I have shared here before about how I have on occasion had anxiety dreams. Back when they were in their worst efflorescence, a few years ago, I saw a cognitive behavioral psychologist for a little while. Can't recall if I shared about her. Love her.
One of the things she talked about was how the content of anxiety is irrelevant. If you are prone to anxiety, as I on occasion am, the anxiety finds a vessel.
Case in point: last night. After a couple of nights of imperfect sleep, I've gone back to taking a melatonin at bedtime. It has worked pretty well. This morning, at some time, my brain got focused on whether melatonin was bad for my kidneys, or nephrotoxic -- though as I half-slept I was thinking the word was "neurotoxic". I have to monitor nephrotoxicity. I don't know if I've shared about it, but it's one of the little medical things of which I have to be mindful.
So I lay in bed and thought about it ("perseverated," technically). Not too badly, and as I did it I was more or less aware of how ridiculous it was. I didn't lose too much sleep. But still.
While in Princeton, I had the pleasure of having coffee with one of my most regular readers, who recently had been through a little heart surgery, and was looking and sounding fantastic. This kind of thing puts it all in perspective. The trick, of course, is to keep it there.
Thursday, January 08, 2015
The content of anxiety is irrelevant
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