cold showers

[[jo...]]

I've heard that cold showers help with anxiety. Does anyone have experience of this?

[[in...]]

There's nothing special about the shower. It's all about shifting your attention from the anxiety to something else. Obviously cold water will do the trick.

[[En...]]

38 minutes ago, [[j...] said:

I've heard that cold showers help with anxiety. Does anyone have experience of this?

Yes it works. Very uncomfortable but it works. You can also dip your face in a sink full of cold water 

[[jo...]]

So it's purely a disstraction thing?

[[PE...]]

I think it's most about to chock the body and getting relief after when it's over.

I'm more of a hot shower person i lay on the bathroom floor like a shrimp and it feels really good.

[[Js...]]

If the weather is hot and you go outside for a long walk or hike, a cold or lukewarm shower feels good. 

It helps, but it's just one factor.

The walk itself is longer lasting as it applies to the gut, our second "brain". 

[[Le...]]

believe it or not. a shocking experience like that give you a jolt of happy chemicals and eases anxiety. 

[[jo...]]

26 minutes ago, [[L...] said:

believe it or not. a shocking experience like that give you a jolt of happy chemicals and eases anxiety. 

thats what i like to hear

[[Al...]]

It definitely helped me before my nervous system got destabilized. The last time I tried it, my body couldn't handle the change in temperature and I felt awful for hours afterwards. If you try it, I'd recommend going slow at first. Start with your arms and legs and keep the duration short at first. You can then increase the time if you feel no adverse effects.

Edited June 19 by [Al...]

[[...]]

A psycho-neurologist, the one who admitted my main problem was probably benzo but didn't know how to go about it, told me it was most useful for the nervous system in my state but i never tried hard...)

[[De...]]

Like with everything if you don’t try it you don’t know if it works for you or not! 
during wd I had changes in Skin temperature, from cold to hot, so it was uplesant for me to go into cold water, even when i went on holiday by the sea I found it very dificult to go for swimming because of this problem. I was very sensitive so i decided not to force myself but to enjoy other activites like walking by the sea. I didnt have problems with hot water just cold one 🍀

 

[[Ca...]]

Doesn't do anything that I noticed. However, I took cold showers or ran my head through and stand in front of the AC unit to offset the tight burning headband. Guzzled ice tea too. Helped a lot. Lasted about 10 mo as I recall. Wish it did something for emotional symptoms but it didn't seem to have an impact. I'd have noticed if it did.

[[Ru...]]

I found that cold showers helped me get out of my head at the beginning of my taper when I struggled the most. Like Lee1978a mentions above, it gives a jolt...very refreshing.

 

[[En...]]

15 hours ago, [[j...] said:

So it's purely a disstraction thing?

I read it activates some nerve in your brain releasing distressing hormones. 

[[Cr...]]

I don't know the full science behind why cold showers are helpful, but as a male I do know that if you stay in too long you will might feel a little insecure or emasculated when you step out.

[[jo...]]

54 minutes ago, [[E...] said:

I read it activates some nerve in your brain releasing distressing hormones. 

Yeah it didn't really do much for me other than give me a cold head. 

[[ro...]]

16 hours ago, [[j...] said:

So it's purely a disstraction thing?

Well it’s not magic

[[jo...]]

1 minute ago, [[r...] said:

Well it’s not magic

I read someone saying it's a body temp thing that helps but I didn't find it helped much personally.

[[Le...]]

1 minute ago, [[j...] said:

I read someone saying it's a body temp thing that helps but I didn't find it helped much personally.

i recommend cold water splashed on face for the effect. it does enough. full shower seems extreme. 

[[Hu...]]

On 19/06/2024 at 02:12, [[j...] said:

I've heard that cold showers help with anxiety. Does anyone have experience of this?

Could be because of stimulating the vagus nerve.

I think that most of us here also like colder weather better. I know that certainly is a fact with people who are on medications that create heat intolerance - like AD's.