Am I Coping Wrong?

How would you like me to address you?

You can use a first name, a fake name, or a fun signoff like "Socially Anxious Turtle"

Tell me about a time anxiety got in the way of something you wanted or needed to do.

Where were you? What was happening? Why was it important?

What was going through your head in that moment?

What were you thinking? What were you worried might happen?

What did you do to deal with it?

What choice did you make in that moment to handle the anxiety?

What best describes the thing you did?

Check all that apply.

What best describes the thing you did?

It's a special object (lucky item) or ritual (prayer, mantra)

It brings me comfort (a safe person, medication, water bottle, stuffed animal)

It prevents danger (a weapon, pepper spray, avoiding eye contact, sitting near an exit)

It changes how I feel (breathing skills, calming statements, music, substances)

It distracts me (scrolling on phone, playing a game)

It makes me feel more clean or sanitized (using hand sanitizer, wiping down surfaces)

It protects me (gloves, sunglasses, hoodies)

It helps me prepare (practicing, taking extra notes)

It helps me feel more confident (asking for reassurance, checking, looking up information)

It stops anxiety (avoiding the thing that is causing you distress, escaping a situation)

Other

What happened because of that choice?

Did it help? Did it make things worse? What were the consequences?

Looking back, do you think that was the best way to handle it?

Would you do the same thing again? What do you wish you had done differently?

Did it keep you stuck or help you move forward?

Did you feel like you needed to do this or could you have managed without it?

How much time or focus did this coping strategy take?

If you felt better, what do you think made the difference?

A

My coping strategy worked

B

The situation just improved on its own

C

My coping helped and the situation improved

D

I didn't feel better

What would it be like if you couldn’t use this coping technique?

What would help you most?

Check all that apply.

What would help you most?

A breakdown of why my approach works (or doesn’t).

Ways to tweak what I’m doing to make it work better.

Stories from other people who’ve figured this out.

Encouragement to keep going.

Other

What’s one question you want me to answer in this video to make it super helpful for you?

Agreement

Please check to be considered.

Agreement

If selected, I give permission for Dr. Ali Mattu to use my submission in his videos. I acknowledge that if Dr. Ali Mattu does react to my submission, it is for public educational purposes only. This is not psychotherapy.