We have interviewed 69 people who have struggled with anxiety. These stories are full of tips on how to overcome anxiety.
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I’ve interviewed 69 people struggling with anxiety, and here are the top 5 most mentioned tips that helped these people overcome anxiety:
In our many years of publishing helpful mental health content, we always received questions from our readers about specific situations. While we have a lot of helpful tips to share on how to be happier, we simply can’t offer advice for every situation.
That’s why I’ve set out to interview folks with every type of mental health struggle. My job as an interviewer is to categorize these interviews and present them in a way that is most helpful to our readers.
“When you’re going through a difficult time, it can be difficult to remain hopeful. However, please know that recovery is possible, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. You’ve got this!”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
OCD
Panic attacks
PTSD
Helped by:
Self-Care
Self-improvement
Therapy
“In the past, I didn’t understand my behavior or intense mood swings, but now I understand much of it is rooted in past trauma. Nearly everything in regard to close personal relationships can trigger or set me off. I often describe it as living life with no skin. Everything hurts and my brain interprets every single interaction as a threat or rejection.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Borderline Personality Disorder
Depression
Grief
“Every ache or feeling I had in my abdomen required a call or trip to my doctor’s office to get assurance that everything was okay. One morning on my way to work I slipped on the ice in my driveway….I wasn’t hurt, but I couldn’t stop obsessing over it until I knew that the baby wasn’t either.”
Helped by:
Medication
Reinventing yourself
Therapy
“Just because I’m mourning, doesn’t mean that I’m not happy in life. Being happy to me means accepting all of the emotions as they come without judgment. I still experience anxiety and depression but I no longer beat myself up about feeling those things.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Borderline Personality Disorder
Depression
Grief
“The struggle was very real and daunting. I was trapped in an endless cycle of anxious thoughts that seemed to take control over my life. I naively tried to suppress my anxiety, hoping that if I ignored it, it would somehow disappear. Instead, this approach only made my symptoms more acute and pervasive.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Helped by:
Self-improvement
Therapy
“In my first job in mining, I saved my company millions. I thought I was on the fast track to success and happiness, but it all came crashing down. I had a toxic boss and it led me to turn in on myself. Day by day, my manager ground me down. He made me question my choices at work, then my purpose, then whether my life itself had any meaning…”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Depression
Suicidal
“I was ready to do anything and everything to get sober. For the first time in a long time, I was honest. I got honest with myself and everyone close to me. I was going to do whatever it took to successfully detox from the drugs and live a sober life. I dropped my ego and asked for help.”
Struggled with:
Addiction
Anxiety
Depression
Helped by:
Rehab
Reinventing yourself
Treatment
“I couldn’t perform simple tasks like cleaning the bathroom or planning the weekly menu. Thinking of what to cook for the next meal was overwhelming. Little things like the water pump conking out, the dogs missing a feeding, or my household helper going on her weekend off seemed like the end of the world. I had to stop driving because I would have a panic attack at the most unexpected moments.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Depression
Grief
Panic attacks
Helped by:
Medication
Self-improvement
Treatment
“We all struggle, it’s part of being human. Once we can accept the normality of struggle, we can stop self-criticism which just makes things worse. Struggle is just a sign that we need to learn and practice new skills, our beliefs usually change in the process. “
“At my worst, I would hurt myself so I had an escape and a release. There are points where I feel so out of control in my body that even breathing is a task. I hold my breath. In truth, I have night terrors about what my funeral would be like, who would show up? Would I be missed? Would people come out of the woodwork when I was gone? If I left this body here would I hurt less? I battle every single day with loss. Your mind begins to play tricks on you.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Cerebral palsy
Childhood
Depression
Suicidal