I have started a new blog at http://www.myanxietystruggle.com and in this article I am trying to define happiness.

In my point of view happiness is one such thing which all of us are looking for irrespective of the work we are doing, things we want to achieve and whether we are in some relationship. We are looking happiness through money, through people, through some assets and everyone has their own way of looking at happiness.

If you ask someone a question that why you want success? Their answer would be to achieve happiness for them or for their family. So everyone is looking for this one word happiness. But the irony is that everybody in this world experience happiness momentarily i.e. for a particular period of time and the main reason behind this irony is that people feels that happiness is something which is dependent on achieving something or getting something.

Our happiness is dependent on something outside i.e. our desires comes from outside world. For example “I will feel good only when I get this particular thing”, now it is clear that I will only feel good when I get some particular thing or my happiness is dependent on that particular thing.

The main reason for this thinking is our belief system which says that when something is done and it’s done in a right way then i will feel happy or I am doing this so that I feel happy. You can trace back to your childhood and you will find many examples where this belief system has come into play. Your parents have trained you to feel that when you get good marks I will feel happy, when you perform better I will feel happy etc.

Our happiness is dependent on outside objects like if I buy a car I will feel happy, if I buy some property I will feel happy and many more such things. You have to remember one thing that all these objects will give you physical comfort but not happiness. We have conditioned ourselves in such a way that we have assumed comfort as happiness and that’s not true.

In order to achieve happiness all the time you have to first believe that happiness is a state of mind and it has nothing to do with any outside objects or things. Anxiety is also a state of mind and you always have an option to choose happiness over anxiety. Believe in yourself and it will create miracles for you.

Okay, 

So back in October I had a really, really bad panic attack. 

I had ended up overdosing on ibuprofen. Honestly, I don't know if it was a suicide attempt or not. I wasn't in control, I know that much, because my panic took over my entire body and thought process. It was terrifying. I ended up calling 911 myself, because I didn't really know if I was dying (I was). 

Anyway, I had to stay in a psychiatric hospital after I left the regular medical hospital, and it was the worst experience ever.  Not only did I feel so out of place due to the fact there was a lot of people in there who had it worse than me, but no matter how you ended up there, people looked at you like you were crazy. And that's actually a PTSD trigger for me. 

okay so blah blah blah.. I ended up leaving the inpatient after a week or so and had reached the state of nirvana once I was in outpatient. That lasted a week. 

Now, only a few months later, I am back in the same exact place. My PTSD symptoms have subsided, but it's still something I struggle with. 

Plus, maybe this is my unpopular opinion, but I hate physiologist's.  All they want to do is pump my blood stream with drugs and it's such a god damn pain in the ass. 

 

Sorry for this rant. 

Do you remember the last time when you felt anxious? Possibly, when you spent sleepless night before your exam or perhaps did not get job when you were in an urgent need of it. These situations normally create temporary anxiety that fades away after some time. However, some people having Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) find it hard to control their worries.

People with GAD always worry about health, school, money, family. They get various physical symptoms like headaches, insomnia, trembling, weakness, sweating, muscle tension, irritability and many others. The daily life of people, suffering from anxiety disorder, becomes hell. Many people fall into the cycle of anxiety because they do not get the right help and advice at an earlier stage. I'm saying this because I went through the same thing around 8 years ago and faced the debilitating effects of it. Now, I am completely recovered from this problem and want to dedicate my life to helping others. Therefore, I am sharing here some simple tips that will help you to treat anxiety yourself.

 

Negative Self-Talk Sucks:

However, several factors such as environmental factors, medical factors, substance abuse, or a mixture of these can be the reason of anxiety but it is most commonly triggered when we regularly talk or think negative about ourselves that means a habit of always assuming ourselves responsible for the worst will happen. Shad Helmstetter, author of "What to Say When you Talk To Yourself" has done a lot of researches to understand the process of human brain and found that negative self-talk is one of the reasons of all the worries of life. According to him, if you talk to yourself in a positive manner, you will see a remarkable progress in all areas of life. And for this, you need to follow the steps given below:

• Do not use the words "should," "could" as these words will make you less confident. You can replace these words with "can" or "will."
• When someone gives you compliment don't protest against them but accept them by saying "thank you."
• Do not say, "You are going to fail" before trying anything. Anyhow, if you can't able to do particular thing, it doesn't mean you underestimate yourself.
• Stop mumbling while talking with others; it will make you feel less confident.

Negative self-talk is really risky that makes you feel even less confident than when you start to tell negative about yourself. Therefore, for beating anxiety, it is very important to avoid negative self-talk.

Eat Healthy And Remove Anxiety

Sadly, through anxiety we often turn to alcohol to help lift moods and make us feel better in the short term. However, when alcohol reached and processed in the body, it dehydrates the body and creates anxiety-like symptoms. Similarly, caffeine and other fizzy drinks add to anxiety and negatively affect our body. 

When I was recuperating, I decided to eat healthier and found that, through adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet, I had felt less stressed and become calmer. I also joined a fitness campaign that suited me to burn off my negative energies. These changes brought a lot of relief in my life. Therefore, to improve mood, try eating a healthier diet that contains plenty of vegetables and fruits and keep away from processed foods. Also, avoid too much fizzy drinks and caffeine, I am not saying, there is need to give it up completely, just try to moderate it.

Meditation Helps In Combating Anxiety

It is not right to get worried about problems that came in life. We can't change what's already happened. The thing we can do is change the way we respond to these problems. Therefore, instead of meeting the troubles of life with more fury, we should meet it with acceptance and compassion. That is what meditation does. Meditation enhances our focus on one point, lessens anxiety and overwhelms our lives with general feelings of happiness. It improves our ability to be an internal observer that shows us the way to release the tension.

As per the surveys of Times Magazine, over 15 million Americans now do meditation habitually. A meta-analysis of 146 studies shows that Transcendental Meditation is the most effective technique to produce a deep state of peaceful alertness in the body. You'll experience a positive change in the body and mind within the twenty minutes of meditation.

Regular Exercise Is Important

Recently a research was conducted in the University of Georgia study in which 3000 Patients were involved. Those patients who were randomly assigned to exercise reported a 20% reduction in anxiety symptoms compared to those who did not exercise. Exercise will not only help you to overcome anxiety but it also helps in preventing and improving a number of health problems like diabetes, arthritis, etc. Actually, exercise helps in releasing feel-good brain chemicals that reduce depression.

The word "exercise" does not mean that you'll have to do sweaty workout in the gym. Anything that gets you down the couch like washing your car, gardening, etc. is exercise that can help you reduce anxiety and improve mood.

In short, I want to say that you should stop negative self-talk, eat well, do meditation and exercise to live a healthy and relaxed life.