Coping

[Kezzi]

How do most people cope with reoccurring anxiety and panick attacks ? I can't take SSRIs due to serotonin syndrome, they just come out of nowhere! Any help would be appreciated 🙂 🙂 

[melodica]

Hello and welcome to the forums. Over the years, I’ve found a few things that really help me cope with anxiety. Working with a good therapist has made a big difference in learning how to understand and manage my emotions. When anxiety or panic rises, I try to imagine a time when I felt calm and remind myself that those intense feelings are only temporary. If I can, I also reach out to someone else. Being  with others helps me feel less alone.

[ViolettaZ]

Hi Kezzi,

Welcome to the forum.

When I feel extremely anxious, I notice my heart racing, my breathing becoming quick, and my mind overwhelmed with worries, I just can’t seem to calm down. Sometimes I pace around the room, trying to steady myself, but that usually only brings temporary relief.

I later found a more effective approach: going outside for a run or doing intense physical activity. This redirects my attention to my body and its movement, rather than my anxious thoughts. It not only helps burn off excess tension in my body but also gives my mind a break from overthinking. By the time I return home, my anxiety has usually decreased, and I feel much more relaxed and at ease. This has become a very practical self-regulation technique for me, and I hope it might be helpful for you too.

Warm regards, 🤗

ViolettaZ

[trying_my_best]

Hi Kezzi!

I am a psychology student and here are a few tips and tricks I’ve learnt throughout my degree! 
I know is sounds silly but distraction is key! You could try the 54321 method. This includes: counting 5 things you see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you can taste. 
I have also heard through personal testimony that having sour lollies can help to shock the system and distract you. 

As the others said, a good psychologist or counsellor can be greatly helpful!

I hope this is helpful!

[therising]

Hi Kezzi

I think it can depend on what it is we're feeling. For example, if we're feeling and overload of work or responsibility, it can be about strategically lessening the load so as not to feel the volume. If we're feeling the stressful or anxiety inducing nature of others, it can be about seeing less of those kinds of people. If it involves being able to feel other people's stress (the empath factor), figuring out how to not feel their stress can be key. Feeling all the anxiety inducing stuff that's churning around in our imagination can involve managing the imagination. As others have mentioned, focusing or meditating on something else can take us out of our imagination and back into 'reality'. If we're feeling our nervous system ramping up, it can involve a variety of practices in learning how to reduce the amount of energy running through our nervous system and triggering certain chemistry. With some stressors, it can be about developing a sense of humour or making light of a situation that can feel stressful and dark. The amount of stress myself and my workmates face at the moment is met with what some may regard as an insane sense of humour. Definitely highly questionable at times😁We've learned to make fun of what could send us into states of high stress. The list goes on.

What's less obvious can sometimes involves what our brain's physically doing, as a bit of a 'glitchy' thing. While my mum used to experience what a neurologist suspected was mini seizures (which impacted her nervous system, while leading to what resembled panic attacks), he put her on seizure medication which stopped them. Personally, I went through a time where I appeared to be suffering from debilitating panic attacks. I regard it as a miracle that I was having one in the MRI machine, while having an investigative brain scan. They were finally diagnosed as 'silent migraines' (migraines without headache). I was put on a blood pressure med which stopped them. I eventually went off the med and never had an issue after that. Whether it involves blood pressure shifts in the brain (yes, the brain has its own blood pressure) or electrical glitches that are impacting the part of the brain relating to the nervous system, you can definitely feel the side effects. Before treatment, these episodes for my mum and I would just come out of nowhere. Btw, there would always be a warning sign. For my mum it was like an intuitive 'voice', 'Sit down' or 'Get ready'. For me, it would begin with the slightest of sinus pressure across the bridge of my nose and then work up from there.

The relationship between excess serotonin and migraines, for example, could be an interesting area or research to wonder about. We're such complex creatures, that's for sure.

[Happylife]

Hello Kezzi, warm welcome to the forums. Thank you for sharing your challenges. 

You are not alone in this, we all feel anxious from time to time. For me walking or being in nature, listening to music really helps.

Also, breathing and grounding techniques help reduce the feelings of anxiety and regains a sense of control. You can also maybe try using the COPE acronym:

C - Change your catastrophic thoughts

O - Observe your feelings

P - Practice positive self-talk

E - Engage in calming activities

if you are struggling to cope, it will be helpful to connect and talk to someone or reach out for professional help or support groups. Therapy can help discover the causes of anxiety and develop effective coping methods.

Hope this helps and you feel better. I am here to listen and support if you want to talk more...

Warm hugs

Take care

Happylife

[Psychdiaries2]

Hey there,

Thank you so much for sharing, I hope you read through all the different perspectives and find a strategy that works for you. 

For me, I remind myself that I am safe, that I am strong and capable to get through this. Anxiety is a temporary feeling and I know that it will go away soon enough and that I’ll feel better. I take deep breaths and stay hydrated. I have found that taking deep breaths has really helped me to stay in the present moment and calm my body down a bit. You can try different techniques like breathing in for 4 seconds, holding for 4, then releasing for 4. Repeat this a few times or however much you need. I have found it to be a real life saver over time. 

I also have a stretching routine and have been doing frequent exercise as much as I can, especially stretching before bed. I think doing this in general helps to focus your mind on your body and even deep breathe whilst doing it. It just makes you feel good afterwards too. 

Hope this helps. Take care 🤗

[Doors24]

Dear Kezzi,

Lately I have been trying to do the 5 senses strategy to bring myself back into the moment and try to break the cycle of thoughts.

My smartwatch has an activity in the health section that I can practice breathing and mindfulness too. It physically brings my attention to the watch and I focus on that.

And my mental health professional has introduced somatic tapping to me. Just in a gentle rhythm, alternating hands, I tap my clavicle(collarbone). Left hand, right hand, left hand , right hand. Then sometimes you can introduce the feet too and like swimming with flippers on, left foot, right foot, gently. Whilst tapping the clavicle. It is supposed to put you into a alpha rhythm that is calming. I have to concentrate on tapping (gently) the clavicle and moving my feet at the same time. So I also break the cycle as I bring my attention to moving my body. It is kinda of like tapping your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time, you need to concentrate.

They are all distractions, like throwing a circuit breaker on a power board. It disrupts your thoughts and brings the attention elsewhere. The tapping however has been good for me as I can do it lying on my bed, sitting on a bus or whilst I wait at the door, for the dog to come back from a wee break.

Hope you are finding what works for you.

Doors24

[Steve007]

Hi Kezzi,

my 2c after 50years

- find a shrink or whomever that really really understands at a deep deep level what you are experiencing - it is rare to find. TBH, this forum is probably better unless you need medication (which you do not)

- 1990's nightly cassette tape walkman with headset, in bed, dark, still, listen to what is now called hypnosis/ body scanning/ etc etc. Massive difference daily. Not a cure. Never ended up listening to the full tape once.

- again back before Anxiety or Panic Attacks were even acknowledged as a 'thing', somehow i decided the only way was what we now call 'exposure therapy'. Serious commitment, self driven and alway with no-one around. No hero or courage demonstrated here, just blind faith and only after years and years of therapy did i come even close to doing this. I distinctly remember the lift one. Yep, normal every day lift we go up and down in. It was sheer terror for me. Even the thought. I couldn't go within a mile of such. Same with the 50 other things i couldn't do.

The root of my panic and anxiety? (well the 1st of 40 skins to unravel) was fear of 'throwing up' or uncontrollably 'defecating myself' in situations of anxiety and panic, with no escape. Even passing out, becoming vulnerable Not acceptable to me, so i avoided. I always needed an exit. Well more than 1 exit and not blocked by a lift door. 

Human evolution. Involuntary survival instincts. Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Fight and flight in particular, create certain biological involuntary Survival things all belonging to the Sympathetic Nervous system. It reacts within a millisecond to threat. Blood is sent to specific parts of the body, brain excretes a gazillion chemicals as do all your organs. I describe it to myself it as the 'dump and run'. Yep, dump waste, become lighter, move faster, get away from the Tiger or Dinosaur hunting you as a Cave Woman. Makes sense. Problem being, Society isn't (usually) that dangerous anymore, so these instincts become maladaptive - for good reason too. Trauma, negative experiences the list is endless. At this point, it must be understood (or rejected which case do not read on).

1. Your brain cannot perceive the difference between 'real' and 'imagined'

2. It has a unique ability to learn very very quickly - particularly on matters of Survival

3. Brain learns something that it 'perceived or otherwise' is a threat to Survival instincts. Well, there ya go. Dump Cortisol, Adrenaline.... you name it.... you are panic central as soon as that even occurs.  

Believe me, my 'lift story' above sounds ridiculous. Even i have a slight chuckle at how irrational. But at the time, my unconscious brain perceived it as more serious and real than someone holding a weapon on me. Now i understand. Understanding is crucial. Knowledge is power.