FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

No reason

Liz71
Community Member
Saturday night at home, nothing happening, no dramas, no fights, nothing confrontational & my guts are churning with anxiety. Why? Hubby's cooking a BBQ, going to struggle to eat it....doing my breathing, comes back the second I stop. I'm an intelligent & successful person, why can't I control this? So frustrating & irrational.
5 Replies 5

white knight
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hi Liz,  welcome with your thread at Beyond Blue

Diversion is a essential part of management. To walk out to the BBQ to join hubby and trick your mind into saying "this anxiety is not going to dominate".

Thats about all I can recommend....if you can do it. Try.

Have you sought medical help?  Medication? Relaxation classes, therapy?  Often all these items that assist you to manage your condition will be needed for some recovery.

My anxiety is almost gone now. It took many years.

Take care

AGrace
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

Hi Liz,

Control is a pretty strong word, and if you ask me, no one can literally control anxiety, only manage it with more ease.

It's great that when you felt it's presence you resorted to one of your coping strategies, well done:)

What I would add is that if one coping strategy is having little effect then it's time to put into place another. It can be useful to have a basket of strategies to choose from, and then be practicing these even when you're not feeling anxious, a couple of times a day at least.

White Knight has suggested one other option. There are also some others as part of a thread in the Anxiety Section called SELF HELP TIPS FOR MANAGING ANXIETY. You may like to explore some of the ideas suggested here a little more.

The other question I wanted to ask is whether you are taking medication for when the anxiety kicks in? Sometimes this can be useful especially while you are going through the process of working out which strategies are most effective.

I do hope you managed to eat some of the BBQ:)

AGrace

Thanks heaps White Knight, at work today, survived my weekend of panicing over nothing. Feeling ok. No highs or lows, so am at a manageable level & can get through. Thanks again

Liz71
Community Member
Thanks heaps AGrace, at work today, survived my weekend of panicing over nothing. Feeling ok. No highs or lows, so am at a manageable level & can get through, today at least. I did have a look at your self help tips & they have helped. I believe I'm currently under medicated, I've had a bit of a journey with trying different meds the last few months & it's been a bit hit & miss trying to get things right. I live in rural NSW & can't see my psych for another few weeks, when I'm anticipating he will add an additional medication to my current line up, so just have to get through until then I think. I went to a GP on Friday, but she was reluctant to add anything without the psyc's input, so prescribed me with heart palpitation medication. Anyway, things are ok for today, so thankful for that. Thanks again 🙂

d1106
Community Member

Hi Liz71

It is so reassuring to read that someone feels exactly as I do. Like you I am an intelligent and successful person but can't control anxiety. Like you I try the breathing but once over it comes straight back. I have had success with medication but I am going to speak to a psychologist because I feel I am now at that point where I think that will be helpful.

All the best