Meditation/Anxiety

[darius]

I know some of you guys out there meditate for mood and anxiety and just general mental well being. Where would one start with something like meditation? Are there any good books/tapes that ya'll recommend? Do ya'll journal your thoughts or what? Just anything I can do to help cure this for good.

Like somedays I will be OK, but I feel like I have this lack of control of my mind. Once I start thinking about it in social situations, it gets in this loop mode that just makes things worse. I figure controlling my thoughts would enable me to get rid of a significant portion of the anxiety.

I want to get to the bottom of this social anxiety, but I also don't mind using drugs/supplements to control it until I get there. I just don't want to have to rely on drugs forever for something like this.

What has worked well for you for anxiety, preferably the social kind?

 

[riskarb]

It's an incredibly-broad subject. I would do a google on "Vipassana Meditation" and you can start here: http://www.dhamma.org/

 

[Grassroots082]

Wow was just talking to Riskarb about this. Funny how things fall into place.

 

[supersoldier]

http://forum.avantlabs.com/index.php?showtopic=7100&hl=meditation

The guys at Avant are very helpful and knowledgeable when it comes to this stuff.

 

[darius]

Thanks guys

Do you think its possible to find the root of my problems through meditation? Sometimes I think it may be my gyno, but it would only be subconsciously cause I don't really think about that in social situations. So then again sometimes I don't think its the gyno.

A friend of mine told me its pride, and all my close friends tell me that I'm the last person that they would think has pride. I don't think I do, but the first friend said if you are worried about what people think about you, it is pride. I dunno though. I think I just have the good old generic version of social anxiety.. I just wanna figure out what is causing it so I can eliminate it forever.

Can one help themselves thru self Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or do you have to see a psychologist?

 

[Grassroots082]

I wish I could help Darius, I have no idea where my anxiety comes from. I've always had it, especially when I was around 19 or so I would always have the sweaty arm pits and it would be like 40 degrees outside. I always bounce my legs and have everysince I remember (like in class or sitting down my legs are always moving).

 

[darius]

Thanks, I really appreciate your concern Grassroots.

For me, I don't ever get sweaty arm pits or jittery. For me, my voice sometimes gets wavery and sounds really stupid. I also get "rigid" like stiff in movement and stuff. Like sometimes when I'm talking to customers at work I'll put my hands together and stuff like that. Thats why I love the feeling when I'm intoxicated with alcohol, cause I'm a so social with anyone. I've got to take speech class before I graduate, and if I'm still like I am now, I'll have to carry a flask with vodka or something, unless I can find some medication that really works.

It sucks, but I'm pretty optimistic about defeating it cause I know there are cures out there and if there are cures, it can definitely be done.

 

[size]

Try yoga. It will help with flexibility, relaxation, mind/body connection, breathign control, and it is exercise. A simple yoga dvd(beginner) for home should work.

 

[Grassroots082]

Thanks, I really appreciate your concern Grassroots.

For me, I don't ever get sweaty arm pits or jittery. For me, my voice sometimes gets wavery and sounds really stupid. I also get "rigid" like stiff in movement and stuff. Like sometimes when I'm talking to customers at work I'll put my hands together and stuff like that. Thats why I love the feeling when I'm intoxicated with alcohol, cause I'm a so social with anyone. I've got to take speech class before I graduate, and if I'm still like I am now, I'll have to carry a flask with vodka or something, unless I can find some medication that really works.

It sucks, but I'm pretty optimistic about defeating it cause I know there are cures out there and if there are cures, it can definitely be done.

haha I think we all feel that way darius when buzzing especially off alcohol. I can talk to anyone when I am not drunk, but I can REALLY talk to anyone when I am buzzing just because it comes so much easier. Me and my buddies like to call them our "Beer Nuts" cause it makes it a hell of alot easier to talk to girls in bars. I don't drink very often though.

I am the same way as you, when I am talking to customers I like to move around alittle bit, but I have gotten much better at it. Stage fright isn't exactly what we are talking about though, almost everyone gets that and the ones that don't are generally ones that are used to giving speeches but you can still ask public speakers if they get nervous before a speech and many will say "I still do." Do you drink coffee or any caffeine in the morning? I cut out my cup of coffee and whereas I might be sleepier, I am less jittery throughout the day. I am really sensitive to stims in general, thats why I usually don't use any at all but that cup of coffee in the morning is oh so good .

 

[BingeAndPurge]

I have had troubles with anxiety for as long as I can remember. Breathing exercises and journaling help. The journaling really takes a lot out of me. I feel pretty tired when I get done. With the social situations when I notice it I try to be more happy and polite around people. The practice of doing that seems to help a lot. The social anxiety is a confidence thing with me so I try to do little things to help boost that.

I too have quit the morning half-pot of coffee. It sucked at first because it took about a week to get over that dragging feeling, but I am not nearly as irritible in the afternoon now and feel an awful lot better. If I feel I need some caffeine I go for my splenda diet coke now. It seems to be just the right amount without the crash.

 

[bioman]

Yoga is a definite plus..the trick is having the discipline to do it all the time..especially when you're stiff and sore from workouts. Ouch.

I agree on journaling..it's draining but it seemed to open up doors for me that I didn't even know were there. Sometimes that can be a little tough to cope with and sometimes it's incredibly enlightening. It can wierd to be writing and all of a sudden put something down that you've never consciously thought about. I had a email partner for this and we bounced ideas off of each other. Not sure if it helped or not to be truthful...but interesting.

In the meantime..try a mixture of Bacopa and Rhodiola. I'd go about 300mg of B and 200 mgs of R, take 3 times per day and you'll definitely be more relaxed and less anxious. I pretty much cured my wife's anxiety with Rhodiola and am working on this B and R mix after her current Rhodiola, inusitol, and Glycine mix run out. Her anxiety was terrible and she'd have pretty frequent anxiety/panic attacks. Now's she waaay more subdued and can function very well even in stressful situations. It's been a real blessing.

Though I do think the glycine and Inusitol helped, I'm more impressed with Bacopa as a filler for Rhodiola caps...at least right now.

Inusitol works great at about 5 grams mixed into water and taken during an anxiety attack. Even for general use it's nice for relaxation and loosening up your muscles. It will however make you gassy the first few times you take it.

Glycine..effects are not too noticable for me, it's cheap and suppesedly enhances creatine uptake.

Take some L-Theanine before bed with your ZMA. Works quite well.