Anxiety Hell

[Jagz]

Hi,

I have never done this before but am in the midst of an anxiety attack and it’s too early to call my psychologist.
I feel that getting this out there helps and knowing I am in good company. I find anxiety such a lonely place to be...especially when my rock, my husband, was admitted into hospital yesterday and I can’t visit him due to covid. Logically I know he is in the best place but all those anxiety symptoms don’t care...can’t eat, on edge, the all consuming fear, crying as if I am mourning. How do I shut down my mind?

[sbella02]

Hey Jagz,

Thank you for posting on our forums, welcome to the community.

Feelings of anxiousness can be very isolating and lonely, I understand. Is there any way you video chat, or even just a regular call, with your husband? If this is a possibility, you may find that this would put your mind more at ease.

One thing that generally calms me down in the event of a panic attack is finding something in the room to focus on, and taking deep breaths. In terms of calming feelings of anxiety in general, activities such as meditation or just engaging in something distracting like a hobby tend to work for me.

This may be something to speak with your psychologist about, if you feel comfortable. You could also have a chat to a therapist, counsellor, or your GP if you feel like you need professional advice from somebody else.

If you'd like to have more of a chat to somebody about your feelings, we're always here for you, as well as our friends over at Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 and Griefline on 1300 845 745.

All the best, and please continue to chat with us if you need. SB

[Mark Z.]

Hi Jagz,

Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry for your suffer.

You can't shut down your mind, it will be more stressful when you try it hard and fail, it's not the right way.

This is the right place when you need someone to listen to, or someone to give suggestion. If you feel comfortable you can share more details.

How are you now? And have you talked to your psychologist already? You can also call beyondblue hotline 1300 22 4636 (24/7) and have a chat with the professional on phone. I believe it will be helpful.

Mark

[geoff]

Hello Jagz, are you still struggling and please let us know if your husband is out of hospital or if he's still there whether or not you can visit him.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[therising]

Hi Jagz

First, just want to say I hope your husband is okay while being well looked after.

Personally, I'd never experienced debilitating anxiety up until about a year ago. While I don't experience it regularly, when it does come it's a major challenge to get through. As a 51yo gal who managed to make it out of depression some years ago, when the anxiety episodes first hit I can recall thinking 'Please, not another mental health issue to try and manage in life'. 15 years in depression was enough.

Personally, I'm a natural born analyst which leads me to analyse the hell out of everything, so as to find some heaven/peace. Over time, I came to analyse a lot of my triggers. Identifying triggers has allowed me to manage not reaching trigger point in some cases. In other cases, it's helped me manage bringing myself out of a trigger episode. I'm wondering whether you can relate to a few:

• Feeling my sympathetic nervous system going into a state of hyperactivity is a trigger. I've found the challenge has been to practice getting a better feel for my parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation. Can feel it through controlled breathing. May be hard to imagine but there are times where, through controlled breathing, I become so light headed that I can be challenged to not go to sleep. You gotta know when to stop 🙂 Btw, crying/venting 'til it leads you to sleep is not entirely bad. Sleep offers a break from thinking
• My imagination is a major trigger when it comes to anxiety. If I can't imagine a solid solution to a stressful situation things get seriously out of control. If I can imagine or see in my mind a plan that helps toward sorting things out, this helps calm me down. Sometimes I have to look to others to plant some good relatable imagery in my head. Sometimes I can't manage my imagination alone
• Internal dialogue can be a massive trigger. If you can imagine that 'devil on one shoulder, angel on the other' scenario, it can go a little like 'This is horribly stressful, there's no way you can cope with this. Everything's falling apart' vs 'Everything will be okay. Just calm down. Breathe!. You'll be fine'. Again, it pays to analyse the hell out of things

Meditation can play a big part in managing. Meditating on feeling the effects of calming breathing, meditating on the most constructive imagery in the imagination and meditating on the angelic side of internal dialogue are just 3 types of the many forms of meditation that may help.

[jaz28]

hi there,

i know how you feel, the feeling of wanting to shut down your mind is very common with anxiety. the racing thoughts can become unbearable. i am sorry you are going through this.

have you spoken to your doctor about seeing a psychologist? this really helped me. your doctor might also give you medication to help. in the meantime, mindfulness and breathing is important. remind yourself that your husband is safe, he's in the best care, and therefore you are okay. everything is fine. breathe in...and out...

i am here to talk if you need,

jaz xx