How do i deal with my Anxiety??

[Andon]

Okay, so I haven't yet been diagnosed with Anxiety, however I'm more than positive that I have It, and multiple types as well.

For the past 12-24 months I've been having extremely bad panic attacks (mostly when I'm playing basketball) and I don't know how I can prevent them... I've tried the whole slow deep breathing thing and nothing seems to be working.

I always have self doubt, like I'm not doing anything right and that I'm letting everyone down (mainly my parents and other family members). I just really need some advice on how I can manage my anxiety and ways so that I don't have these severe panic attacks all the time. Honestly I've tried so much so anything would be helpful... PLEASE!

[Hope_for_the_best]

You mentioned that your panic attacks tend to happen when you play basketball. Is there anything related to basketball that stresses you out, e.g. competition? You also mentioned that you doubt yourself and worry about letting others down. Is there any evidence to support that? If there is indeed anything that you can do better, work on that. Keep in mind that no one is perfect and having some weaknesses do not equal to letting others down. You may think that is not the case for basketball, but it is a sport with a lot of teamwork and everyone should help and support each other to perform better in games, so that should not be seen as "letting others down". A team that complains about being let down by teammates is not a good team to start with.

Another thing is stress and anxiety are in part created by our thoughts. When you keep repeating that you are incapable and let others down, you start to believe that you are and then anxiety kicks in. That's what happened to me and I started to feel like I could not breathe, but once I changed my thought, then I got through pretty well. Slow deep breathing is calming, but that does not work quite well if you continuously feed your anxiety with negative thoughts.

Finally, if you have any concerns that you may have anxiety, consult a doctor rather than sitting here and think "I haven't been diagnosed with anxiety but I think I have". This can also stress you out too. It is also not helpful if you truly have anxiety disorder. In my opinion, you would be benefit from seeing a psychologist to address your negative thoughts.

[Jessicatherese94]

Hi Andon,

I would download the app Booster Buddy, there is so many good techniques for managing anxiety on there. I'm really sorry you're dealing with that. I definitely think talking to your GP about the way you're feeling is a good idea, especially if you're suffering from panic attacks like that. Is there a reason that you feel this way when playing basketball? Sometimes having a panic attack whilst exercising can make the attack even worse as you are already tired from the exercise itself. I also don't feel like deep breaths work, but things like hugging myself/wrapping myself in blankets/drinking tea really helps me get through panic attacks. Would love to hear from you.

[MsPurple]

HI Andon and welcome to the BB forums. Users like me are like you, fellow mental health or stress suffers. We are not professionals. SO please take advice of your physicians over users.

I know first hand how terrible anxiety is. I myself have GAD and I used to get panic attacks to (I rarely get them now). It is normal to be on edge before a game, such as nerves or adrenaline, but panic attacks before a game sounds like it might be a bit more anxiety than usual. I know it is hard to deal with as I struggled. I would advice you try not avoid playing basketball if it is something you enjoy. Sometimes avoiding your fear can make it worse.

Can I ask if you have talked to anyone about your anxiety? It is more common then you think. One in four will have to deal with a mental health issue at some point in their life (some may not be chronic or lifelong). It is nothing to be ashamed of. I didn't have a GP so when I was struggling a few years ago I decided to go to headsapce. It is the youth mental health service with multiple locations around Australia. It is for youth aged 12-25. It is a no/low cost service. They have a variety of workers there from GP to psychiatrists to psychologists. For me I was new to the city so I found this very helpful. They also have eHeadspace, for only counselling (however in person is better). If this doesn't sound like the way for you, you can always talk to your GP and they can refer you to the appropriate people. I have done both of these (as I am nearly 26) and I have found both ways very good.

I know it sounds like a lot to talk to someone and you may think it won't help, but it also won't hurt to try. I wish I had gone and gotten help years before. At my worse I was having 3+ anxiety/panic attacks a week, I couldn't sleep, I felt on edge all the time. It was horrible. Now I can manage my anxiety because of the help I have gotten. I really hope you choose to go talk to someone about it because it was the best thing I did for myself.

In the mead time a thing you can try is deep breathing. 6 seconds in and 6 seconds out. Helps slow your heart rate. Also meditation helps. It helps stop your racing mind and can be very calming. I have found these great at helping me stop panicking.

Hope this helps. Let us know how you go.

[solaris]

hey, so i haven't been diagnosed either but i feel i do have anxiety and it'll come and then sometimes leave. i always feel i let people down as well, so i know the feeling and it sucks. sometimes talking to a friend can help or even if you have any internet friends. i feel safer or something when i talk to my internet friends because they can't just come up and confront me. and i know anxiety is really hard to help, i would recommend going to get diagnosed so you could maybe talk to a psychiatrist or get medication but yeah i get it if your like me and don't really wanna talk about it with your parents or anything

[MsPurple]

Hi solaris. I was like you and at first I didn't wanna talk to my parents or anyone really about it (I did tell a friend so she could make sure I didn't miss my appointment, but at the time that was it). I wanted to get the ball rolling and accept what was happening before I told people. For me this was the right step. It is ok to deal with it and not tell your family or all your friends about it. It is also ok to talk to family and friends. Do what you think is best for you and your situation. I have since opened up to family and friends since I have gotten a hold of my GAD because I wanted them to know and I wanted to educate them on what anxiety was and how it can be present in a so called 'high functioning' person. They didn't see me struggling to get out of bed or struggle absorb information. I also want to help reduce the stigma. I only told mum I was getting help 2-3months in. I do suggest if you need to talk to someone about it then you look into it. Even if it is only counselling if you are a bit nervous. I have done it through eHeadspace which I found helpful at the time. I think it was a good point you made that not everyone wants to talk to their friends or family about it.