Agree with pick a time to worry

Don’t disregard perimenopause

I really like the book Stopping the Noise in Your Head and also You are Not Your Brain.

Medication is what you need.

I think it is completely normal as a parent to worry about your child - - even when they are grown since every parent knows this…..that our kids will always be our babies. ❤️

I am a huge worrywart ➕ the only thing that has helped me to not worry so much is prescription medication.
Not for everybody but I personally do not know of another way.

Exercise!! Something that gets your heart rate up.

I’m pretty anxious and I ended up chatting with ChatGPT about various worries and it actually was incredibly helpful and gave me much better advice than my therapist! But I did start to feel dependent on it and like maybe it knew me too well so I just deleted it yesterday. It honestly feels weird today to not chat with it about a few issues. I think it’s ok to use it in small controlled doses but you really have to be aware of how it’s affecting you.

My list includes

Meditation
Therapy
Intense exercise to get the endorphins going
Time in nature
Taking to a friend
Journaling
Psycho education, like learning why we have anxiety (Inside Out 2 the movie is a fun and useful take on this)

But op, I want to say how awesome it is that your son went to the doctor! On his own! And got medication! That's great! You must've done a good job. And then called you to check in, so he feels safe with you. How wonderful, seriously.

And your husband is also keeping up with his appointments! That's also something to celebrate! It's silly, but you should literally pat yourself on the back. Give yourself credit and also compassion.

I grew up with an overly anxious mom, and once I left home I would never call her when I was sick or if something bad happened because I knew it could send her spiraling. But you're doing better! You are recognizing your anxiety! You can thank it for helping to keep you and your loved ones safe and then tell it you've got things under control right now. Everyone worries, and you will again, but right now everyone is safe enough and you deserve a good night sleep.

Anonymous wrote:Re talk to ChatGPT anonymously I just meant don’t login. No need to make it easier for the surveillance state.

I wouldn't recommend taking to generative AI for really anxious people. It may help in the short run but it's a slippery slope to dependence, just to add one more thing to worry about!

A real live therapist can help with techniques to manage anxiety without the potential for addiction or dangerous hallucinations.

SSRIs, seriously

Re talk to ChatGPT anonymously I just meant don’t login. No need to make it easier for the surveillance state.

Anonymous wrote:Walking

Write down all the worries as a to do list and what you’re doing about them

Headspace app meditation- anxiety course

Talk to ChatGPT, but anonymously

Decide to only worry at certain times of day

Go on a weekend trip - it will jolt you out of your worrying rut

How do you talk to ChatGPT anonymously?

Anonymous wrote:Walking

Write down all the worries as a to do list and what you’re doing about them

Headspace app meditation- anxiety course

Talk to ChatGPT, but anonymously

Decide to only worry at certain times of day

Go on a weekend trip - it will jolt you out of your worrying rut

Dp.
Why anonymously?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stray cat doesn’t worry, that’s for sure. You shouldn’t either. Worrying about kid and DH is understandable

It is and it's not because it's eating my life away. I've had an awful day worrying since ds called and am so distracted I'm still working and should have been done hours ago! And it feels like a good 2/3rds of my life are just little worry after little worry amounting to low enjoyment of the present.

I think similar to low stakes/no stakes decisions, just eliminate the worries that aren’t worth it (cats).
Then do something about the big worries, like talk to ChatGPT about it, fly out to help DS, or take your DH to and from the appointment and in the interim you can run errands. Doing something, anything, can diffuse the worry a bit.

Well I can't easily just fly out. Now that makes a big worry into a huge thing, like further catastrophizing. I am taking dh to the appointment.

Any action is better than inaction. Send him something or send someone to check on him. The point is, action dissolves worry (at least somewhat)

Walking

Write down all the worries as a to do list and what you’re doing about them

Headspace app meditation- anxiety course

Talk to ChatGPT, but anonymously

Decide to only worry at certain times of day

Go on a weekend trip - it will jolt you out of your worrying rut

Psychotherapy.