Managing Psychosis, Anxiety, and Paranoia

Notice: This is a true story about how a young man successfully managed psychosis, anxiety, and paranoia

Get up Richard, it is 8:00 AM and your first day at work!  With a cup of tea in her hands, my mother knocked at the room door to wake me up for the new job. It was the third job of my life. Unlike the previous two, it was related to content writing, something I am really passionate about. However, what kept me from working consistently at any workplace until this moment was my extreme social anxiety and depression. Although I had made significant inroads in recovering from depression, fear of people chased me everywhere, including the writing job I had recently secured.

A Step into Uncertainty

I woke up thanking my mother as she handed me the bed tea. As I sipped the beverage, my mind raced, thinking about every possible negative outcome. The thought of seeing and talking to people sent shivers down my spine. Still, I had to accept the opportunity, unlike the previous jobs I left within two weeks of joining. The writing job best suited my disposition.

With all sorts of thoughts, I got ready and left to begin a new life journey. Once at the office door, I stood outside, mustering the courage to knock at the door. Whenever my hand approached it, I froze as if I would be trapped in a dungeon. At last, the moment of epiphany arrived, and I thumped at the wooden door. A peon opened it and greeted me. While I stuttered to greet back, the boss came and welcomed me warmly. Finally, my work life had begun, but it took me many more years to manage psychosis, anxiety, and paranoia.

It has been more than ten years since the above events took place. The good news I want to share is that my anxiety, depression, and paranoia are far more manageable than ever before. Now, you must be wondering what sort of magic wand I had to overcome such disorders. Of course, the medication aspect had always been there to help. Still, multiple support systems played a critical role in my recovery. I will share everything with you that helped me become who I am today. So, let’s start.

Accept yourself Whole Heartedly

The most essential step to managing anxiety and psychosis is to accept that you have these mental ailments. Since there is a lot of stigmas attached to these illnesses, people avoid seeking psychiatric help. They keep suffering, which affects their work as well as social life. Remember, you can never solve a problem if you deny it. Thus, when you blame others for your concerns and do not take the initiative to visit a psychiatrist, your healing never begins.

Face the Conflicts within You

Once you seek help from a doctor, your treatment starts with psychedelic medication. While medication helps manage the chemical imbalance in the brain, one-on-one or group therapy from a clinical psychologist helps change the way you process thoughts. In fact, the combination of both is vital to boost self-confidence, self-esteem and most importantly, your productivity at the workplace. Just stick with the treatment until your ability to think clearly restores.

Have Patience During Recovery

Sometimes, in extreme anxiety and paranoia cases, the path to recovery is prolonged and disappoints the patients since they look for a quick recovery. However, you can channel your restlessness into a rigorous activity, such as a regular workout for at least five days a week. Exercise helps establish a much-needed mind and body connection to heal. You can begin slowly and as you gain strength, increase the intensity. Workout neutralizes lethargy, which is quite common with psychedelic medications. It strengthens your nerves and reduces paranoia. Joining a gym could be the best way to socially expose yourself and overcome the fear of meeting new people. As a result, your work life will also improve as you learn to socialize.

Rewire Your Brain with Auto-Suggestions

This method is also referred to as auto-suggestion. It helps you reprogramme your brain. Every time thoughts of guilt, hopelessness, and worthlessness dominate your cognitive responses, challenge the way you think. Instead of believing in them head-on, rationalize them. If anxiety-evoking thoughts interfere with your thinking ability at your workplace, replace them with positive ones. For instance, accessing the toilet room on a floor full of employees could be a nightmare for someone with paranoia and anxiety. The mere thought of leaving your seat freezes you. So, note down all your thoughts and practice replacing them with pleasant ones. Make a habit of repeating them several times in your mind until your subconscious mind starts recognizing and believing in them.

Never Skip Meals

Never leave for work on an empty stomach. When you skip breakfast and other essential meals during the day, your brain does not get the nourishment it needs to maintain focus. In fact, the more you avoid food, the more agitated you grow. Consequently, your productivity drops, and anxiety increases tenfold.

Love the Person You Are

As your self-esteem improves, celebrate your success. Treat yourself with respect and realize that you are stronger than you ever thought. Set goals and work hard to achieve them. You may have wasted some of the best years of your life, but it is never too late to start reliving them.

Lastly, managing paranoia, anxiety, and psychosis depend on how persistently you apply the aforementioned strategies. Initially, you may find them challenging to implement. Once you are accustomed, your self-awareness will increase, and so will your perseverance.

Remember, slow and steady wins the race!

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