Source: My Experience
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Monthly Archives: February 2016
The Benefits of Breathing
When anxiety hits or something bad happens, you’ve all been told to “take a deep breathe”, or “just breathe”. Purposeful breathing seems to have wide reaching benefits for mental and physical well being.
When my anxiety was at its worst and I was having panic attacks almost daily, my therapist explained the benefits of deep breathing. I was skeptical at best. How was something as simple as breathing going to make any difference, after all I breathed all day long.
I agreed to try the deep breathing because it wouldn’t hurt. I was shocked to find it actually helped.The more I did it, the more I grew to view it as a coping skill.
The most profound difference in my anxiety and panic attacks came from ‘simple’ strategies: walk away, count to 10, and deep breathing. I continue incorporating these strategies into my life even now that my anxiety is much milder and my panic attacks are for the most part gone.
Being a research junky, I wanted to know why something as simple as breathing was so helpful. I also looked into different breathing exercises.
Here are a few articles I found most informative and helpful:
The Art of Living Blog: Benefits of Deep Breathing and How to Breathe
Harvard Health Publications: Relaxtion Techniques: Breath Control Help Quell Errant Stress Response
13 Health Benefits of Deep Breathing
NPR: Just Breathe: Body has a Built in Stress Reliever
Remission: Finally Catching a Break
Every trichster has a unique relationship with their condition. Like relationships between people, ours fluctuate between bad times and good. To me, a good relationship with trichotillomania means understanding its needs, while asserting my right to withhold them. I’ve spent most of my life in a bad relationship with trich, unable to be assertive, and giving in to every destructive desire. Usually, fighting it doesn’t help, and all I can do is wait for the relationship to get better. When I’m finally granted a better relationship, I consider myself to be in remission.
As I said, every trichster’s relationship is different. Unlike for myself, fighting trich may be helpful for others. I do not want readers to think fighting is hopeless; I am only expressing what seems to be true for myself.
However, I am ecstatic to say that I am currently in a remission. I am still pulling, but…
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