Anxiety and OCD

[aussiestorm]

when I suffer an anxiety attack I start shaking or crying most times both as I feel that I'm not what I am supposed to be. Most times I go into a cleaning frenzy and you could nearly eat off my floor. what other stratergies can I use to just stop?

[PamelaR]

Hi Aussiestorm and warm welcome to our forums

Anxiety and/or panic attacks are the pits aren't they. One good thing is - you've found your way here. That's a great start. I've had anxiety for a very long time and do have panic attacks every now and then. Not sure what you've done in the past but here are some of my ideas -

• See my gp and get a referral to a psychologist. This is a little difficult at the moment, however, you may already have a counsellor. Are you able to make a phone or skype appointment?
• Learn to breath - slow and evenly. There is a good thread on our forums called - Self Help Tips for managing anxiety. You can do a search using the search field at the top of the page. For me focusing on my breath is the only way I reduce my panic attacks. Once I have my breathing under control and can then look at doing the other things, such as - mindfulness, grounding, relaxation, meditation, exercise.
• Eating well, exercising regularly (so your cleaning spree is possibly useful), getting enough sleep.

There is no quick fix to make panic attacks disappear forever, however, by searching our forums you can find others who manage and cope with their anxiety and panic attacks.

Kind regards

PamelaR

[missep123]

Hi aussiestorm,

I'm sorry to hear you have been going through that, that sounds really challenging.

I think PamelaR's ideas are really helpful especially seeing your GP.

One thing that I have found to be useful for my anxiety is learning to meditate. I never really thought of it before but I have started to find youtube videos that I can just sit comfortably and listen to while they guide me through the process. I always have many thoughts running through my mind so it helps me to observe them and not let them take control of me.

Please let us know how you go!