GAD & panic disorder

[K4te08]

Hi everyone.

I have recently been diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder, it’s all extremely new to me considering never in my life have I ever experienced mental illness.

I have not found how to properly cope with anxiety & panic attacks, I’ve been through countless amounts of therapies and counselling and nothing has helped. I have also been for blood tests

I feel anxious on a daily basis and experience 1-2 panic attacks a week, with no known triggers. I went from being an extremely happy & outgoing person to the complete opposite!

I experience numbness in my left arm and leg, heart burn, chest pains & so on. My most recent symptom is getting flashes of light in my eyes, is this normal? It can be pretty scary.

I would like to know anyone else who has been through this situation and what has helped them as right now I feel like I’m a dead end. I know that’s not the case but it’s very deliberating.

thank you

[Doolhof]

Hi K4te08,

Welcome to the community here. If you have a look at the thread titles, you will find quite a few on panic attacks and anxiety. If you have a read of some of those you may find some answers.

The Beyond Blue site has a lot of information as well. I find the more I read up about my mental health issues, the better I understand them and can find ways to help myself where possible.

Recently we were on holidays and I experienced daily panic attacks. I tried all kinds of things to relax. Just sitting and having a bit of quiet time to myself looking off in the distance helped to relax my mind.

As did art work for some reason. Just looking at paintings and pictures of paintings was very calming for me. As is watching funny animal clips.

Hopefully you will find something that calms you.

Can you try to increase the level of activities that you do that usually bring you a sense of pleasure? I found it necessary to push myself so the positives far out weighed the panic attacks.

Hope this helps in some way! Trying to tell yourself it is a panic attack and it will pass helped me a little as well.

Cheers from Dools