Anna

@Irina Irina I know how this feels, but never give up. Keep your head up I especially experience this up and down while searching for the roots of my disorders. Exhausting, but definitely worth it

This video helped a lot.

Social anxiety is hard work. I'm currently working on that too. I throw myself into uncomfortable situations, this it what works for me. For example: Going to the city, Saturday about noon. I hate crowds, it makes me nervous. (Solutions for me) First I'm asking myself: What am I afraid of? • strangers coming too close (I can't stand strangers if they occur unsympathetic to me) (keep calm, step aside) • getting into a conflict, being offended (interactions are normal, be polite, if offended smile and ignore or be sarcastic) • people judging me (for what? be open-minded don't judge others as well, be confident with yourself) • losing control over my feelings (if aggressive: walk away from situation, calm down, breath slowly, it's not necessary) What will happen physically if I throw myself into this? • I feel stressed • muscels especially shoulders will feel tensed (relax muscels, shoulders down, head up, straight back) • breathing will be hard (breath deep and slowly) • body temperature will increase rapidly, sweating (walk slower, breath slowly, calm down) This is what worked for me. Today walking in crowded (even foreign) cities is no longer a problem for me. I'm very happy walking around, always smiling and people smile back. That's a nice feeling, believe me. You'll notice it's getting better day by day if you stick to it. I nearly overcame my anxiety, but it's not completely done. Still a lot of work there.

Maybe you'll find something here: http://www.actualized.org/forum/forum/25-self-help-product-book-reviews/

@A Lone Wanderer You're right, not meant to claim that, sorry. I just wanted to explain how complicated my patients are. They have drug addictions AND diseases because of that.

VNV Nation - Fearless So many little things followed me So many little things that bothered me But I found my answer From all the chaos that followed me I have found my answer I've told you before don't follow me Because I am not your answer I am not alone, I am not afraid, I am not unhappy These are the words I say to myself everyday I am not alone, I am not afraid, I am not unhappy Tell me, what ritual I should have today But I'm not alone I've resolved so many things and set myself free [...]

That's why being open-minded is important.

Grüße aus Leipzig

@Jay Brown Wow, that's impressive! Especially heroin is a hard thing to work on and you just did it. You are really determined. Look, you say: "once I could see how fucked up it was" and "have no intentions of going back there" you have these powerful thoughts which hold you back from falling off track. That's why you are strong and there is literally no chance for the addiction to come back. I understand your point of view. I think so too in some other areas for example "food" and "eating healthy". I know how to change my eating habits if I want to, because it's my job and passion, BUT I see my patients struggle with the smallest things. Some people block if you are about to change too much too fast. They are demotivated, because they fail. So we are setting long-term goals and take small steps to achieve it. My patients are really euphoric when they come to me and tell me "I DID IT!". Because of my experience with drug addicts (+ several other diseases), I'm very careful with recommendations. It can backfire hardly.

@Jay Brown Basically what I mean is at first you really have to find your will to change. Depending on what it is and how much it expands in your daily life, this facts determine the time you need to solve your problem. Some problems can't be solved just by one step. Behavior is not changed in a short period of time neither. And I especially see the drinking problem or taking drugs in general as a long way. Therefor and in the case of @spicy_pickles it is more motivating to compliment him for his first little steps. We notice, compliment and want to keep him on track with good advices. It's hard to change habits. Trying to do it in one big step, could go wrong drastically and make everything worse. Some people fall off track and are extremely afraid they could fail again and again.

@Jay Brown This is not what I meant. If this works for YOU ok, but this is not working for everyone that well.

I have to deal with this situation every day at work. I'm a dietician and work in a clinic for drug addicts. They have various diseases, because of their long-term addictions. I KNOW how to eat "correctly" and how to eat to cure several diseases, but working with my patients is not that easy. I can't force them to change and eat what I want them to eat. Some of them are really open-minded, want to know everything and are willing to change.

I agree with that. I had the same situation till last year. It took me 2 years to figure out what's wrong. I always thought of my ex and already had a new boyfriend. I broke up with the new boyfriend telling him I don't behave fair and have to clear my mind. I took my time to think about everything and came to the conclusion that I definitely needed the conversation with the ex my mind couldn't get rid off. We talked to each other and it really helped me to let go. (After our conversation we never met again.) So you should think about what could help you. It's not wrong to remember the good times, but you have strong reasons why you broke up. Don't forget that.

I always set up a plan for the whole week. Afterwards I check how much time is left each day. It depends on the priority of the tasks. So for me work is the highest and I can't change the working time. I also have routines like running on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Running is on second place after work. And then each day gets a certain amount of tasks (depending on priority and the time I have to invest). Still sounds a bit chaotic, but I can post a picture of my schedule for next week. For bigger goals I set up plans for years or months and write down how I want to achieve my goals. When I know what to do I integrate the smaller steps into the weekly plan.

@Jay Brown Possible, but if you really want to change, you can. Baby steps are a good start and everybody has his/her own pace.

I understand what you're feeling, but you can't help everyone. Accept them. I guess the best thing you can do is to stay positive and spread positive vibes.

I normally answer in a sarcastic way. If someone starts a conflict out of nowhere and for no reason I ask many questions which make them really insecure. Additionally I remain polite, speak calm and smile. Most of the time they give up an turn away. This is how I behave.

Exactly! I often realize and find the best ways to deal with my problems when I talk to someone. It's always like:" wait, wait YES THAT'S IT! Aha, that's why and this is how I solve it!" Definitely love those moments. It's more a monologue than a dialogue and my conversation partner is like: Even my worst mental Problem (depression) became a joke to me. Conclusion: I'm my own therapist.

I think so too. From time to time I only sleep 3-4 hours (once or twice a week), because I'm going out with friends/my boyfriend late at night. I often have to work the other day. Basically what I do is quite simple: • make sure my body is well nourished (food + water) • sleeping more next night • take a nap after work (15-20 mins)

I agree with you. I currently learn a lot about myself and I finally see some ways to manage my problems. I'm quite sensitive when it comes to stressful/overwhelming situations. I've been struggling alot with burn out symptoms, depression, OCD (I'm a perfectionist ) and insomnia. So my body and mind were constantly under pressure. Since my mind calmed down I'm really happy, full of energy and I can sleep literally everywhere within minutes if I want to. Deep connection between mind and body approved, I would say. And yes, the mind can heal the body.

As a dietician I agree on that. @Josip Be careful if you search for information. If you're not sure ask a doctor or dietician for advice. You can message me as well if there are specific questions.

I totally agree with you!

They call you weird, because they'll never know how powerful this is. I meditate regularly, too.

So you aren't sure what is missing in your life? Does your life feel too common? Do you feel the need to do something special?

A question I have to answer nearly every day. Applause for my job lowering LDL: eating more fiber (whole grain, vegetables...), less animal products, prefer low fat products, avoid sugar and alcohol (raises triglyceride levels) raise HDL: sport, especially training endurance (...) What do you want to know specifically?