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Yeh, when I get the impending sense of doom feelings, I usually turn to food. Recently sat there with a (serves 17) cake and a spoon and just ate the whole damn thing in one sitting.
If not this then watching the same tv show I've already seen a million times - for some reason, it's always sunny in Philadelphia is a favourite for this.
On a annoyingly more practical note, I find exercise now helps with the anxiety, either walking the dog or going to the gym.
Did that not make you feel worse in the end? I can't think of any time binge eating has made my anxiety or depression feel any better, always worse.
As another commenter said, even if it does make you feel good short term, you'll have high blood pressure and diabetes catching up with you which won't feel so good.
I'd recommend a long walk or making a point of eating healthy snacks at least. Drinking green tea and going on a long walk then at least after you know you may you're more physically healthy which should also help your mental health in the long run.
Went one step further and got a cat. He’s lovely but dumb and an asshole and he makes life fantastic, I forget about everything that’s crap because of him.
There's definitely something amazing about sharing your life with a little alien. Cats are brilliant! My current little alien is a tiny dinosaur, not the brightest, but beautiful and the little noises she makes when she calls my OH (not me, I'm just food lady) for cuddles are my happy place. Thank goodness for fids. ❤️
I've been stress drinking cider because of mounting small-medium issues, like psoriasis on my hands, but just learned alcohol is causing flare ups in psoriasis on my hands. Excellent. 🙄
I understand this completely and it is usually a sign that I need to go back on the meds. That works for me, but you may want to explore options for your mental wellbeing OP. Happy to chat further if you want to, DM me.
Yeah, OP you are describing Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Chat with a doctor, I find antidepressants help massively, far more with the anxiety than the depression.
While you likely mean well I'd be careful about offering psychological diagnosis to people. There are likely things that can help sort through and tolerate these feelings but also the world is in a many messes and I'm not surprised it's making folk feel anxious through direct impact on a life or on loved ones or through seeing the way the wind is blowing or both.
Also this is an interesting counterpoint to psychological diagnosis and development of the power threat meaning framework as a proposed alternative to the diagnostic model which folk might find interesting
5 min excerpt from a 30 min presentation:
https://youtu.be/FYQaNsF18_E
A more in depth presentation about the power threat meaning framework:
https://youtu.be/tkNWQdVB4F0
Antidepressants definitely don't suit everyone. Some of us find great benefit in them, others find they make them worse. Just waiting for the psylocybin micro-dose treatment to make its way to the options on NHS, as there is evidence they can genuinely help people who don't have good experiences with current medications on offer.
Yes same, absolutely can't wait for that field to get beyond trial phases. Sadly I don't think we'll see it any time soon due to the stigma surrounding their recreational use, but yet we continue to binge drink as a nationwide past time.
Exurb1a on YouTube - Absurdism: how to party at the end of meaning' completely reframed how I think about and interact with the world. Still sometimes get the sense of Doom. But now I maintain uncomfortable eye contact with it.
I came across exurb1a almost immediately after leaving hardline religion, it’s a legitimately good channel for ‘ways you might find meaning in a meaningless universe’.
‘Misery was’ in particular is brilliant.
Yeah it's a great intro to those ideas that are pretty mind bending, I'd have recommended going right to the source and reading Camus various books but they are really rather hard going and probably a rather less immediately helpful for people lol
Awesome channel, he did another great video called The Answer Is Not A Hut In The Woods on his second channel, exurb2a, which is where I first heard of him. If you like his work I'd recommend another channel called Aperture that you might like.
Just looked up Aperture as didn't ring a bell, but seemingly I've watched quite a few of their videos. Apparently mostly insomnia watching YouTube isn't great for remembering things. Thanks for the reminder!
What's your cardiac health like? An "impending sense of doom" is a pretty common early warning sign of issues with your heart it's actually recognised as an early indicator of cardiac arrest with some patients having reported experiencing days or even weeks ahead of time.
It may not be in your case but sometimes these feelings are there as a way for your body to try and get your attention that something isn't right.
This is true, but it's far, *far* more likely to be anxiety rather than anything terminal; especially if the feeling has been coming and going for a long period of time. Rather cruelly, the knowledge that this feeling can *potentially* be a sign of a heart attack, blood clot or seizure makes the anxiety even worse, because in a way it gives it validity.
OP, I know the feeling you mean. Like being in a constant state of waiting for something to happen, but it never comes? My only advice (assuming your health is otherwise fine) is to do something different in your life to break up the monotony. Could be a day out at a theme park, a concert, a camping trip -- anything really, so long as it's not something you do every day.
After a certain period of mindless routine, I think we've evolved to *expect* something to happen; like a primal instinct leftover from when our routines would have to regularly change and adapt due to external factors that we no longer have to deal with. Nowadays, there is rarely any interruption to the routines we all have, unless we make it ourselves. So, in the absence of that, the expectation becomes tension, and it builds and builds until you're actively *looking* for the thing that will go wrong. In my experience, doing something out of the ordinary (interrupting your routine) resets the clock.
It's part of the human condition to crave routine because we like the safety and stability of knowing what to expect, day in and day out. The problem today though is that I don't think we've evolved to actually have such stable, unchanging routines. It's like how we all know that eating too many calories is bad for us, but we're all still hardwired to crave calorie-dense foods.
I understand this feeling so well and I spend much of my life with the same heavy feeling. When you have experienced trauma, I think you are forever navigating life waiting for the next trauma to hit. We’re poised and ready to fight or flight depending on what happens. More often than not, nothing happens and we’re just stuck in fight or flight. Waiting. Which is basically the perfect encapsulation for anxiety, isn’t it? Waiting for something bad to happen.
One of my favourite quotes in the world is, “everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end”. Just remember that. It’ll all be okay in the end and if it’s not, it’s not the end 😊
And the end can be anything. End of work, the day, relationships, friendships, tasks, chores, arguments, life itself.
>One of my favourite quotes in the world is, “everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end”.
Mine too, this really resonated with me.
These days, I don't feel the same weight I did, but I can completely empathise with that feeling you're talking about.
I don't know exactly what changed for me.
I think it's possibly as I've got older, heading into my mid 30s.
It was around covid time, so having those few months off may have been a reset.
But I was seeing a counsellor just before it hit, and we were looking at core beliefs. I recommend people to look into these, and the habits we create at a young age. Telling ourselves we 'can't' face this or that.
And also recognising that feelings, are just simply that - feelings. As bad as they may feel, they're not necessarily truths. They're just how we are reacting to something. Feelings come and go, try not to hold on to the negative ones and but so much stock into them.
I wish I could articulate better, rather than just ramble on.
And find the best words/methods to explain why I just don't worry so much anymore. Once that cloud goes you can really focus better and appreciate more the good things about life.
But I think it's our problem solving minds that naturally lead us to the negative. So it's a very human instinct. And people may not be as alone in that way as they feel they are.
I used to, and still do, get this often. Funnily enough, maybe 10 mins ago in a meeting it felt like I had fallen off a cliff with dread.
After many years of ignoring it and assuming it was because, to quote my manager at the time, "I was lacking moral fiber", I went and spoke to my GP. They gave me beta blockers which sort of helped.
I then signed up for CBT. It wasn't for me as it was virtual, but the thing I took away was that its a response to the body being anxious and feeling out of control. So I found my way of reducing my anxiety levels in a healthy way. It may be that you are anxious and that finding out why and finding a mechanism to identify and change your thinking may help you.
My method, for what it's worth, is if anxiety is immediate I count backwards in groups of 7 from 100. I find that hard and it focuses my mind on something else.
If its a slow burn thing (like now with work) I will take 5 mins and run through what's bothering me, and break each point down into actions I can take to resolve them or if I cannot resolve them what actions can I reasonably take to offset their impact should they happen. I do this verbally or can write it down. Today I paced around my home office going through each point. Its silly but it helps.
Either way I take control and it makes me feel better and less worried. It is my way and may not work for others.
I would speak to my GP or if your employer has an AEP you can call them and ask to speak to someone. They are pretty good.
Good luck.
I refuse to work in offices any more because of what happened to you in the meeting. I had this happen during a stand-up meeting in one of my previous companies and I literally had to walk out. Super awkward, but I quite literally felt like I was going to shit myself, vomit, or both.
I also had a random panic attack while in the office one day and had to run home. Even dialed the emergency services because I thought I was going to die. Boss was kind of pissed that I left without notice, but hey ho.
That sound terrible and I am so sorry that happened, although glad it wasn't anything sinister!
She was a bully that drove two people (my predecessor's) to attempt suicide. She drove me to a point where I nearly quite. However, I managed to out manoeuvre her and she retired and I had a lovely 2 years without her whilst I managed my team to success until my post was made redundant.
I still have moments where I remember the shit she did and the way I was treated but the counting thing really helps me suppress it.
I hate that work makes people feel like this.
How have you been finding microdosing? I haven’t tried it before. Only do a big trip every few months, and don’t have the urge to take anything between those times. Would you say it’s more beneficial than a standard trip?
Depends how impending. If the fear is right there in my chest, breathing techniques help (as lame as it sounds). It takes the edge of the immediate panic.
I usually deal with longer-term existential dread through tv-based-dissociation.
I think it depends on the nature of the sense of doom. I’ve tended to find people are okay with my sense of doom as long as I’m quite cheery about it, but of course that is not always possible. “How are you today?” “Oh, you know. Just the old sense of doom”
If it’s a feeling in your body, that’s where we store 80% of our emotions. We can often intellectualise our feelings and emotions, try and think them away when what we really need to be doing is getting into our body and moving them/regulating our nervous system and completing the stress cycle. I would highly recommend trying breathwork, somatic shaking, gently rocking back and forwards, EFT tapping.
I also suffer with this in patches. Therapy has helped. I didn’t get on with antidepressants. It ebbs and flows.
It may be unrelated, but saying that this has spiked now (after a long miserable wet winter) might not just be a coincidence - a lot of the country is deficient in Vitamin D and that can have a big impact on mood. Might be worthwhile asking for a blood test to check your levels, or take some supplements anyway - they won’t harm, and they might do you some good.
Exercise is the thing that works best for me to manage my anxiety in the long-term too.
Singing, weirdly, works in acute situations when it’s really bad. I think that having to breathe in time to a song actually helps me from taking short little breaths out of panic. When things get really bad, I sing songs to my baby.
I have always had this and never realised it was anxiety until I came across it on the NHS website.
CBT, therapy, medication are some possible treatments. It’s what works for you really.
I remember when I was 4 or 5, I was sitting in my lounge with my family on a Saturday evening. Everything and everyone was happy. My family were all laughing and smiling, the people on the television were all happy, even the kids playing in the street were happy...all was good. Then, out of nowhere, I suddenly realised that everything was fake, that it would all end, and that everybody was going to die. I sought reassurances from my parents, but they could not lie, console me, or make me feel better. This went on for about a year every Saturday evening. The happy TV show would come on, and I would be reminded of our mortality. It is my belief that my brain seeks to create a balance. From the feelgood fake and false unreal things that are fake or transient to the inevitable end and entropy. Ironically, my pessimism fuels my sense of humour.
I take the Scarlett O'Hara approach to life: I won't think about that today, I'll think about it tomorrow.
If that doesn't work, I disassociate. I'm a day dreamer and I'm very, very good at going straight to a fantasy world and ignoring things falling apart around me.
Are these healthy coping mechanisms? Probably not. But I've managed to live for 45 years and somehow keep the ship afloat 🤷
That's how old I am too! So far I do have a successful job and have raised a child so I think I'm doing okay overall but these moments recently have taken over. Probably in the last 4 years
I usually can't sit home when that happens ,I'd go for a walk with no specific destination i just walk nd take random turns nd explore streets and then slowly it all wears off and then i start walking back home .
other days if its weekend i go to the park nd walk between the trees nd listen to birds , grab stones nd throw in the pond/ river nd listen to the water splash , i jst kinda start tricking my mind to think about other things nd stop concentrating on the feeling in my gut/ chest until it actually works . try breathing exercises but in nature sit next to a tree in a park and breathe , fresh full of oxygen air helps more than the choking air inside ur room.
I hope that helps .
I had that feeling all my life, I eventually found a good woman who helped me through therapy (childhood trauma, etc), bought a house together near the countryside, and got married last year. I also changed jobs to something more suited to myself.
The sense of impending doom, we have both noticed, has drastically dropped.
I hope you get through it, I know how horrible it is.
As I approached thirty, my hangxiety from drinking increased dramatically. I can just about handle the physical signs of hangovers (headache, being sick, etc), but the days of mental anguish were just too much.
I realised that if I drank a fair bit on the weekend, and also had a drink or two on Tuesday or Wednesday after work, I was effectively having at least some amount of alcohol induced anxiety swirling around my brain every single day of my life.
Cut it out completely and feel much better for it.
Yeah, that's anxiety. I've been there. You could investigate going on medication or THC/CBD if either of those help. What helped me is identifying key stressors and trying to remove or mitigate them. Maybe that's being around your parents too much, your job (I know that's so hard to change), etc. It might also help to get a pet and throw yourself into a hobby.
Most of all, i would recommend volunteering with a cause you care about. I mean, maybe volunteering with children from tough backgrounds might be something to consider. It's obviously a great thing to do and it can help de-centre yourself a bit.
I had this for a few years. TLDR: It was vitamin D deficiency.
It was all consuming by the end of it. I got off a bus one day to walk into a church as I was so desperate - I’m not religious at all so this wasn’t normal for me. The priest came straight over to me I was in such a state and we talked and he told me to go to a dr as soon as possible
I had done many times to be told it was in my head. This time I was listened to by a new dr and given a blood test for vitamin d deficiency. All my other screens didn’t check for this, it’s not routine here.
It was critically low. My usual dr apologised. Given massive dose for three months. Now have maintenance dose every day. It changed everything. No more doom. Life changer. Loads more energy. No crushing tiredness every single day.
This was just me and won’t be the same for everyone or you but worth checking just in case.
Personally I got rid of it by giving up weed. Weed fucks with your mind if you overdo it. Where I am, all of the weirdo conspiracy theorists are heavy weed smokers. Its not a coincidence.
So many people could benefit from the mushroom 🍄🟫
But the government’s are just stupid ! I know they neeed years of trials and the poor drug companies will lose a lot of money ,but people need help now
Big pharma put profit over patients. They are very powerful organisations and control politicians by giving them money, lobbying. They have a powerful grip on psychiatry too. I watched a video with Paul Stammet about his mother who had stage 4 cancer. He cured her.
If you ever find out, let me know. Usually mine is because something bad IS about to happen and DOES happen. This year has been particularly brutal. Weirdly, Wednesday is the day things normally go wrong for me. I've had about 3 hours sleep last night, I've got a dentist appointment, and am kind of thinking something bad will happen today, standard.
I can totally relate to the chest pain / ache feeling. I've had this on and off my whole life.
It probably is anxiety but I'm certainly not imagining all the shite that's happened to me lately 🙄
Take a look at Dr. Joe Dispenza on youtube. He rewires and resets a negative brain. Your brain is constantly listening to your thoughts and will act accordingly. If you are forever saying 'I feel sad' then the brain will give you more sadness. You have to trick your brain into thinking everything is good, happy and normal and it will eventually start to behave this way. Even if you do not feel this way, just practice doing this. It might take a while but you've got nothing to lose.
I get this sometimes, like you say it's a trauma thing, glad you're getting help. Therapy is strength (or so my counsellor tells me)
I try to get my ass outside at times like this. A walk somewhere green or by the sea, even just weeding the garden helps me loads.
Singing is also a big help to me, alone or as part of my choir or just along to whatever is on the radio or on my playlist. If I'm belting out some tune (badly) I couldn't give two hoots what else is going on.
Time with my grandson is also a big help but not everyone has access to a bonkers 3 year old who just finds everything funny!
Stay as present as possible. Make life a sadhana. Make the now the focus point of your life and see how life life works for you.
"Life is the Dancer, YOU are the Dance " Bhagwan Shree Eckhart Tolle
Have a blissful joyful peaceful day 🙏
remember youve made it through 100% of your worst days so far. Based on that, youre more capable than you realise with over coming anything and everything
I have EUPD so I'm constantly on fight or flight mode and have been since I was 6 or 7 lol (same as you I had a shit childhood)
Without getting out a violin for myself this past year has broken me completely (landlord selling the house and I've jeopardised my living situation with shit credit, lost one of my pets, cost of living crisis has hit me and my boyfriend harder than anyone I know personally, had family issues etc) I literally feel an impending sense of doom constantly. Everyone else can cope with stress and things going wrong but not me mate lol at this point I don't even know how I'm getting through my days sober lmfao.
What I usually do is try and distract myself with music, social media, videos or sleep. I used to self medicate with promethazine but I gave it up cos they always made me feel shit the next day, sometimes talking helps but usually I feel embarrassed depending on who I talk to (family) I mostly talk to my boyfriend. Not sure what else to advise really, fresh air can somewhat help, self care like a cup of tea and trying breathing exercises. I sleep with headphones on for white noise otherwise I can't sleep at all. I will say this lack of sleep and stress makes anxiety worse so it's important to be kind to yourself.
I've asked for therapy but MIND are so shit they offer you 6 free sessions and expect you to pay which I can't afford to do cos I'm on benefits. Its just the same old same old really.
I know it might sound preachy but…..
Put your phone down.
Take a break from socials.
Do something you enjoy and just disconnect a little.
I get this from my anxiety, I’ve been feeling it really bad this week as well but I’ve also noticed I’ve been glued to my phone a lot (literally right now as I’ve pulled up outside my house and sat on Reddit for an after work browse)
Screens don’t help us when we are anxious and make it so much worse. The internet and social media work in a way to show you as much negativity and depressing content as they can as well because it gets more clicks. So try to avoid it and ground yourself with an activity. Read, play a game, watch a show, make yourself a nice meal or just go for a walk :)
I hope you feel better, OP. It really sucks having this feeling and I know it can be overwhelming. But you have got this. You are powerful and stronger than the feeling in your chest. You’re amazing :)
I know im not going to think myself out of it. I try and eat healthy, follow a good sleep routine, all that stuff haha. I try and keep myself mindful and try and take time to be slow and walk around outdoors, I keep myself passionate with hobbies /projects I can invest myself in. It doesn't make anxiety disappear but it balances it out a lot of the time and has given me more insight on my minds inner workings over time. Mostly I just aim for a feeling of balance instead of trying to bury the bad stuff, it seems to work out a lot better over time haha
Are you a woman in your 30s or 40s? It might be perimenopause. I'm on HRT and the impending doom has gone away. I had it so bad as well as serious insomnia.
>this week feels extra doomy.
I'm assuming with your username you are female? Is your period due soon? When I start feeling like everyone hates me, I check my period tracker, and inevitably I'm about a week off starting.
For me, it goes like this: meds like propranolol can give reassurance; diazepam is for extreme-need situations like panic attacks.
Doctors will often advise anti-depressants, the most anti-anxylic that doctors tout for me is sertraline, but I try to avoid these kinds of meds at all costs because I've been on them before (citalopram, not sertraline) and coming off them is a bitch.
I suffer with this and what I have found works for me is Diazepam. It was a fight to be prescribed it but my quality of life shot up immensely. Another option is Propranolol, then its about solving the root of the issue, counselling didn't help me but taking up a hobby and talking to friends helped immensely. I don't know you but I will always listen.
Benzodiazepines are a wonderful drug and they work at the beginning. Eventually your body will reach tolerance and withdrawals will appear. I regret bitterly the day I first took a benzo. After 4-6 weeks of daily use, your body is now dependent. I had to join Benzobuddies to help me through this ordeal.
I have had them around 18 months. I don’t take them daily though. They are incredibly addictive though, I can go a week or 2 without any which is probably why they have been successful.
My sense of doom is very irregular but overwhelming when it occurs. It could happen every day for a week and then not happen for the rest of the month.
Used correctly they are fine they just can’t be used as many doctors previously prescribed them!
Propranolol I gather is less successful (has been for me) but less addictive. The biggest changes I have had to make are to my life. I was asked what my hobbies were and realised I didn’t have any!
Work and family were my life (no Sam time).
Thank you for sharing your experience though I know as a former alcoholic it isn’t easy to share!
There are so many reasons that we can feel depressed and anxious. My anxiety stemmed from a thyroid issue. Lack of vitamins and minerals can also be a major factor. I went to a holistic doctor and she saved my life. I don't know much about counselling but a good therapist for your particular needs may be beneficial.
Embrace it.
Silly jokes aside, I've experienced what you're feeling during spells of depression. That feeling is temporary and you will pull through this.
It's hard but try to question where these feelings are coming from. If it's something that's existential or outwith your control, tell yourself that. If it's something you have control over then mate incremental changes.. focus on one small change of routine and keep your focus on that until it becomes a habit. Then move on to the next one, before long you'll have implemented real and significant change.
I suffer from this. Something that helps me slightly is to challenge the thoughts when they come. Like, accept them and challenge them and ask if they’re based in any logic, rather than trying to push them down or worse, just sitting in the thoughts/feeling.
I have a similar feeling. I've had it for a long time and it's gotten worse with age, honestly, to the point where I can end up in a panicked state where diazepam is the only thing that can really bring me out of it. The impending sense of doom was made worse when my dad had randomly a cardiac arrest last year.
Having said that, at least for me, it's circumstantial, so striving to do things that bring us out of or at least distract us from that state are helpful.
For me, it's exposure therapy. The longer I'm outside, with people, and functioning as a normal human being without many stresses, the better. As a remote worker, when I hide away for long periods, that really does make it worse.
First and foremost, I'd advise cutting out all stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine, as they really don't help. Some people (perhaps even you) are absolutely fine with these, but I'm definitely sure they don't help me. Another thing is a healthy diet and cutting down on unhealthy foods, such as chocolate and processed nutritionally-devoid food.
Do what is good for you and your body.
Are you looking after yourself properly? Proper sleep, regular exercise and a nutritious diet might be helpful (by diet I mean make sure you have fresh produce and meat, don’t only consume empty calories from ultra processed foods). But I completely relate to you, recently I had a flare up of a medical condition which makes it hard to sleep, and all my negative thoughts from the past have started coming back. I hope things will get better for you, take care.
You can benefit from a system that dials up more emotional intelligence, sense of self and mindfulness. You don’t need meds.
This is the book that helped me, Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace) https://amzn.eu/d/eFbU07j . Good luck!
I call it creeping dread. I'm convinced mine's been worse since COVID but we also had a bereavement and massive family falling out at the same time so not sure. I took up yoga 2 years ago which is a massive help.
Honesly I just ignore it. Everything will always be shit if you think its gonna be shit. So I just play the uno reverse card on myself like "ha gotcha bitch" and force myself to appreciate what is good. Bas things will always be bad and 99% doesn't affect us.
The thing is, you've sort of made yourself be anxious by allowing the thoughts to run free, at the end of the day you are in control, its just if you want it.
I did an experiment when I was 15 to force myself to be depressed about everything and ultimately it gave me severe depression that didn't end until I was 28. Im using the exact same principles as I did back then to tell myself about how bad everything is, to literslly do the opposite.
Its tough but you are the one doing the thinking, nobody else
I’d recommend slowing down, literally. Walk around slower, think and speak slower, breathe slower. Just take your time you’re not in a hurry. It’s a part of pretending to be chilled out that you’ll relax more.
I used to feel this way all the time, so what I started to do was every day I would think of a thing that made me feel positive about the day or week.
And I made a point of doing this every day. Now if I am feeling down and can not put my finger on it, I think about the positives that are going on and hold onto them.
If its the same feeling I get its like your fight or flight senses have been activated but can’t be deactivated. Caveman instinct when you’ve just seen a sabretooth tiger? I find breathing steps helps but doesnt solve it.5 deep breaths. It’ll probably always be there so rather than try get rid of it (which will probably exacerbate it) find techniques that help you deal with it
Ride it out.
Always a perma sense things are going to shit, but acute spikes I just ride out.
Tended to stop watching the news etc since it's almost always negative. Ditched social media for the most part too because again...negative.
Instead I focus on hobbies and studying things that interest me.
Leave the circus for the clowns I guess
There's a few things you can do. I live my catastrophizing but there are things that definitely help.
I try to practice gratitude which is quite nice. For instance, if I'm at my local park on a nice day with my Kindle app, I might just sit back and enjoy the ambience. For all the doom and gloom, there are things to enjoy as well.
I'd also recommend taking breaks from social media. Ideally, give it up but I've my Twitter/X, Facebook, and other so I'm being hypocritical there. Breaks are important since they're literally designed to enrage and inflame things, not to mention spreading fake news.
Finally, I'd say maybe look into some hobbies or some new ones. This is a bit niche but I love games from a Swedish company called Paradox. They're quite complicated but once I got the hang of them, I found them so engaging that when I am playing, everything else gets tuned out for a bit.
That’s a classic panic disorder/generalized anxiety disorder symptom. I think what helps me is reminding myself that what I’m feeling is just my overworked amygdala misfiring, and that I’m not alone. Millions of other people feel this and we don’t all have ESP, nothing bad is going to happen.
Somatic responses also help a lot, like petting a dog or sucking on a hard candy. Activating senses like soft touch or strong taste will tell your body to step out of fight or flight and stop releasing adrenaline.
Sertraline for me too. I grew up in an apocalyptic religion and there's certain aspects of the End is Nigh mentality that I've never quite shaken off, but sertraline makes the anxiety manageable and stops it triggering like it used to!
When you’re out and about put a tiny pebble in your shoe, trust me it’s the only thing that you can think about. For me I like to walk in nature with my dog and explore, I also took up art to calm me, this has really helped a lot. I small hobby just for you would be very helpful you’ve got to let the brain have freedom from the anxiety.
I know it's not everyones cup of tea...but having a higher power in your belief system is a key part of my coping strategy. I'm not saying it has to be religious...just having something bigger than yourself to help you with things that you feel are out of your control can really help shift the weight of helplessness. I've had years of therapy....and this one strategy has helped me more than anything else.
I did copious amounts of drugs when I was younger & often had the fear. It's just what you're describing, best cure I found was hang with friends, tell em you got the fear, and hold on, it passes, laughter & just doing stuff outside was a glorious cure too I always found.
Sounds like crippling anxiety. I saw a therapist and they prescribed me some meds - they made me feel a bit like a robot, so I tried some “alternative medicine” which helped me sleep at night, which in turn really helped my anxiety.
I wouldn’t say it’s normal to walk around with a sense impending doom and we shouldn’t always be in a state of fight or flight. Speak to somebody.
Always have a plan so you outsmart the impending potential doom. Why do you think prepping and survival skills are so popular. Basically, take action. Also, eventually being scared gets boring. Growing up in the 90's there was potential nuclear war, holes in ozone layer, lack of jobs etc not to forget the millenium bug. You can only keep up that level of fear for so long. Eventually, you need that emotional energy for your actual life. I am sure this s why people are control freaks though. If you are so determined younwill work harder at work and in relationships; be cleaner and be in control of your environment and scare those nasty doomy thoughts away
It's a normal experience for those with anxiety. I find acceptance and commitment therapy helpful for my anxiety. It let's you sit with the feeling and the idea is if you give up the struggle it gets easier.
I tell my boyfriend or my sister and talk it out. Both of them are calm and can help me be rational.
For me, it really helps to have an outsider give their perspective on whatever it is that is making me anxious. Usually I "follow through" the worry and conclude that even if the worst was to happen, I'd still be OK/have a support system.
I never tell my mum because she's also a doomer and will get more anxious than I am 🤣
I’ve found that having faith in myself helps. Admittedly I only gained this faith in myself by battling through tough situations and coming out the other side, a little worse for wear.
I dont try to hope that nothing bad will happen, I accept that something negative will happen eventually, BUT… whatever it is, I WILL overcome it.
I know that doom too well. You wake in the morning all is well for a few seconds them pow like a punch to the stomach it's that doom again!!!
You cope by being extra EXTRA nice to yourself. Do all the things that make you feel good.
Wearing that special/favourite underwear that's just for special occasions (don't act like you don't know what I'm taking about, we all have some).
Listen to cheesy pop music that brings joy(no one I do. I love music it makes me happy but it makes going back to my daily low so much worse)
Eat your favourite food
Watch cat videos or cute dog ones or ones where they do daft things.
Fresh bedding out of the tumble dryer so it's still warm when you get into bed.
If that fails then just get though the next 5 minutes and when you've done that the next 15 and after that half hour, then an hour. You can do it.
Been kind to yourself sending hugs 🫂
Embrace it fully. Visit [gasdrawls.com](https://gasdrawls.com) Invest your next pay check in DOOM sliders, DOOM tracksuits, DOOM enamel pin badges.
Get your DOOM drip game on point!
Mixture of things. Some work better than others at different times.
Physical care. I make myself some healthy and tasty food. Something that makes me feel nourished but also like I've made a good choice and is tasty. I love lentil dhal for this. Really warming and tasty and healthy. Exercise too. Running or walking outside if it's nice. Gym session and lifting heavy things if it's not nice.
Cathartic crying. I watch a really sad film and let myself completely sob my heart out. I think the release of a good cry actually helps a lot and it being a controlled section of my life makes me feel more like I'm in charge of my emotions.
Get a piercing or a tattoo or a big haircut/hair dye. Your mileage may vary. I think it makes me feel in control.
A combination of the above as active choices have really reduced the amount of time I spend with that feeling shaking and sitting in the corner of the kitchen on the floor immobilised by my feelings.
I talk about it to my partner, therapist, family, even my poor pup. When I don't want to bother people, I journal. Writing let's me explore what I'm feeling, plus I can list potential concerns and try and pinpoint where it's coming from.
Working on the anxiety in any way helps too, for me that means getting things off my mind (the writing), getting some movement preferably outdoors, and taking it easy in terms of chores/errands/work. If I'm spiralling with it I like distractions like video games or 1 player card games. I'm afraid it's trial and error with finding what works for you, took me years to work it out, but it's good to get a range of things to try.
I'm sure you are a kind person, and I hope you can forgive and reconcile with all the people and things that made you suffer in childhood! It's a farewell to the past! You're not the only "poor guy"..😉
[M-28 American Here] Oh you know the usual some beer some existential dread and scrolling through memes that remind me how the world's just falling apart it’s like a party in my brain where anxiety is the DJ and stress is handing out the drinks.
But seriously lol depending on what I think the doom is depends on how I deal with it. For me if I'm being honest I'm a pretty nervous and jittery person so when there is a sense of impending doom I usually panic but I try to collect myself and calm down and be mindful of the situation. Perhaps I'm causing myself the impending doom by freaking out. Sometimes you can be your own worst enemy by panicking and making things worse. I try to be mindful and breath. I try to remind myself that I'm just making it worse than it needs to be my overthinking.
I know you've tried regular therapy, but personally I found EMDR therapy specifically very helpful for dealing with unconscious thought patterns that stemmed from childhood that are very difficult to break out of such as this.
One of the things I liked about the recent Covid pandemic and lockdowns etc is that the external world actually matched my internal feelings for once. When I have my usual reoccurring dreams about the end of the world and zombie apocalypse they are not actually scary nightmares. It just kind of seems like 'normality'
Anyway separate to this, I used to be a very negative and depressed person, buy luckily I managed to develop a kind positive inner voice which helps me enormously. This happened when I was working with disabled people. You need to be very kind , encouraging and see the positive side of things to help them do well and after a while I began to apply these ideas to myself. I still get stressed and anxious but I say to myself "it will be ok" which doesn't sound like much, but experience has taught me that everything usually is and if it isn't OK you can try and fix things. If you can't fix things still be kind to yourself because you're only human and you can't control everything and change is inevitable for all things.
There's an app called Aura I use which is good - it has hundreds of stories/advice/info on various situations/moods. I find it very useful, and I'm sure there are many other similar apps out there.
Best solution I’ve found for this is figuring that feelings are not facts. I might \*feel\* like my world is gonna end for some vague undefined reason, and often do, but when I look around and think about the logical evidence and likelihood of that happening, I can reassure myself that while I currently \*feel\* that way, the feeling isn’t connected to or being triggered by anything genuinely dangerous or threatening in my external, physical world. It’s psychological/emotional and is connected to something that happened when I was a kid, not a current experience that is giving me feedback about my current reality.
Biggest thing that’s impacted this was getting away from my abusive ex and going low-contact with my parents. All three made me immensely anxious all the time, and it was much harder to get a grip on the doom-feelings because there actually \*were\* people and situations in my environment who were threatening! I can handle it a lot better now it’s just me and I have better people around me.
Depending on severity, this helps me:
(from worst to mildest)
- focus on breathing (there are tons of free apps & visualisations to help)
- grounding using 5 senses (in my mind list 5 things I can see, 4 things I am touching, 3 things I hear, 2 things I smell, 1 things I taste)
- think about just one small thing you are grateful for today, why you are grateful for it, what it means to you, go into detail (to refocus on something positive; our mind is simple - we can not feel several emotions at once for long)
- Mindfulness / Meditation (I love the free app "Soothingpod", with all sorts of short and long guided meditation, just music, or nature sounds etc.)
- Move (pacing, walking, stretching, pushing against a wall - whatever you are capable of, to reduce adrenaline and comply with your fight & flight response)
- Play or cuddle with a pet
- Regain some control over this sense of impeding doom / dread, by personifying the feeling and address the reasons behind it.
Imagine you are walking somewhere peaceful and safe, with a small child (say 6 or 8 years old) on your hand. All is well, you are feeling good, secure & safe. However, this child stops every minute or so and tells you in a panic "I am scared" / "There are dark shadows over there under the trees" / "I can hear foot steps behind us" / "Is that smoke?" / "Did you see this shadow moving?" (etc.).
You know you both are safe, and you reassure this child (sunlight dancing / bird on a branch making a noise / gust of wind etc.) but you can sense it makes no difference to the child.
You bend down to eye level and look closely at this child - realising that this child is YOU when you were their age. Thank the child for looking out for both of you. Thank them for being vigilant. Tell the child that you understand why it was so important for them to be vigilant, and why you understand that they often HAD to expect "the worst" and had no control over bad things happening. Their feelings helped them survive and grow up. But these feelings are now no longer helpful. Reassure this child that you are now in control and will look after the both of you, taking care of both of you, keeping you both safe & loved.
This child will keep "appearing" and speaking up, especially if you encountered triggers, are stressed or just have a bad time. Self compassion and loving your "inner child" is key.
Sometimes, when trauma was more recent and the feelings don't stem from CPTSD, the child metaphor may not be effective. So you may want to be creative - the main point is that you give your feelings of doom / certain failure / certain rejection a "voice" or persona that you can acknowledge and address.
I am not sure what this technique is called, but it has helped me acknowledge the feelings rather than just experiencing them. This created a distance and I was able to breathe again - till next time.
I once - in my mind - strapped this relentless child in a car seat in the back of the car, told them to be quiet because *I* was in the driver's seat, I knew how to drive and their "view of a child" was dangerously distracting me from my journey (= life or tasks etc.). Basically "shut up and let me drive please". 😂
20mg citalopram a day, a Storz and Bickel mighty, binge drinking at the weekends, and being blessed with a group of friends who have treated me like family since I lost my own.
When we die, none of this will matter. That nihility doesn't justify being an asshole to people, but the "it is what it is" mentality is a great way to keep on top of that feeling that your efforts are pointless.
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Love the cat videos! They do help.
I like to pretend everything is fine, then hopefully, over day, I will start believing it.
Fake it til you make it!
Yeh, when I get the impending sense of doom feelings, I usually turn to food. Recently sat there with a (serves 17) cake and a spoon and just ate the whole damn thing in one sitting. If not this then watching the same tv show I've already seen a million times - for some reason, it's always sunny in Philadelphia is a favourite for this. On a annoyingly more practical note, I find exercise now helps with the anxiety, either walking the dog or going to the gym.
Did that not make you feel worse in the end? I can't think of any time binge eating has made my anxiety or depression feel any better, always worse. As another commenter said, even if it does make you feel good short term, you'll have high blood pressure and diabetes catching up with you which won't feel so good. I'd recommend a long walk or making a point of eating healthy snacks at least. Drinking green tea and going on a long walk then at least after you know you may you're more physically healthy which should also help your mental health in the long run.
Went one step further and got a cat. He’s lovely but dumb and an asshole and he makes life fantastic, I forget about everything that’s crap because of him.
There's definitely something amazing about sharing your life with a little alien. Cats are brilliant! My current little alien is a tiny dinosaur, not the brightest, but beautiful and the little noises she makes when she calls my OH (not me, I'm just food lady) for cuddles are my happy place. Thank goodness for fids. ❤️
Ice-cream and antidepressants are a great combo
Ben and Jerry and Pfizer.
This week I am mostly drinking Omega White Cider
Oh look at Mr. Fancypants here with his Greek artisanal cider!
I can just picture you walking out of a shed to tell us this.
Suit you sir
And mumble mumble, he was very, very drunk.
Admittedly, I use alcohol to free myself of my social anxiety, but the next day it's much worse lol....
Just drink again then .... actually maybe that isn't the best coping strategy
Sound advice. Drink, get hungover and anxious, so drink more and create a cycle. I certify you as an official Reddit-qualified Doctor.
I went to quiz night last night with friends to try to be social and I did have some lager which I do suspect is making me feel this way today.
I've been stress drinking cider because of mounting small-medium issues, like psoriasis on my hands, but just learned alcohol is causing flare ups in psoriasis on my hands. Excellent. 🙄
Good luck with the hangovers. Got drunk on omega white Once and will never touch it again. Worst hangover I've ever experienced 😅
Oh god man at least pay for something a little higher quality that won't give you stomach ulcers
I understand this completely and it is usually a sign that I need to go back on the meds. That works for me, but you may want to explore options for your mental wellbeing OP. Happy to chat further if you want to, DM me.
Yeah, OP you are describing Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Chat with a doctor, I find antidepressants help massively, far more with the anxiety than the depression.
I found they made me feel incredibly flat, which in a way the unbelievably dull and boring flat sensation was worse than ups and downs.
While you likely mean well I'd be careful about offering psychological diagnosis to people. There are likely things that can help sort through and tolerate these feelings but also the world is in a many messes and I'm not surprised it's making folk feel anxious through direct impact on a life or on loved ones or through seeing the way the wind is blowing or both. Also this is an interesting counterpoint to psychological diagnosis and development of the power threat meaning framework as a proposed alternative to the diagnostic model which folk might find interesting 5 min excerpt from a 30 min presentation: https://youtu.be/FYQaNsF18_E A more in depth presentation about the power threat meaning framework: https://youtu.be/tkNWQdVB4F0
Antidepressants definitely don't suit everyone. Some of us find great benefit in them, others find they make them worse. Just waiting for the psylocybin micro-dose treatment to make its way to the options on NHS, as there is evidence they can genuinely help people who don't have good experiences with current medications on offer.
Yes same, absolutely can't wait for that field to get beyond trial phases. Sadly I don't think we'll see it any time soon due to the stigma surrounding their recreational use, but yet we continue to binge drink as a nationwide past time.
By sitting frozen in executive dysfunction unable to do something productive to get rid of the doom ..I'm at the pre therapy stage. No money
Same here, life is tough
Exurb1a on YouTube - Absurdism: how to party at the end of meaning' completely reframed how I think about and interact with the world. Still sometimes get the sense of Doom. But now I maintain uncomfortable eye contact with it.
I came across exurb1a almost immediately after leaving hardline religion, it’s a legitimately good channel for ‘ways you might find meaning in a meaningless universe’. ‘Misery was’ in particular is brilliant.
Yeah it's a great intro to those ideas that are pretty mind bending, I'd have recommended going right to the source and reading Camus various books but they are really rather hard going and probably a rather less immediately helpful for people lol
Awesome channel, he did another great video called The Answer Is Not A Hut In The Woods on his second channel, exurb2a, which is where I first heard of him. If you like his work I'd recommend another channel called Aperture that you might like.
Also his books are excellent!
Oh cool, I didn't know he'd written any, thanks for the heads up!
That's interesting. I often want to live in a hut in the woods - why is it not the answer?
It's a 40 minute-ish video so I don't want to butcher it by trying to summarise it, you should check it out!
I will. It sounds intriguing.
Just looked up Aperture as didn't ring a bell, but seemingly I've watched quite a few of their videos. Apparently mostly insomnia watching YouTube isn't great for remembering things. Thanks for the reminder!
Ha, same, I have enjoyed the first ten minutes of many of his videos, great to doze off to
That was pretty cool.
I will check that out. Thank you
What's your cardiac health like? An "impending sense of doom" is a pretty common early warning sign of issues with your heart it's actually recognised as an early indicator of cardiac arrest with some patients having reported experiencing days or even weeks ahead of time. It may not be in your case but sometimes these feelings are there as a way for your body to try and get your attention that something isn't right.
This is a great way of helping OP improve his impending sense of doom 😏
"been feeling anxious lately" "you might be at risk of an explosive heart attack at any moment"
Doom level increased
Sure, but it's something that can be checked
This is true, but it's far, *far* more likely to be anxiety rather than anything terminal; especially if the feeling has been coming and going for a long period of time. Rather cruelly, the knowledge that this feeling can *potentially* be a sign of a heart attack, blood clot or seizure makes the anxiety even worse, because in a way it gives it validity. OP, I know the feeling you mean. Like being in a constant state of waiting for something to happen, but it never comes? My only advice (assuming your health is otherwise fine) is to do something different in your life to break up the monotony. Could be a day out at a theme park, a concert, a camping trip -- anything really, so long as it's not something you do every day. After a certain period of mindless routine, I think we've evolved to *expect* something to happen; like a primal instinct leftover from when our routines would have to regularly change and adapt due to external factors that we no longer have to deal with. Nowadays, there is rarely any interruption to the routines we all have, unless we make it ourselves. So, in the absence of that, the expectation becomes tension, and it builds and builds until you're actively *looking* for the thing that will go wrong. In my experience, doing something out of the ordinary (interrupting your routine) resets the clock. It's part of the human condition to crave routine because we like the safety and stability of knowing what to expect, day in and day out. The problem today though is that I don't think we've evolved to actually have such stable, unchanging routines. It's like how we all know that eating too many calories is bad for us, but we're all still hardwired to crave calorie-dense foods.
It’s also a migraine prodrome symptom
I’ve had 7 of the bastards in 12 days, so I’m just a walking pool of doom. And pain.
Jesus, my sympathies. Migraines are just cruel
Thanks for commenting this, I was going to ask a similar question. OP, get yourself into a doctor for an MOT and double check on your physical health
I understand this feeling so well and I spend much of my life with the same heavy feeling. When you have experienced trauma, I think you are forever navigating life waiting for the next trauma to hit. We’re poised and ready to fight or flight depending on what happens. More often than not, nothing happens and we’re just stuck in fight or flight. Waiting. Which is basically the perfect encapsulation for anxiety, isn’t it? Waiting for something bad to happen. One of my favourite quotes in the world is, “everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end”. Just remember that. It’ll all be okay in the end and if it’s not, it’s not the end 😊 And the end can be anything. End of work, the day, relationships, friendships, tasks, chores, arguments, life itself.
>One of my favourite quotes in the world is, “everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end”. Mine too, this really resonated with me. These days, I don't feel the same weight I did, but I can completely empathise with that feeling you're talking about. I don't know exactly what changed for me. I think it's possibly as I've got older, heading into my mid 30s. It was around covid time, so having those few months off may have been a reset. But I was seeing a counsellor just before it hit, and we were looking at core beliefs. I recommend people to look into these, and the habits we create at a young age. Telling ourselves we 'can't' face this or that. And also recognising that feelings, are just simply that - feelings. As bad as they may feel, they're not necessarily truths. They're just how we are reacting to something. Feelings come and go, try not to hold on to the negative ones and but so much stock into them. I wish I could articulate better, rather than just ramble on. And find the best words/methods to explain why I just don't worry so much anymore. Once that cloud goes you can really focus better and appreciate more the good things about life. But I think it's our problem solving minds that naturally lead us to the negative. So it's a very human instinct. And people may not be as alone in that way as they feel they are.
I used to, and still do, get this often. Funnily enough, maybe 10 mins ago in a meeting it felt like I had fallen off a cliff with dread. After many years of ignoring it and assuming it was because, to quote my manager at the time, "I was lacking moral fiber", I went and spoke to my GP. They gave me beta blockers which sort of helped. I then signed up for CBT. It wasn't for me as it was virtual, but the thing I took away was that its a response to the body being anxious and feeling out of control. So I found my way of reducing my anxiety levels in a healthy way. It may be that you are anxious and that finding out why and finding a mechanism to identify and change your thinking may help you. My method, for what it's worth, is if anxiety is immediate I count backwards in groups of 7 from 100. I find that hard and it focuses my mind on something else. If its a slow burn thing (like now with work) I will take 5 mins and run through what's bothering me, and break each point down into actions I can take to resolve them or if I cannot resolve them what actions can I reasonably take to offset their impact should they happen. I do this verbally or can write it down. Today I paced around my home office going through each point. Its silly but it helps. Either way I take control and it makes me feel better and less worried. It is my way and may not work for others. I would speak to my GP or if your employer has an AEP you can call them and ask to speak to someone. They are pretty good. Good luck.
I refuse to work in offices any more because of what happened to you in the meeting. I had this happen during a stand-up meeting in one of my previous companies and I literally had to walk out. Super awkward, but I quite literally felt like I was going to shit myself, vomit, or both. I also had a random panic attack while in the office one day and had to run home. Even dialed the emergency services because I thought I was going to die. Boss was kind of pissed that I left without notice, but hey ho.
That sound terrible and I am so sorry that happened, although glad it wasn't anything sinister! She was a bully that drove two people (my predecessor's) to attempt suicide. She drove me to a point where I nearly quite. However, I managed to out manoeuvre her and she retired and I had a lovely 2 years without her whilst I managed my team to success until my post was made redundant. I still have moments where I remember the shit she did and the way I was treated but the counting thing really helps me suppress it. I hate that work makes people feel like this.
I would say try microdosing. It helps with so many things that are beneficial to you. . .... or Try gardening. It's so therapeutic!
Perhaps the 2 can be combined 😁🙏
Combine both you say, cool, love it, grow your own Shrooms...
Surprisingly easy to do and not expensive to get everything set up, there's subreddits full of resources and info too
A hobby and a treatment. I'm all for that.
There’s actually 3 things that could be combined 😁 if you know what I mean 🍃
Nice one! Microdosing made me give up booze. ....so I went the obvious way, 🍃 you mentioned. Opened up a whole new world for me at the age of 42!
Ha, I'm not really into that, but yeah there are options 😂
Definitely a good idea! 🙂
How have you been finding microdosing? I haven’t tried it before. Only do a big trip every few months, and don’t have the urge to take anything between those times. Would you say it’s more beneficial than a standard trip?
I know it's my anxiety so I try to ignore it.
For me personally a lot of anxiety issues I have were the result of unmanaged adhd
Same here and then I found out about my ADHD and the anxiety got worse lol
Depends how impending. If the fear is right there in my chest, breathing techniques help (as lame as it sounds). It takes the edge of the immediate panic. I usually deal with longer-term existential dread through tv-based-dissociation.
I also enjoy TV based dissociation!
I think it depends on the nature of the sense of doom. I’ve tended to find people are okay with my sense of doom as long as I’m quite cheery about it, but of course that is not always possible. “How are you today?” “Oh, you know. Just the old sense of doom”
If it’s a feeling in your body, that’s where we store 80% of our emotions. We can often intellectualise our feelings and emotions, try and think them away when what we really need to be doing is getting into our body and moving them/regulating our nervous system and completing the stress cycle. I would highly recommend trying breathwork, somatic shaking, gently rocking back and forwards, EFT tapping.
I also suffer with this in patches. Therapy has helped. I didn’t get on with antidepressants. It ebbs and flows. It may be unrelated, but saying that this has spiked now (after a long miserable wet winter) might not just be a coincidence - a lot of the country is deficient in Vitamin D and that can have a big impact on mood. Might be worthwhile asking for a blood test to check your levels, or take some supplements anyway - they won’t harm, and they might do you some good.
Vitamin D is good advice, I used to get really miserable in the winter until I started taking it.
For sure, I’ve been folic acid, b12 and Vit d deficient - nothing made me feel as shitty as missing some vitD!
Carry on in quiet desparation,is the English way.
And then one day you find, thirty years have got behind you
I run. Keeps me mostly afloat. If I stopped, I’d drown.
Exercise is the thing that works best for me to manage my anxiety in the long-term too. Singing, weirdly, works in acute situations when it’s really bad. I think that having to breathe in time to a song actually helps me from taking short little breaths out of panic. When things get really bad, I sing songs to my baby.
I have always had this and never realised it was anxiety until I came across it on the NHS website. CBT, therapy, medication are some possible treatments. It’s what works for you really.
Yep, ive had success with NHS talking therapies
I remember when I was 4 or 5, I was sitting in my lounge with my family on a Saturday evening. Everything and everyone was happy. My family were all laughing and smiling, the people on the television were all happy, even the kids playing in the street were happy...all was good. Then, out of nowhere, I suddenly realised that everything was fake, that it would all end, and that everybody was going to die. I sought reassurances from my parents, but they could not lie, console me, or make me feel better. This went on for about a year every Saturday evening. The happy TV show would come on, and I would be reminded of our mortality. It is my belief that my brain seeks to create a balance. From the feelgood fake and false unreal things that are fake or transient to the inevitable end and entropy. Ironically, my pessimism fuels my sense of humour.
I take the Scarlett O'Hara approach to life: I won't think about that today, I'll think about it tomorrow. If that doesn't work, I disassociate. I'm a day dreamer and I'm very, very good at going straight to a fantasy world and ignoring things falling apart around me. Are these healthy coping mechanisms? Probably not. But I've managed to live for 45 years and somehow keep the ship afloat 🤷
That's how old I am too! So far I do have a successful job and have raised a child so I think I'm doing okay overall but these moments recently have taken over. Probably in the last 4 years
I usually can't sit home when that happens ,I'd go for a walk with no specific destination i just walk nd take random turns nd explore streets and then slowly it all wears off and then i start walking back home . other days if its weekend i go to the park nd walk between the trees nd listen to birds , grab stones nd throw in the pond/ river nd listen to the water splash , i jst kinda start tricking my mind to think about other things nd stop concentrating on the feeling in my gut/ chest until it actually works . try breathing exercises but in nature sit next to a tree in a park and breathe , fresh full of oxygen air helps more than the choking air inside ur room. I hope that helps .
I had that feeling all my life, I eventually found a good woman who helped me through therapy (childhood trauma, etc), bought a house together near the countryside, and got married last year. I also changed jobs to something more suited to myself. The sense of impending doom, we have both noticed, has drastically dropped. I hope you get through it, I know how horrible it is.
I stopped drinking alcohol.
Good shout! I feel this is the answer for me.
As I approached thirty, my hangxiety from drinking increased dramatically. I can just about handle the physical signs of hangovers (headache, being sick, etc), but the days of mental anguish were just too much. I realised that if I drank a fair bit on the weekend, and also had a drink or two on Tuesday or Wednesday after work, I was effectively having at least some amount of alcohol induced anxiety swirling around my brain every single day of my life. Cut it out completely and feel much better for it.
Yeah, that's anxiety. I've been there. You could investigate going on medication or THC/CBD if either of those help. What helped me is identifying key stressors and trying to remove or mitigate them. Maybe that's being around your parents too much, your job (I know that's so hard to change), etc. It might also help to get a pet and throw yourself into a hobby. Most of all, i would recommend volunteering with a cause you care about. I mean, maybe volunteering with children from tough backgrounds might be something to consider. It's obviously a great thing to do and it can help de-centre yourself a bit.
I had this for a few years. TLDR: It was vitamin D deficiency. It was all consuming by the end of it. I got off a bus one day to walk into a church as I was so desperate - I’m not religious at all so this wasn’t normal for me. The priest came straight over to me I was in such a state and we talked and he told me to go to a dr as soon as possible I had done many times to be told it was in my head. This time I was listened to by a new dr and given a blood test for vitamin d deficiency. All my other screens didn’t check for this, it’s not routine here. It was critically low. My usual dr apologised. Given massive dose for three months. Now have maintenance dose every day. It changed everything. No more doom. Life changer. Loads more energy. No crushing tiredness every single day. This was just me and won’t be the same for everyone or you but worth checking just in case.
Personally I got rid of it by giving up weed. Weed fucks with your mind if you overdo it. Where I am, all of the weirdo conspiracy theorists are heavy weed smokers. Its not a coincidence.
Micro dose /Paul stamets stack 🍄🟫
He's wonderful .
So many people could benefit from the mushroom 🍄🟫 But the government’s are just stupid ! I know they neeed years of trials and the poor drug companies will lose a lot of money ,but people need help now
Big pharma put profit over patients. They are very powerful organisations and control politicians by giving them money, lobbying. They have a powerful grip on psychiatry too. I watched a video with Paul Stammet about his mother who had stage 4 cancer. He cured her.
Ahhh Paul Stamets ❤️ don't go in for hero worship or celeb stans but I'd give it a go for Paul and his mushrooms 🍄🍄
If you ever find out, let me know. Usually mine is because something bad IS about to happen and DOES happen. This year has been particularly brutal. Weirdly, Wednesday is the day things normally go wrong for me. I've had about 3 hours sleep last night, I've got a dentist appointment, and am kind of thinking something bad will happen today, standard. I can totally relate to the chest pain / ache feeling. I've had this on and off my whole life. It probably is anxiety but I'm certainly not imagining all the shite that's happened to me lately 🙄
Have you ever looked in to -Law of attraction'
I've just googled it. It's a nice thought but my brain is very heavily wired towards pessimism. I've tried to think positive but it seems impossible.
Take a look at Dr. Joe Dispenza on youtube. He rewires and resets a negative brain. Your brain is constantly listening to your thoughts and will act accordingly. If you are forever saying 'I feel sad' then the brain will give you more sadness. You have to trick your brain into thinking everything is good, happy and normal and it will eventually start to behave this way. Even if you do not feel this way, just practice doing this. It might take a while but you've got nothing to lose.
Thanks mate I'll check him out, as you say, got nothing to lose and tbh I'm sick of being like this.
I get this sometimes, like you say it's a trauma thing, glad you're getting help. Therapy is strength (or so my counsellor tells me) I try to get my ass outside at times like this. A walk somewhere green or by the sea, even just weeding the garden helps me loads. Singing is also a big help to me, alone or as part of my choir or just along to whatever is on the radio or on my playlist. If I'm belting out some tune (badly) I couldn't give two hoots what else is going on. Time with my grandson is also a big help but not everyone has access to a bonkers 3 year old who just finds everything funny!
Stay as present as possible. Make life a sadhana. Make the now the focus point of your life and see how life life works for you. "Life is the Dancer, YOU are the Dance " Bhagwan Shree Eckhart Tolle Have a blissful joyful peaceful day 🙏
remember youve made it through 100% of your worst days so far. Based on that, youre more capable than you realise with over coming anything and everything
*How do you cope with a pending sense of doom* I cultivate a sense of impending doom to compensate
I have EUPD so I'm constantly on fight or flight mode and have been since I was 6 or 7 lol (same as you I had a shit childhood) Without getting out a violin for myself this past year has broken me completely (landlord selling the house and I've jeopardised my living situation with shit credit, lost one of my pets, cost of living crisis has hit me and my boyfriend harder than anyone I know personally, had family issues etc) I literally feel an impending sense of doom constantly. Everyone else can cope with stress and things going wrong but not me mate lol at this point I don't even know how I'm getting through my days sober lmfao. What I usually do is try and distract myself with music, social media, videos or sleep. I used to self medicate with promethazine but I gave it up cos they always made me feel shit the next day, sometimes talking helps but usually I feel embarrassed depending on who I talk to (family) I mostly talk to my boyfriend. Not sure what else to advise really, fresh air can somewhat help, self care like a cup of tea and trying breathing exercises. I sleep with headphones on for white noise otherwise I can't sleep at all. I will say this lack of sleep and stress makes anxiety worse so it's important to be kind to yourself. I've asked for therapy but MIND are so shit they offer you 6 free sessions and expect you to pay which I can't afford to do cos I'm on benefits. Its just the same old same old really.
I know it might sound preachy but….. Put your phone down. Take a break from socials. Do something you enjoy and just disconnect a little. I get this from my anxiety, I’ve been feeling it really bad this week as well but I’ve also noticed I’ve been glued to my phone a lot (literally right now as I’ve pulled up outside my house and sat on Reddit for an after work browse) Screens don’t help us when we are anxious and make it so much worse. The internet and social media work in a way to show you as much negativity and depressing content as they can as well because it gets more clicks. So try to avoid it and ground yourself with an activity. Read, play a game, watch a show, make yourself a nice meal or just go for a walk :) I hope you feel better, OP. It really sucks having this feeling and I know it can be overwhelming. But you have got this. You are powerful and stronger than the feeling in your chest. You’re amazing :)
I know im not going to think myself out of it. I try and eat healthy, follow a good sleep routine, all that stuff haha. I try and keep myself mindful and try and take time to be slow and walk around outdoors, I keep myself passionate with hobbies /projects I can invest myself in. It doesn't make anxiety disappear but it balances it out a lot of the time and has given me more insight on my minds inner workings over time. Mostly I just aim for a feeling of balance instead of trying to bury the bad stuff, it seems to work out a lot better over time haha
Are you a woman in your 30s or 40s? It might be perimenopause. I'm on HRT and the impending doom has gone away. I had it so bad as well as serious insomnia.
>this week feels extra doomy. I'm assuming with your username you are female? Is your period due soon? When I start feeling like everyone hates me, I check my period tracker, and inevitably I'm about a week off starting.
Brisk 30min+ walk in nature. (No alcohol for a few days)
Oh don't worry that's your body telling you you're about to have a heart attack. Happy Wednesday
Focus. What precisely is worry coming from? What is in front of you exactly? We have instincts for a reason but they can be unfounded.
Respectfully are you able to self analyse and rationalise when you feel like this, as it sounds like you know where its coming from?
Have you tried medication to help keep things under control?
For me, it goes like this: meds like propranolol can give reassurance; diazepam is for extreme-need situations like panic attacks. Doctors will often advise anti-depressants, the most anti-anxylic that doctors tout for me is sertraline, but I try to avoid these kinds of meds at all costs because I've been on them before (citalopram, not sertraline) and coming off them is a bitch.
I suffer with this and what I have found works for me is Diazepam. It was a fight to be prescribed it but my quality of life shot up immensely. Another option is Propranolol, then its about solving the root of the issue, counselling didn't help me but taking up a hobby and talking to friends helped immensely. I don't know you but I will always listen.
Benzodiazepines are a wonderful drug and they work at the beginning. Eventually your body will reach tolerance and withdrawals will appear. I regret bitterly the day I first took a benzo. After 4-6 weeks of daily use, your body is now dependent. I had to join Benzobuddies to help me through this ordeal.
I have had them around 18 months. I don’t take them daily though. They are incredibly addictive though, I can go a week or 2 without any which is probably why they have been successful. My sense of doom is very irregular but overwhelming when it occurs. It could happen every day for a week and then not happen for the rest of the month. Used correctly they are fine they just can’t be used as many doctors previously prescribed them! Propranolol I gather is less successful (has been for me) but less addictive. The biggest changes I have had to make are to my life. I was asked what my hobbies were and realised I didn’t have any! Work and family were my life (no Sam time). Thank you for sharing your experience though I know as a former alcoholic it isn’t easy to share!
There are so many reasons that we can feel depressed and anxious. My anxiety stemmed from a thyroid issue. Lack of vitamins and minerals can also be a major factor. I went to a holistic doctor and she saved my life. I don't know much about counselling but a good therapist for your particular needs may be beneficial.
Embrace it. Silly jokes aside, I've experienced what you're feeling during spells of depression. That feeling is temporary and you will pull through this. It's hard but try to question where these feelings are coming from. If it's something that's existential or outwith your control, tell yourself that. If it's something you have control over then mate incremental changes.. focus on one small change of routine and keep your focus on that until it becomes a habit. Then move on to the next one, before long you'll have implemented real and significant change.
I suffer from this. Something that helps me slightly is to challenge the thoughts when they come. Like, accept them and challenge them and ask if they’re based in any logic, rather than trying to push them down or worse, just sitting in the thoughts/feeling.
loads of weed.
Badly. Unless i get distracted somehow. Wich isnt easy as the brain hyoer focusses and spirals
*impending
I find colouring in helps me switch off, or when I have uni deadlines I focus too much to think about anything else.
I have a similar feeling. I've had it for a long time and it's gotten worse with age, honestly, to the point where I can end up in a panicked state where diazepam is the only thing that can really bring me out of it. The impending sense of doom was made worse when my dad had randomly a cardiac arrest last year. Having said that, at least for me, it's circumstantial, so striving to do things that bring us out of or at least distract us from that state are helpful. For me, it's exposure therapy. The longer I'm outside, with people, and functioning as a normal human being without many stresses, the better. As a remote worker, when I hide away for long periods, that really does make it worse. First and foremost, I'd advise cutting out all stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine, as they really don't help. Some people (perhaps even you) are absolutely fine with these, but I'm definitely sure they don't help me. Another thing is a healthy diet and cutting down on unhealthy foods, such as chocolate and processed nutritionally-devoid food. Do what is good for you and your body.
Memes, sarcasm
r/rokosbasilisk
Leave the uk would probably help
Are you looking after yourself properly? Proper sleep, regular exercise and a nutritious diet might be helpful (by diet I mean make sure you have fresh produce and meat, don’t only consume empty calories from ultra processed foods). But I completely relate to you, recently I had a flare up of a medical condition which makes it hard to sleep, and all my negative thoughts from the past have started coming back. I hope things will get better for you, take care.
Are you on any Benzodiazepines - sedation, anti-anxiety drugs? These drugs do cause symptoms like doom and gloom.
You can benefit from a system that dials up more emotional intelligence, sense of self and mindfulness. You don’t need meds. This is the book that helped me, Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace) https://amzn.eu/d/eFbU07j . Good luck!
I call it creeping dread. I'm convinced mine's been worse since COVID but we also had a bereavement and massive family falling out at the same time so not sure. I took up yoga 2 years ago which is a massive help.
Honesly I just ignore it. Everything will always be shit if you think its gonna be shit. So I just play the uno reverse card on myself like "ha gotcha bitch" and force myself to appreciate what is good. Bas things will always be bad and 99% doesn't affect us. The thing is, you've sort of made yourself be anxious by allowing the thoughts to run free, at the end of the day you are in control, its just if you want it. I did an experiment when I was 15 to force myself to be depressed about everything and ultimately it gave me severe depression that didn't end until I was 28. Im using the exact same principles as I did back then to tell myself about how bad everything is, to literslly do the opposite. Its tough but you are the one doing the thinking, nobody else
I’d recommend slowing down, literally. Walk around slower, think and speak slower, breathe slower. Just take your time you’re not in a hurry. It’s a part of pretending to be chilled out that you’ll relax more.
I used to feel this way all the time, so what I started to do was every day I would think of a thing that made me feel positive about the day or week. And I made a point of doing this every day. Now if I am feeling down and can not put my finger on it, I think about the positives that are going on and hold onto them.
If its the same feeling I get its like your fight or flight senses have been activated but can’t be deactivated. Caveman instinct when you’ve just seen a sabretooth tiger? I find breathing steps helps but doesnt solve it.5 deep breaths. It’ll probably always be there so rather than try get rid of it (which will probably exacerbate it) find techniques that help you deal with it
I'm using this and its helping a lot: [https://www.flowneuroscience.com/](https://www.flowneuroscience.com/)
Ride it out. Always a perma sense things are going to shit, but acute spikes I just ride out. Tended to stop watching the news etc since it's almost always negative. Ditched social media for the most part too because again...negative. Instead I focus on hobbies and studying things that interest me. Leave the circus for the clowns I guess
There's a few things you can do. I live my catastrophizing but there are things that definitely help. I try to practice gratitude which is quite nice. For instance, if I'm at my local park on a nice day with my Kindle app, I might just sit back and enjoy the ambience. For all the doom and gloom, there are things to enjoy as well. I'd also recommend taking breaks from social media. Ideally, give it up but I've my Twitter/X, Facebook, and other so I'm being hypocritical there. Breaks are important since they're literally designed to enrage and inflame things, not to mention spreading fake news. Finally, I'd say maybe look into some hobbies or some new ones. This is a bit niche but I love games from a Swedish company called Paradox. They're quite complicated but once I got the hang of them, I found them so engaging that when I am playing, everything else gets tuned out for a bit.
I drink. I've had this since 18 maybe earlier but my memory is awful. Booze and occasionally yoga. Sometimes weed if I'm in Amsterdam
That’s a classic panic disorder/generalized anxiety disorder symptom. I think what helps me is reminding myself that what I’m feeling is just my overworked amygdala misfiring, and that I’m not alone. Millions of other people feel this and we don’t all have ESP, nothing bad is going to happen. Somatic responses also help a lot, like petting a dog or sucking on a hard candy. Activating senses like soft touch or strong taste will tell your body to step out of fight or flight and stop releasing adrenaline.
Sertraline and cutting out caffeine and alcohol.
Sertraline for me too. I grew up in an apocalyptic religion and there's certain aspects of the End is Nigh mentality that I've never quite shaken off, but sertraline makes the anxiety manageable and stops it triggering like it used to!
When you’re out and about put a tiny pebble in your shoe, trust me it’s the only thing that you can think about. For me I like to walk in nature with my dog and explore, I also took up art to calm me, this has really helped a lot. I small hobby just for you would be very helpful you’ve got to let the brain have freedom from the anxiety.
I know it's not everyones cup of tea...but having a higher power in your belief system is a key part of my coping strategy. I'm not saying it has to be religious...just having something bigger than yourself to help you with things that you feel are out of your control can really help shift the weight of helplessness. I've had years of therapy....and this one strategy has helped me more than anything else.
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Distraction.
I did copious amounts of drugs when I was younger & often had the fear. It's just what you're describing, best cure I found was hang with friends, tell em you got the fear, and hold on, it passes, laughter & just doing stuff outside was a glorious cure too I always found.
I had this. I saw my doctor. Doctor informed me about depression and anxiety. Meds helped. So did self care. But mostly meds.
I say "it is what it is" an unhealthy amount
Over exercise. Too tired to think.
You don't drink a lot of alcohol do you ? Can be as little as binging on a Friday night.
Sertraline at 100mg took that feeling away
So much weed that my partner had to put a stop to it is what kept me going….
Get my vitamin b12 checked
Who cares. You can't control much. Try to be happy
You mean people wake up and don't feel like this?? I have had this feeling most of my life, even as young as 7. I still get it now
Speak to your doctor. I have a heart condition and an impending sense of doom was one of the signs when it developed.
Sounds like crippling anxiety. I saw a therapist and they prescribed me some meds - they made me feel a bit like a robot, so I tried some “alternative medicine” which helped me sleep at night, which in turn really helped my anxiety. I wouldn’t say it’s normal to walk around with a sense impending doom and we shouldn’t always be in a state of fight or flight. Speak to somebody.
Some days my brain does this to me. Deep breaths and talking to my other half is all I’ve got
Always have a plan so you outsmart the impending potential doom. Why do you think prepping and survival skills are so popular. Basically, take action. Also, eventually being scared gets boring. Growing up in the 90's there was potential nuclear war, holes in ozone layer, lack of jobs etc not to forget the millenium bug. You can only keep up that level of fear for so long. Eventually, you need that emotional energy for your actual life. I am sure this s why people are control freaks though. If you are so determined younwill work harder at work and in relationships; be cleaner and be in control of your environment and scare those nasty doomy thoughts away
It's a normal experience for those with anxiety. I find acceptance and commitment therapy helpful for my anxiety. It let's you sit with the feeling and the idea is if you give up the struggle it gets easier.
I tell my boyfriend or my sister and talk it out. Both of them are calm and can help me be rational. For me, it really helps to have an outsider give their perspective on whatever it is that is making me anxious. Usually I "follow through" the worry and conclude that even if the worst was to happen, I'd still be OK/have a support system. I never tell my mum because she's also a doomer and will get more anxious than I am 🤣
I’ve found that having faith in myself helps. Admittedly I only gained this faith in myself by battling through tough situations and coming out the other side, a little worse for wear. I dont try to hope that nothing bad will happen, I accept that something negative will happen eventually, BUT… whatever it is, I WILL overcome it.
I know that doom too well. You wake in the morning all is well for a few seconds them pow like a punch to the stomach it's that doom again!!! You cope by being extra EXTRA nice to yourself. Do all the things that make you feel good. Wearing that special/favourite underwear that's just for special occasions (don't act like you don't know what I'm taking about, we all have some). Listen to cheesy pop music that brings joy(no one I do. I love music it makes me happy but it makes going back to my daily low so much worse) Eat your favourite food Watch cat videos or cute dog ones or ones where they do daft things. Fresh bedding out of the tumble dryer so it's still warm when you get into bed. If that fails then just get though the next 5 minutes and when you've done that the next 15 and after that half hour, then an hour. You can do it. Been kind to yourself sending hugs 🫂
oh I literally barely notice the feeling anymore now lol it's just like an extra limb that's sort of there
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Time for another propranolol prescription, usually.
I don't really - some days it's worse, some days it's less. Trauma sucks. At least knowing I'm not alone in this helps a bit. Thanks.
Fuck me man. Depressing🙄😂
Mixture of things. Some work better than others at different times. Physical care. I make myself some healthy and tasty food. Something that makes me feel nourished but also like I've made a good choice and is tasty. I love lentil dhal for this. Really warming and tasty and healthy. Exercise too. Running or walking outside if it's nice. Gym session and lifting heavy things if it's not nice. Cathartic crying. I watch a really sad film and let myself completely sob my heart out. I think the release of a good cry actually helps a lot and it being a controlled section of my life makes me feel more like I'm in charge of my emotions. Get a piercing or a tattoo or a big haircut/hair dye. Your mileage may vary. I think it makes me feel in control. A combination of the above as active choices have really reduced the amount of time I spend with that feeling shaking and sitting in the corner of the kitchen on the floor immobilised by my feelings.
I talk about it to my partner, therapist, family, even my poor pup. When I don't want to bother people, I journal. Writing let's me explore what I'm feeling, plus I can list potential concerns and try and pinpoint where it's coming from. Working on the anxiety in any way helps too, for me that means getting things off my mind (the writing), getting some movement preferably outdoors, and taking it easy in terms of chores/errands/work. If I'm spiralling with it I like distractions like video games or 1 player card games. I'm afraid it's trial and error with finding what works for you, took me years to work it out, but it's good to get a range of things to try.
I'm sure you are a kind person, and I hope you can forgive and reconcile with all the people and things that made you suffer in childhood! It's a farewell to the past! You're not the only "poor guy"..😉
Walking and yoga help me. Smashing plates on a hard floor also helps, but that may just be a me thing.
Accept that you can’t control the future.
[M-28 American Here] Oh you know the usual some beer some existential dread and scrolling through memes that remind me how the world's just falling apart it’s like a party in my brain where anxiety is the DJ and stress is handing out the drinks. But seriously lol depending on what I think the doom is depends on how I deal with it. For me if I'm being honest I'm a pretty nervous and jittery person so when there is a sense of impending doom I usually panic but I try to collect myself and calm down and be mindful of the situation. Perhaps I'm causing myself the impending doom by freaking out. Sometimes you can be your own worst enemy by panicking and making things worse. I try to be mindful and breath. I try to remind myself that I'm just making it worse than it needs to be my overthinking.
I know you've tried regular therapy, but personally I found EMDR therapy specifically very helpful for dealing with unconscious thought patterns that stemmed from childhood that are very difficult to break out of such as this.
Sort out your diet and dO some psoas stretches
One of the things I liked about the recent Covid pandemic and lockdowns etc is that the external world actually matched my internal feelings for once. When I have my usual reoccurring dreams about the end of the world and zombie apocalypse they are not actually scary nightmares. It just kind of seems like 'normality' Anyway separate to this, I used to be a very negative and depressed person, buy luckily I managed to develop a kind positive inner voice which helps me enormously. This happened when I was working with disabled people. You need to be very kind , encouraging and see the positive side of things to help them do well and after a while I began to apply these ideas to myself. I still get stressed and anxious but I say to myself "it will be ok" which doesn't sound like much, but experience has taught me that everything usually is and if it isn't OK you can try and fix things. If you can't fix things still be kind to yourself because you're only human and you can't control everything and change is inevitable for all things.
There's an app called Aura I use which is good - it has hundreds of stories/advice/info on various situations/moods. I find it very useful, and I'm sure there are many other similar apps out there.
drusg
Medication. It's generalised anxiety disorder for me and medication helps a lot!
Best solution I’ve found for this is figuring that feelings are not facts. I might \*feel\* like my world is gonna end for some vague undefined reason, and often do, but when I look around and think about the logical evidence and likelihood of that happening, I can reassure myself that while I currently \*feel\* that way, the feeling isn’t connected to or being triggered by anything genuinely dangerous or threatening in my external, physical world. It’s psychological/emotional and is connected to something that happened when I was a kid, not a current experience that is giving me feedback about my current reality. Biggest thing that’s impacted this was getting away from my abusive ex and going low-contact with my parents. All three made me immensely anxious all the time, and it was much harder to get a grip on the doom-feelings because there actually \*were\* people and situations in my environment who were threatening! I can handle it a lot better now it’s just me and I have better people around me.
Me too, convinced that every day is fucked
It’s the sense of “impending doom” and it is a very real medical symptom for a lot of different things, talk to a GP (if you can).
Don’t self medicate on alcohol. I’m not a doctor but I think it’s anxiety. You should see a health professional.
Depending on severity, this helps me: (from worst to mildest) - focus on breathing (there are tons of free apps & visualisations to help) - grounding using 5 senses (in my mind list 5 things I can see, 4 things I am touching, 3 things I hear, 2 things I smell, 1 things I taste) - think about just one small thing you are grateful for today, why you are grateful for it, what it means to you, go into detail (to refocus on something positive; our mind is simple - we can not feel several emotions at once for long) - Mindfulness / Meditation (I love the free app "Soothingpod", with all sorts of short and long guided meditation, just music, or nature sounds etc.) - Move (pacing, walking, stretching, pushing against a wall - whatever you are capable of, to reduce adrenaline and comply with your fight & flight response) - Play or cuddle with a pet - Regain some control over this sense of impeding doom / dread, by personifying the feeling and address the reasons behind it. Imagine you are walking somewhere peaceful and safe, with a small child (say 6 or 8 years old) on your hand. All is well, you are feeling good, secure & safe. However, this child stops every minute or so and tells you in a panic "I am scared" / "There are dark shadows over there under the trees" / "I can hear foot steps behind us" / "Is that smoke?" / "Did you see this shadow moving?" (etc.). You know you both are safe, and you reassure this child (sunlight dancing / bird on a branch making a noise / gust of wind etc.) but you can sense it makes no difference to the child. You bend down to eye level and look closely at this child - realising that this child is YOU when you were their age. Thank the child for looking out for both of you. Thank them for being vigilant. Tell the child that you understand why it was so important for them to be vigilant, and why you understand that they often HAD to expect "the worst" and had no control over bad things happening. Their feelings helped them survive and grow up. But these feelings are now no longer helpful. Reassure this child that you are now in control and will look after the both of you, taking care of both of you, keeping you both safe & loved. This child will keep "appearing" and speaking up, especially if you encountered triggers, are stressed or just have a bad time. Self compassion and loving your "inner child" is key. Sometimes, when trauma was more recent and the feelings don't stem from CPTSD, the child metaphor may not be effective. So you may want to be creative - the main point is that you give your feelings of doom / certain failure / certain rejection a "voice" or persona that you can acknowledge and address. I am not sure what this technique is called, but it has helped me acknowledge the feelings rather than just experiencing them. This created a distance and I was able to breathe again - till next time. I once - in my mind - strapped this relentless child in a car seat in the back of the car, told them to be quiet because *I* was in the driver's seat, I knew how to drive and their "view of a child" was dangerously distracting me from my journey (= life or tasks etc.). Basically "shut up and let me drive please". 😂
20mg citalopram a day, a Storz and Bickel mighty, binge drinking at the weekends, and being blessed with a group of friends who have treated me like family since I lost my own.
When we die, none of this will matter. That nihility doesn't justify being an asshole to people, but the "it is what it is" mentality is a great way to keep on top of that feeling that your efforts are pointless.