Reply To: Managing GAD & OCD without medication

[Simon Read]

I used to suffer very badly from OCD and GAD. They’re both much better but GAD remains a constant and daily problem, particularly for the first 2-3 hours of each day whilst I settle into a routine and my schedule starts to unfold in a (mostly) predictable way. I tried medication a long time ago but found it made mee feel worse, so I never got past 2-3 months on meds. Anyway, today I wrote a list of all the actions I could think of that help my anxiety and I wanted to share this with you:

1. Early morning walk – atleast for 40 mins. I get my most optimistic, free and constructive thoughts at this time.
2. Positive listening – there’s lots of positive advice on YouTube from life coaches such as Jihm Rohn, Les Brown and Brian Tracy. Listen every day.
3. Writing poetry – it’s a distraction, it’s cathartic, it slows my mental processes down and helps me to put my feelings into words.
4. Books – “Lost Connections” by Johan Hari is all about understanding the root causes of Depression. This was a revelation for me.
5. Asking for help – the time when we least want to ask is probably the time when we should ask the most.
6. Accepting the anxiety and managing it positively – “Dare” by Barry McDonagh describes 4 steps for living with, rather than avoiding or confronting, anxiety.
7. Sometimes the day just needs to be taken 1 hour at a time, 1 step at a time.
8. Insomnia – don’t stress about it. Just do something useful for yourself in this time such as reading, listening, writing. You will still get through the day.