44 - I haven’t read your thread but I am familiar with anxiety. I lost 15 pounds during the BD days and I was skinny to begin with. Lack of appetite is completely familiar. Also the disturbing dreams are familiar.
It sounds like you are at an 8/10 or higher. Everyone is different but some things that have worked for me:
- you have survived 100% of your bad days. - nobody has died from anxiety. - notice what the anxiety spikes feel like. Know that they will increase in intensity and eventually subside. Observe your body. Let it be rather than fight it. Pushing it away tends to feed the cycle. - breathe. When you catch yourself cycling, just breathe. - focus on the present. Notice your senses: smell touch sight sound - catch yourself thinking about the past or future and let it go. Focus on the next thing and nothing else. Do the next thing. - medication is a personal choice. - exercise has been a life saver - 3 nights a week I go to bed absolutely exhausted. My appetite returned and I feel and look great. It didn’t happen overnight but exercise has a clear connection (for me) to improved mental health.
Also - meditation does not work well unless anxiety is 6ish or lower. But it works fantastic at those levels for me.
