The Ways I Cope With Anxiety

Hello! I've been gone for a long time; there have been a lot of changes in my life. I want to eventually share about that but I'm not quite ready.

In the meantime, I thought I would mention some of the things that help me cope with my Anxiety Disorder.

You'll probably have heard of some or all of these things, but I wanted to tell you why they help me so you can see if maybe they resonate for you. Here they are in no particular order.

Talk Therapy. I see a counselor on a regular basis. She helps me stay grounded. If you are looking for a therapist, be sure to ask to interview them. Ask them if they are familiar with your condition and what treatments they specialize in.

My Bullet Journal. I have been keeping a bullet journal for more than a year. It helps with my anxiety because everything I need - from my daily lists to notes from my therapy sessions, is all in one place. It keeps me from having to search through physical and mental clutter to find things.

Meditation. One of the types of meditation I do is called active meditation. I do art therapy. There is an interesting post about active meditation that I read recently, I'll link it here.

Hobbies. I do a lot of crafting, DIY and make jewelry. Do whatever you find to be relaxing.

Yoga. I've started to do beginners yoga. I watch a great channel on YouTube, linked here. Exercise is one of the things my doctor recommends to help with my anxiety. To keep myself on track, I created a yoga tracker page in my bullet journal. Before starting an exercise regimen, you should consult a doctor.

Listening to music. If I feel like everything is getting overwhelming sometimes I will retreat to my room, put on headphones and listen to music. It can be relaxing music or not, it just has to distract me from the previous situation.

I realize that these are not one size fits all solutions and everyone's circumstances are different. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it's what works for me.

Let me know what coping skills you use in the comments below!

Until next time.

Remember that you are more than just your diagnosis.

The Reason I Stopped Blogging

I haven't done any craft blogging for nine months. There are a few reasons, but the main one is an event that took place last June.

The summer of 2014 was a challenge for me. I hadn't been getting along with my antidepressant very well; there was a side effect that became overwhelming. Sometimes as a person gets older their body changes in how it interacts with medication and things will need to be adjusted. It is part and parcel of having depression.

My doctor and I decided that since I had been dealing with this side effect for so long it was time to tweak my medication regimen and change to a new antidepressant. For anyone not familiar with this process, let me tell you how it goes. You have to gradually step down the dose of your current medication and then gradually increase the dose of the new medication. Sounds simple, but sometimes you may become symptomatic as your system adjusts.

I became irritable. I tried to not let it spill over onto anyone else but it was a herculean effort, and I failed several times. Things seemed to get better once I was on the full dose, however something else was happening that I was unaware of. To give some context, I have always focused mainly on treating my depression because it was diagnosed first. After my aspergers was diagnosed, it was a whole new can of worms.

Last summer, I was having anxiety episodes every day; they kept getting increasingly worse. None of my learned coping skills were working. I would go for walks, but I was walking three times a day and once or twice a night. I remember pacing the neighborhood in the dark, thinking if I could find the source of my anxiety I could fix it. This went on for five or six weeks. I was agitated, and became short with my roommates. I wasn't sleeping or eating. I avoided my friends altogether.

I kept thinking that I needed to stick it out with the new medication because that horrible side effect that had plagued me was gone. I didn't realize my anxiety was not being handled. In ignorance I didn't call my doctor, thinking the anxiety came from an external source.

Sometimes trying to soldier on in silence is not the best course of action. I stopped caring about anything, I was well beyond depressed. I couldn't find a moment's peace and I thought that that would be how I lived for the rest of my life. I wish I had called my doctor at this time.

I ended up having a meltdown and my roommate drove me to the ER. The doctors and nurses were very compassionate and professional. I felt like I had failed in some way, but I quickly learned that it wasn't true. I know this is not everyone's experience with hospitals, but I went in scared, and everything turned out ok.

They made some changes to my medication regimen and things got a lot better. I'm being treated for my anxiety, and have learned specific coping skills designed to alleviate those symptoms. It's been a long road, but I feel like I'm finally in a good place.

Until next time.

Don't forget to give yourself a break.

My Blog is Called Sun Cracks and Dust because...

I named my blog as a tribute of sorts. The words come from one of my favorite songs, "The Sky is Falling" by Bertie Blackman. It's a really cool, haunting song that I feel speaks to what it is like to live with anxiety disorder. I nearly wore this song out last summer during a complicated time in my life, and it has become an anthem for me.

Until next time.

Don't forget to take care of yourself.

a little about me...

I wanted to tell you a little about myself. I have anxiety, depression, and aspergers. The reason I have chosen to focus on these aspects of my life, for this blog, is that I believe there are many opportunities right now to educate people who don't know what it is like to experience these things and also to help those who do.

In addition, I wanted to let people know that I (and others like me) are more than just our diagnoses. In my daily life I am a craft blogger. Crafting is my passion and it is a coping strategy as well. I am a voracious reader, drinker of tea, music lover, and horror movie aficionado. I like animals, baking decadent desserts (and sometimes even dinner) and recently took up studying photography.

I hope my posts are helpful in some way.

Until next post.

Remember to be compassionate with yourself.