A
AJ84
Guest
Yeah mindfulness involves observing your thoughts as just that, thoughts. One of the excercises is to close your eyes and just notice your thoughts as clouds passing in the sky, just observing each one as they pass, all of them, even the negative ones, without following them. It's not how we usually function of course so it's not easy to get to used to doing that but idea is when you have a negative thought to see if as a passing thought, rather than trying to push it away or dwell on it. In fact, trying to push negative thoughts and feelings away really just results in maintaining them and or the unpleasant physical and mental feelings associated with trying push them away.I have heard of mindfulness. Is 'mindfulness for anxiety and depression' different, i.e. something more focussed and specific? I discovered The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle 7 years ago and it completely changed me. I was in a dark place and sort of found this book at the right time. At the same time it held me back for years and kind of ****ed me up. I developed a lot of bad 'relaxing, moving slow, being in the moment' habits I still largely have. Tolle talks a lot about observing your thoughts, taking no notice of them, they are't who I am. However, I have always struggled with this. I have OCD and so the OCD mind just does not shut up. I have a lot of mental rituals. The OCD basically makes it hard to just observe the mind as it is and take no notice of it.
I don't know what your OCD rituals are but ask yourself if the energy you put into them is nourishing and helping your deal with your anxiety or is it depleting your whole day. Even short mindfulness exercises can help if your OCD prevents you from doing long exercises. Google three minute breathing mindfulness.
Also a low dose Ativan ( not sure what that med is called in the US but it's a slow release anti-anxiety medication) may be helpful but it has addictive qualities. Some anti-depressants treat anxiety.
I don't know your story and may be babbling on here with a lot of stuff that your probably already tried, but I work in the mental health sector so I'm going by what I have learned from the clients I have worked with but I'm no expert on the subject.