Reddit mentions of The Worry Trap: How to Free Yourself from Worry & Anxiety using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

I went through something similar years ago and still struggle with anxiety. I don't believe you ever get rid of anxiety...but I do believe you can change your relationship to it.

What I'll say here is simply my opinion based on my own experience...

I believe that the only way to move forward with your anxiety is to stop avoiding it. To be able to sit with it despite how shitty it feels.

Yes...I know...easier said than done.

What I mean is that...the more you try to run away from it, the worse it becomes.

The more "rituals" (we'll call them) you give into as a way to get away from that ugly feeling you have, the more you feed the anxiety beast.

Lots of people talk about meditation, but very few people approach it in a methodical way. Maybe they read a book about meditation, watched a video, used a meditation app...whatever.

What really helped me was attending a 10-day Vipassana meditation course. You may be familiar with it...or not.

Why was it so helpful? Because I spent 10-days learning and practicing meditation without having any access to the usual escapes.

I didn't have my phone, computer, books, writing materials....none of that.

The entire course is done in "noble silence", meaning that you don't speak to anyone (with the exception of the person in charge in case you have any questions or issues during the course).

In other words...you have no choice but to sit with your self and to observe all of those thoughts and feelings (the good and the bad).

The point of meditation is not to be free from worry or to reach some sort of enlightenment.

The point of meditation is to "train" your mind to observe any thoughts or sensations you might be having without blindly reacting (which is what we do when we turn to our phone, alcohol, drugs, sex, etc....to escape).

The course is taught all over the world.

You can find out more about it and where you might be able to take it here.

Again, it's free for first-time students and strictly donation (pay what you can) for returning students. All your meals and lodging is taken care of for you. It's an amazing organization.

If you think 10 days of silent meditation sounds tough....well, it is.

But it's not impossible. And you won't get any real change unless you're willing to do some real (and sometimes hard) work.

That's meditation.

The other thing that's helped for me is to take care of my health. Nutrition and exercise are HUGE when it comes to regulating anxiety.

I won't get into it here...but you can find plenty of info about regulating your blood sugar, maintaining gut health, and other nutritional aspects related to anxiety.

Here's a good video that touches on that.

Finally, you don't really share any info on what exactly you're feeling anxious about. Is it a fear of being alone? A fear of something bad happening to you?

You say you need input and stimulation. Why is that? Why is it so difficult to not have input at all times? Do you feel you are missing out on something when you're not being stimulated?

You need to identify what those fears are if you want to get over the anxiety it causes. You have to look inward (again, meditation is good for that). But even without meditation, you need to really begin to know yourself and sort out where this stuff is coming from. Is it learned behavior from a parent? Is it a response to some trauma?

Maybe working with a therapist or coach might be helpful if you have the means to do so.

Something to consider.

Also, if you're looking for a useful resource, check out The Worry Trap by Chad Lejeune.

Also, if you think intrusive/unwanted thoughts might be an issue...check out Imp of the Mind by Lee Baer.

Hope that helps.

Hey there, I've got a list of things that helped me tremendously.

• In addition to the anapana, uou should work on body-scanning as well. This will enable you to get in touch with your body (which anxiety sufferers are very often totally separated from.) You will learn to locate the fear sensations when they crop up and look at them, as opposed to running away. They will diminish and you will learn that you can sit with what's left. This is the most powerful thing since the fear cycle will be broken (and not continue to build on itself.)
  
  
• Look into doing CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) either with a professional or self directed. Here's a book that I found VERY effective
  
  
• Cut out the following from your diet: alcohol, cigarettes, weed, soda, caffeine
  
• Limit sugar intake
  
  Just one last note: trying to convert negative thoughts to positive ones will cause more stress. What CBT will actually teach you to do is to investigate your negative thoughts and then see where you are making 'thinking errors'. You will then work directly with those thoughts to come up with more realistic scenarios. You'll find that it's these errors that are the cause of the anxiety and not the external situation. So you break this habit and retrain your mind.
  
  Good luck!
  
  *updated link to book titled The Worry Trap
  

I'm also a very introverted anxious person. I get anxious just doing normal things like going to the grocery store. My therapist had me read "The Worry Trap". Its more about general anxiety than it is specifically social anxiety and touches on some activities you can do to help calm yourself down.

>I'm afraid of failure and most of all screwing up and failing on a date, or during sex, or in a relationship, or in everyday life.

Same, my therapist calls this social perfectionism. I hold myself to a ridiculous standard of being the best and trying to do everything totally perfect. It can ruin otherwise enjoyable activities and also make me so anxious about things that I decide not to participate at all. I'm still working on this myself so I'm not sure what to tell you, but I think giving it a name and acknowledging that you are the one holding yourself to this standard, not anyone else, and that its impossible and unfair to yourself can be helpful.

The Worry Trap, by Chad LeJeune PhD really is the best one I've read about anxiety, worry and negativity. I highly recommend it!

It's hard, or at least it is for me. Therapy is probably your best bet. This might help.