How I Release the Pain of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

I live with a lot of pain from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). That pain has to be released on a regular basis if I want to stay sane. Physical and/or emotional pain from GAD is very common. I have both, although my pain symptoms are more about emotional anguish than physical distress. But, the emotional pain of generalized anxiety is very real, as real as any physical symptom. I have to release some of that GAD pain on a daily basis, or I'll be destroyed by it. Here are some thoughts about how I release the pain of my own generalized anxiety disorder.

Talk About Generalized Anxiety Disorder Pain to Release It

Speaking of pain, I'm going to avail myself of one way to release it right now: talking about it. Being able to talk about this stuff is one of the reasons I write for the Treating Anxiety blog.

I'm not doing well. I'm going through so much change. The pain is enormous. It's all big stuff too -- employment, health, living situation, and romance. Everything feels big, raw, and overwhelming. I feel like I've been under so much pressure for so long that it's just become normal. I sometimes catch a glimpse of myself from within some internal space that's not inundated by anxious pain. It's then that I realize just how much internal pressure I live with. It's incredible that I cope with it as well as I do. I also know that part of the problem is unresolved posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I'm choosing to ignore that for now. I know I can't ignore it forever.

The Pain of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Needs Release

Talking about my feelings helps a lot. There's also other ways I release the pain of generalized anxiety disorder.

• Exercise -- Anxiety pain is emotional energy that's trapped in the body. Starting an exercise program releases pent-up bodily energy. It's as simple as that. I can also be as lazy about exercise as anyone. When I do it, though, I always feel better. Exercise is not hard. Starting exercise still continues to be one of the hardest things I have to do.
• Prayer and meditation -- There's something about reaching out to something more powerful than I am and asking for help that's innately healing. I don't understand it, and have decided to give up trying to understand. It's just something I have to have in this life. I have to believe that there's a power greater than myself that will help me if I allow it. Sitting with it quietly or doing walking meditation also brings comfort and releases pain.
• Fantasy and distraction -- I need to regularly leave this reality and visit another one for awhile. I can't live in this world 24/7. It's too ugly, lonely, and grim. I'm able to release a lot of the pain of anxiety by spending some time dwelling in the alternate realities I find in books, movies, music, and art. Living in a fantasy world is not a good strategy for winning at life. I have to engage and live in the real world most of the time if I want to build self-esteem at all. But, healthy fantasy and distraction from myself is absolutely critical to my mental health.
• Numbing out -- This does not release pain; it suppresses it. But, sometimes, it's the best I can do. Sometimes I just have to cope. I numbed out the pain of my anxiety for many years via substance abuse. I don't do this anymore, and I suppose I feel I've earned the right to numb out a bit as a coping strategy if I need to, because the ways I do it now are not life-threatening.
• Denial -- As well as being a big river in Egypt, denial is a psychological barrier that suppresses pain instead of releasing it. It's ultimately not a strategy of healing, but I believe there's nothing wrong with putting things I can't deal with yet into cryosleep. It's an act of internal discretion, also known as letting sleeping dogs lie.

My coping strategies for generalized anxiety disorder run the gamut. They include releasing the pain, and also suppressing it. Too much suppression can be dangerous, but I think a little serves a useful purpose. My ultimate goal is to live with less pain. As I continue to evolve, I will learn more ways to release the pain of generalized anxiety disorder.

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