation, and fear, which isn't exactly a recipe for confidence, right? When you're calm you can tell yourself a hundred logical reasons why you are going to be okay, and in the moment things feel manageable. But the minute that anxiety knocks at your door, you freeze and wonder if this is the end - the day that your worst nightmare comes to life. This happens for several reasons, chief among them is the fact
How To Stop Racing Thoughts
What should you do when your thoughts won't stop racing? How should one react when our minds are filled with speeding negative thoughts that make us anxious and fearful? There are a couple of things you can do, but perhaps the most effective thing is to tell your mind to just stop it. Known as the "Stop Technique," it is simply you yelling the word stop to yourself. Of course because this might make you look like you're crazy in public you could also do this silently. Also, you may have to say stop! to yourself many times. It's a very
Rumination Exposed: “Pure OCD” (Podcast)
An essential component of anxiety disorder is rumination . That is the constant and intense brooding about problems or perceived problems. It is the extreme version of simple worry and there is a name for it - pure obsessional OCD or "Pure O." Now, there are several levels of worry. And I want to make clear that this is a very intense type of worry and anxiety tied to disturbing thoughts. In other words, if you ruminate about household chores this is not the same as having Pure O. Pure Obsession is unlike simple worry in that it
The Two Faces Of Anxiety Disorder
photo credit: glitter feet As anxiety sufferers we all understand by now what constitutes an anxiety symptom. It could be palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, or more thought based symptoms like racing or disturbing thoughts. In my case I have experienced both, but interestingly rarely have I experienced both at the same time. This only came up because lately I've noticed that if I'm sucked in by speeding or negative thoughts I usually will not encounter physical anxiety symptoms like hot flashes for example. The only thing that I