Really struggling with anxiety

[Lauren32]

Hi everyone

i am a 27 year old female and I am really struggling with anxiety lately! I have missed a lot of work and have instances where I've been in work and I just got up and left without telling anyone cause I felt like I was dying. I have ended up in the doctors and emergency room a number of times thinking I was dying. It's the physical symptoms that are so severe I struggle to believe it's just anxiety!. My heart feels like it's coming out of my chest I get breathless and feel like I'm not getting enough oxygen to my brain! The worst is feeling like I'm going insane like I literally feel like I'm losing my mind. How can I feel better??? I'm on and off medication but I struggle with the side effects! I think for the first few weeks it makes my anxiety worse! Does anyone have any coping mechanisms? Willing to try anything thank you in advance

[Croix]

Dear Lauren32~

Well I think you have come to the place. Those horrible frightening attacks will sound pretty familiar to many here, myself included. I ended up losing my occupation as I was no longer able to function, or even talk on occasions. Added to that the initial effects of some meds can be a real trial to get though before they settle down.

I have panic attacks, fortunately now rare, and had found it very hard to convince myself -at least at first -that they were not a heart attack or something like that. I'm told it is an old 'flight or fight' response at the wrong time.I have had umpteen tests, blood, ecg, cat, mri and so on. All came back negative so I was left with anxiety as the cause.

I've tried to deal with this on two levels. The first is to reduce the anxiety condition itself and the second dealing with actual attacks as they happen.

Medical help in the shape of medications and therapy made an enormous difference, though to be fair it took a lot of very frustrating goes to get the right meds. It's not an exact science and - at least for me - a deal of trial and error took place.

My lifestyle needed a lot of change, both to remove as many of the things as possible that stressed me out, but also to include exercise, a reasonable diet, good sleep, plus not going to drink as a coping mechanism.

Added to that was balance, and I did this by regularly doing things I enjoyed and which took me out of life - a distraction. For me it was reading, for others anything from sport to music I guess.

With an actual attack, moving away from the scene/exercise, breathing to control things (I use the 4-2-4 method), trying to get my mind onto other things, and knowing that even though frightening I've made it out before.

Talking with my partner has been a great hep. She does not exactly understand what has gone though my mind, but the care and concern goes an awful long way. Do you have anyone like that?

Have a read of

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/self-help-tips-for-managing-anxiety

It's really long but full of great information, well it was for me. I also use the fee smartphone app Smiling Mind, which takes practice but gets me right out of bad thoughts/situations

I'd like it if you came back and said what you thought of all this

Croix

[startingnew]

hI there i have heaps of coping strategies

ill find some for you to try 🙂

[expedimus]

Sorry that you are feeling that way Lauren.
It's important to recognise what is likely happening.
Our bodies are incredible learning machines. Our brain likes to make our life easier by going to auto pilot of what its done before. Have you ever started driving in the direction of work by accident on the weekend? Its because the brain remembers the pattern. So what youre experiencing is what its had before.
Also in our mind are thoughts and feelings. Thoughts actually produce feelings (that snake looks big, now I feel scared) and feelings produce thoughts (I feel like my heart is beating fast, I think I might not be getting enough oxygen to my brain). This feedback between thoughts and feelings strengthens the feelings and produces your worst fears. It feels severe because the body is treating it seriously. I assure you the body is must more resilient to put itself into any physical danger through this though. The way to reduce these episodes is through interupting the thought/feeling cycle and the earlier you can start to realise youre doing it the better.
For example, the moment you feel like leaving work stop for a moment. Check what youre doing and question the thoughts you might have had. Really think how your body is feeling. Is it possible the thoughts produced those feelings? Are those feelings something to worry about? For example your heart is beating faster? Remind yourself that people run marathons all the time and have hearts beating fast. Do some deep breathing, allow yourself time to think of nothing and see what happens to your heart rate. Does it go down slighty? If it does know that ther
Always try to delay doing anything, anxiety likes you doing something it feeds it. But you are in control you dont need to react to what your mind and body are doing at the time. Its OK if you have setbacks even small victories like persisting with the anxiety for 10 mins longer than last time is progress.
If you can learn to do this often the intensity will drop and it will start to become more manageable. The good news is it can't get worse than you allow it.
Secondly with the medication it is important to not go on and off. If you decide to go on then stay on and persist with the initial diffuclty, do the same assessment when you start to feel anxious and tell yourself that its just the medication causing some temporary feeling and itll get better soon.

[startingnew]

DEEP BREATHING AND MEDITATION
i use the 3-3-3 method. so you breathe in for 3
seconds hold for 3 seconds and breathe our for 3 seconds. continuedoing that for a few time until you feel yourself relax and calm down

there are heaps of you tube videos and phone apps that can help you throught this, i found 1 GIANT MIND particuarly helpful for MEDITATION do you could try that


this one is pretty much MEDITATION/DEEP BREATHING put together- which is breathe in notice how it fills your belly, hold for 3 breathe out and release that tension that you feel and keep continuing on until you feel calmer

[startingnew]

MINDFULLNESS
there are so many ways to do mindfulness such as these examples
A) listen to your favourite song and concentrate
on one specific thing such as the words and what they mean, or the
beat- what instruments can you hear in the song?

B) take a look at your surroundings, what
can you hear, what can you see, what can you smell, what can you
taste.

C) pick up an object like a pencil. really notice
how the texture feels, is it cold , warm, does it have a smell?

D)Go for a walk and take in the sights of nature,
feel the breeze on you, notice how it feels

[startingnew]

DISTRACTIONS
this can pretty much be anything you enjoy doing that takes your mind off things such as:
count backwards from 100
play a musical instrument
scribble on a piece of paper
have a nice bubble bath or shower
print and colour a mandela
makea dream catcher
make a scrapbook
go on a cleaning ramage
dance around to your favoutite music
go for a drive

do some origami
cook your favourite recipes

[startingnew]

MORE DISTRACTIONS
pop bubble wrap
hold a cuddly toy
figdet with a sensory toy
cry- its ok to cry
plant a tree
watch funny youtube videos
write a list of the good things in your life
look at happy photos
squeeze a stress ball
play with a pet
write a nice letter to yourself
do a random act of kindness
count the things around yourself
create or build something
yoga
teach your pet a new trick
learn a new language
pray
take up another hobby
draw on yourself with a marker
study the sky
knit or sew something

listen to music
play a sport
go fishing
go for a run
draw or do some art

[startingnew]

JOURNALLING
Start by journaling for 5 to 15 minutes.
Write about what's on your mind, and what's bothering you:
Write about your concerns, writing for several minutes until you feel you have written what needs to be said, but haven’t delved into a mode of rumination.
You may prefer a computer, a journal, or just a pad and paper; if you are using paper, please skip a line or two for every line you use—this will be handy later.
Detail what is happening right now, describing the events that are currently causing difficulties. Keep in mind that, with anxiety, sometimes it isn’t what is currently happening that is causing stress, but rather your concerns about what could happen from here. If this is the case for you, it’s okay; you can write about what is currently happening and just note that the only part that is really stressful is the possibility of what could happen next. (This, in fact, may be a realization that brings some stress relief in itself.)
Next, write about your concerns and fears, and write in chronological order. In other words, start with one of the stressors you are contending with in the present, and explore what you think will happen next, then write what you fear will happen after that.Write how this would affect you.
Now that you have your thoughts in order, see what you can do to relieve some of the stress and anxiety within.

[startingnew]

THE COPING TOOLBOX
this is a collectionf of your favourite and healthy things that you can use when your feeling axious, panicky or distressed
you can add whatever your like
some things may include:
abelevoved tuffed teddy
crosswords puzzles
a meditation dvd
a rubber band
scented candles
a bottle of bubbles
a soft blanket
a card from a supportive personal
healing stones or krystals
pictre of loved ones
crafts or beads
mp3 player with your fave music or relaxing music
your journal or notebook
gum or lollies or fave chocolates
positive affirmations