Anxiety

As eager as we often are to try to fix things, to get them back to a level of “normal” that was familiar and seemingly uncomplicated, sometimes we’re forced to find another way. For me, dealing with anxiety in myself and in my kids after Steve died meant turning over every rock, reaching out to anyone I could think of, to try to find solutions.

For Annie, the smorgasbord of counselors I took her to might not have felt very productive at times, but, if nothing else, they got her to understand what was causing these paralyzing panic and how she could move past them. The coping mechanisms she learned still help her to this day when anxiety rears up in her life. My other kids have also found ways to deal with particularly anxious times. Exercise and running are two familiar resources.

Reading, writing, playing familiar music and connecting with good friends are other outlets they’ve found helpful to redirect the energy consumed by processing stress, and channeling it into something positive. Over time, and with considerable trial and error, each of us has found how to turn down the heat of anxiety so that we can move forward in the moment.