Taking of nervous system while tapering series: STRESS & ANXIETY

Some of us landed on ADs because of anxiety in the first place, or because of stress-related insomnia. Tapering can ramp up both as we navigate distressing and confusing symptoms and the impact the tapering process has on our lives and relationships. It's vital to try to reduce stress and anxiety when they kick in because of the way the nervous system works and how much these drugs and the tapering process activate and sensitise the CNS. Let's lots of stuff out there on the Internet re how the brain and CNS cause or make worse symptoms from other causes; suffice it to say that it boils down to this: the more stressed, anxious, or focused fearfully on our symptoms we are, the more our brains and nervous systems send an alarm signal to the body in all kinds of ways, and especially to any existing systems. This means it's easy to end up in a negative feedback loop where stress and anxiety generate more stress and anxiety and amplify other symptoms. Below, I share three tips for how to manage and reduce stress and anxiety (see the INSOMNIA post in this series for another breath exercise that's particularly good when you wake and can't get back to sleep). It's easy to think some of these things are too simple to work, but they can be remarkably effective, and they certainly won't make things worse. There's plenty more that could be added, and I'll add more over time. I also hope others will share what works for them or any resources they've found helpful.