I know what makes my anxiety worse so why do I keep doing it

[notmywords]

I have anxiety issues which I've been trying to tackle over the last 2 years with counselling and CBT.

I know that eating too much sugar, drinking to much coffee and alcohol makes my anxiety worse, and yet I seem to

(Sorry, posted too soon)

I seem to continue.

I'm so cross. I've spent the last two months in some kind of downward spiral of chocolate, wine and coffee.

My sleep is terrible, I'm in a constant state of physical anxiety - chest pains, jitteriness.

I need to give myself a proper kick up the arse but then descend into the next level down on self-loathing and frustration.

Help - even if it's just a slap.

It is tough, when you comfort consume the very things that steal your comfort! Can you rename them 'peace stealers'? Just keep referring to them as toxic troublemakers until your brain resides and remembers they don't offer comfort at all?

Rewires, not resides. Autocorrect doesn't like the idea of rewiring it seems!

I know what you mean. I sometimes have a glass of wine to relax me when I am feeling very anxious, which is most of the time at the moment. I know its wrong but at the time it offers comfort . I too need a kick up the arse. I really need to go to docs but just can't do it.

I went to the doctors red and I'm so glad I did.

Was referred to iapt and had a course of CBT at the surgery.

It's not a cure all but has been an incredible help at making me aware of my thought processes and how to stop them. Apart from this current blip - obviously.

Please could you tell me what CBT stands for in this situation, and a rough idea of what it entails (I only know the initials as compulsory basic training)

Cbt is Cognitive behavioural therapy. OP I am the same, especially with coffee. I like the idea of renaming them. "peace stealers"

Probably doesn't help that sugar, coffee & alcohol are all addictive! Could you try & find substitutes? Not necessarily direct substitutes although decaf coffee & herbal tea might be a start. I'm thinking more like instead of having a glass of wine do something else with your hands or watch Tva etc. But don't try to give up all three in one go as that's likely to fail.
(CBT is cognitive behavioural therapy.)

Have been there OP. Hard to do the right "self care" things sometimes.

I find meditation (Headspace) exercise and fruit/vegetables help!

I usually avoid alcohol, as for me it's really not good the next day, and gradually cut down on caffiene, eg having decaf lots of the time with just one "real" coffee a day, then only occasionally. Haven't yet managed to cut down sugar!

CBT is a kind of therapy that gets you too look at your thought processes and get you to think differently.

Essentially, you think you're special but you're not. Most people with anxiety make the same assumptions about things and react in the same way. It's about recognising that and challenging it.

It also recognises anxiety as a physical thing rather than purely a mental one.

It has been useful.

I do this all the time. Last night I binged because I was so tired and miserable, then was up most of the night feeling sick so now feel 10x worse. Add in the self loathing for constantly self sabotaging and it's a vicious cocktail. Wish I had the answers but you're not alone.

I found it helps to put limits in place, or organise things so it is easy. I gave up caffeinated coffee by switching out- kept topping up the coffee tub with decaf and giving it a stir. Eventually, there wasn't any caffeinated in the jar, but it took no will power or effort.

Where I work, I only took green tea bags. So at work I only drink green tea. Again, no effort or will power required.

If you swap out chocolate for one you don't like as much- White chocolate, or a cheap brand, you won't be as tempted.

I have managed to give up comfort eating icecream, by teaching myself it is sugared fat. It really doesn't appeal any more. I'm trying to do the same for crisps, no success yet.

Wine- again, maybe buy cheap and nasty. Or add soda water to it so you drink less.

Be kind to yourself in other ways.

I haven't bought a Costa coffee for 2 days, so bought myself a cheap bunch of stocks with the money I'd saved

(flowers not shares!).

I've decided caffeine probably the easiest thing to ease off and trying them all at once will just lead to failure.

I might ditch my coffee in the office - so just have one in the morning or something.

Or just keeping fruit teabags is a good idea.

You'll feel it if you ditch it in one go. Maybe reduce? You don't want the caffeine withdrawal to send you craving sugar and caffeine. Reduce gradually, maybe every other day, or switch to black tea before cutting out completely.