Stress is a bitch! There are no 2 ways about it, and yes I’m using foul language today because it just bloody feels right. Stress comes with anxiety for me and this is the silent enemy that can steal the joy from my life without me realizing until it’s far too late. Throughout the years writing here I’ve shared about my journey with anxiety many times, if you’d like to see them just click here and you’ll see my meanderings. It wasn’t until I was in my 30’s dealing with post-partum depression that I began to learn about anxiety and how it had probably been affecting my life since I was a child.
I was a wee girl who internalized my negative emotions, my inner thoughts were personally destructive. Walking into a room as a pre-teen I’d be telling myself how awful my clothing looks, how someone was staring at me…on and on until I was a wrack of nerves with a smile pasted on my face. I covered my anxiety with a false sense of confidence, laughing and focusing on others but the negative self-talk was doing the damage behind the scenes.
The past 3 months have been seriously challenging for our family, from my Dad’s health to home renovations to taking some major trips while trying to maintain normal family life and daily living…I was draining my cup of energy and serenity bit by bit. These things weren’t all BAD per-say, but they are highly stressful…and I didn’t pay enough attention to my own health during the process and ended up exhausted physically and emotionally. In the end my Dad is home and doing fine, my renovations are pretty much complete, the travel was amazing but I was running on empty when the last thing tipped the scales.
My poor 11 year old has had a tummy ache and cramping for about a month. I hadn’t taken it seriously, I figured that her stomach was just “off” from our recent trips to Dominican Republic and a cruise. We had been eating heavier foods than usual so I thought it would sort itself out. After 2 doctors visits and a trip to the ER, we found out that she was horribly constipated (for over 3 weeks).
As the doctor showed me the Xray of poop throughout her entire bowel system, I felt a dark cold feeling travelling up my spine. Instantly words filled my head, telling me what a horrible Mum I’d been all of those times when I resentfully got her a hot water bottle late at night…those thoughts of just go to sleep! Oh man I’d failed.
Add to these thoughts the fact that the doctor told me that the constipation could have been exasperated by my daughter’s stress levels and I was a mess.
That right there is the anxiety I’d been sweeping under the proverbial rug. It swooped in and wrapped around me like a cloak, blocking out the happiness I should have felt at being given the answer for my girl’s discomfort and instead screaming about my inadequacies. That day I came home and was a ball of nerves, snapping at my family over nothing as I tried to quell the heightened sensitivity which was chasing me. Finally I went into my bedroom, had a massive cry and prayed to God. Well, I actually raged at Him and then prayed for a bit before escaping under the covers for the night.
Kicking Anxiety’s Butt…One Positive Thought at a Time
Waking the next morning, I was about to step out of bed and just do the morning routine as normal…moving quickly, sweeping how I felt under that rug. For whatever reason the thought to pray entered my head, I said a quick one and kept moving. I was recognizing that anxiety was at work with me and I needed to STOP it. I began replacing the subconscious thoughts with positive ones. As silly as it seems to say “The sun is pretty outside” in my head as I’m washing a floor, the positive nature of the thought replaces the negative mantra which was going on in my head.
Slowly it began to work, well I’m still doing it today because I recognize that I’m still feeling the stress a bit higher than normal and I’m determined to balance it out. Negative stress can’t be ignored, it just seeps around things if I don’t address it. I’ve also started exercising again, I’d been allowing myself to be lazy and my body was craving the release a good workout can give me.
So today I’m still working on this anxiety thing but it didn’t overwhelm me! Now I’m tasked with helping my 11 year old cope with anxiety, thankfully I’m not alone as we have some fantastic friends who are educated in this area…but I suppose the 1 good thing about my experience with anxiety is that I have the capability to teach my children about it early so they don’t get into the cycle of thinking the awful self-talk is actually real.
So well be working on it here, and focusing on the JOY in life instead of falling down that rabbit hole…
I strongly agree with the first sentance of this. Anxiety sucks and I have been brushing a lot under the invisable rug. Now I’m in my twenties and finally cluing in to the fact this isnt how everyone lives their life day to day. Makes me wonder how much better even just highschool would have been had I noticed sooner and thought about seeking help and advice.
We so need to connect! My 11yo suffers greatly from anxiety, plus I have a hubby w/Asperger’s, son with autism and see some traits in my girl – my belief is her anxiety is a ‘symptom’ of a yet undiagnosed autism/ADD/brilliant mind type thing… And my girl’s an outgoing drama kid, too :-) We should get the girls together for a playdate. Next time your near KW checking out a waterpark or something :-) DM me @Jennpup And changing negative thoughts into positive ones (i.e. cognitive behavioural therapy) is def. the ‘key’.
Hello Julie,
Recently I been reading your articles and thanks for the information. I am a practicing therapist in addictions and what you write here is true. Sometimes I believe that if we have control over our negative emotions we have control over our life. Many times we are hypersensitive people and exaggerate experiences a lot. We have many internalize negative emotions that are sometimes imaginary and we perceive them as negative and do not do anything to change them.
However, once we detect and aware of our negative self talk we can always find ways to cope with our emotions, change our lives and live better. I work with people to help them confront with emotional hopelessness so they can live better and sometimes our emotional immaturity gets the best of us. It is a struggle to live with negative emotions everyday but it’s not possible. We just have to learn how to listen, detect and express them in a healthy way.
All the best,
Ricardo
You’re a good mom and you know that too, but the Enemy us always lurking. Ad a fellow constipator (word even?) I feel for your little girl. She’s blessed to have such a loving parent, and now she’s not full of poop anymore. :)
I did the same thinking when I was younger Julie and I still do it to this day. It’s a hard habit to break but the positive thinking that you mentioned truly dies help. It’s a matter of trying to change your thoughts to positive ones at the time of the anxiety. Get out for a walk, listen to some happy music. Whatever works.
Sorry to hear about your daughter. Hope she’s feeling better now. Stress affects people differently.
Its hard to deal with stress and anxiety Julie! I can totally relate to your story and appreciate you taking the time to pray with god. I think this really helps me get through my day too by leaning on god!
That’s what’s so wonderful about God. Knowing that what he says is true and just holding on.
Mathew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
This is a little random, but Crayola makes washable crayons and I like to write myself notes or verses on the mirror int he bathroom. It’s so simple, but it works.
I agree 100% that anxiety is a pure evil for those that experience it on a regular basis! Stress will almost always lead back to relapse if not taken seriously. Good for you to take charge! I have heard, “change your story (thoughts), change your life!”!
Thank you for telling me that positive thoughts really can help make one feel a bit bettter. Reading about it in a self-help book is so different from hearing from someone who has actually done it. Hopefully next time I’m struggling, I’ll remember this post. Thank you.
One day at a time is something I say. I feel those moments coming on, and I have to distract myself, and get those positive thoughts going. I am determined to do this without meds.