People with anxiety disorders?

ahavoc

Am I the odd one out? Working out at too high of an intensity gives me anxiety. I can't think about "working out" or I get major anxiety. I just walk a lot and play sports. I don't think about exercising while doing them.

No, this is common. The increased heart rate can trigger anxiety.

melindafritz

I have generalized anxiety disorder and borderline personality disorder
1. hot baths
2. walking
3. music
4. movies
5. candles
6. sex
7. shopping

everyone is different

mommy3457

Am I the odd one out? Working out at too high of an intensity gives me anxiety. I can't think about "working out" or I get major anxiety. I just walk a lot and play sports. I don't think about exercising while doing them.

No, you're not the only one. Increased heart rate, sweating, etc. are similar to a panic attack to me. I had a good one while out walking and didn't walk again for a long time. I didn't want to have another attack away from home. Eventually I started with 10 minutes and worked my way back up. I am pretty good at differentiating now. It just took slow exposure. Very slow.

I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one. I feel lame that I can't work out "knowingly" as long and as much as many people can. I do what I can, and I have been tightening up my diet to help.

ahavoc

I don't have anxiety, but my husband and daughter do. My daughter also has OCD. No meds in this house. Their therapist is of the school of facing the anxiety and going through it, no matter how terrifying. It's difficult, but doable.

Stopping avoidance is the hardest for both of them.

My husband works out religiously, it's the only way he can handle it. My daughter, (she's 16), is a convert. Started working out regulary 16 months ago and she's lost 40 lbs. She swears by exercise as well.

The endorphins must be helping.

CycleGuy9000

Exercise massively reduces the amount of anxiety I deal with (especially what I call "random anxiety", which just comes out of nowhere, as opposed to "disproportionate anxiety", which is something that might make anyone anxious but that anxiety disorders take to a whole new level of anxiety). Mindfulness techniques help while I'm feeling anxious, especially tactile sensations, and my preferred exercise (weightlifting) definitely fits that category. Any exercise usually helps, though, up to and including just jumping up and down a bunch.

I am also on a medication which has a secondary effect of reducing anxiety, but I was at my current dosage before I started exercising, and while meds brought me to "functional", exercise brought me up to a point where GAD rarely impacts my day-to-day life. My family has noticed too, and will tell me to go to the gym if I seem overly anxious.

Finally, I have an at-need antipanic medication, which I haven't taken for well over a year now. I feel just knowing I have a safety net helps keep my anxiety from escalating to that level.

Yes it reduces it so much, lol I wish my family would tell me to go to the gym, probably think I work out to much as it is.

PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot

Anxiety and OCD. Been on Zoloft for years. I think it definitely didn't do me any favors as I put on weight, but wouldn't say it caused it. My own laziness and poor diet choices did that. At least in my case, it didn't inhibit my weight loss, as I'm down ~45-50 while still on the same dose of meds.

I've found that running has helped with anxiety significantly. And my obsessive tendencies has probably helped me stick with it as much as I have

linsey0689

You really need to talk to a doctor about this. But like someone else said stress is not an anxiety disorder. Only a doctor can truly diagnosis you. But for me I have depression, anxiety problems, and ADHD. Mentally I am not too healthy unless I take my meds. Which work for me. I don't take a daily med for my anxiety it is an as needed bases. Also what works for me is not letting is get to the extreme deal with it before hand/

dangerousdumpling

Medication is NOT for anyone.

I had GAD and panic disorder, but I feel that I am cured of panic disorder and only occasionally get bouts of GAD, which are much more mild now than it used to be.

I find the CBT (cognitive-behaviourial therapy) was the best treatment for me. Without the therapy, you don't learn how to actually understand and control your anxiety.

Meditation and acupuncture have been very helpful as well. An acupuncture session does about the same to me as a Xanax (but not as accessible). When I feel like I can't concentrate on something or I feel "stuck", I go for a jog, or I do a dance workout. Feeling in tune with my body and being active melts the stress away!!!

Medication has it's place. Personally, I tried 3 types of SSRIs and they didn't work for me, they gave me panic attacks and shakes, I felt like I needed to crawl out of my own body to get away from myself, it was insane. Benzodiazepamines work better for me to get over those moments when I need something to just take the edge off so I can gather myself and control my anxiety. I say I take a total of ten pills per year. What I've learned from CBT takes care of the rest. Medication is a last resort. If you don't do the therapy, you'll never truly progress, you'll be dependent forever. Even if you read a CBT workbook instead of face-to-face therapy, it'll only cost you a few dollars, and it could change your life.

Ditto. CBT can help you learn how to change your pattern of thinking. Negative thought patterns lead to negative feelings and anxiety. At the very least buy a book called Feeling Good by Dr. David D. Burns. It's so helpful if you are willing to do the work. Why not learn how to change or eliminate the thinking rather than masking it with meds?

MallorieGreiner

Honestly, you want to avoid medication as much as possible. I went to therapy for a long time to learn how to overcome my anxiety and depression. Still get episodes from time to time, but I deal much better. Therapy is awesome and exercise, like everyone else said is fantastic for reducing stress. So are other hobbies you enjoy. Video games are my go-to.

I would recommend to see a doctor, or if you can see a therapist or counselor. They can properly diagnose you and give you advice that doesn't necessarily involve medication to learn how to overcome.

vienna_h

1. I forgot to talk about baths! As others mentioned, they are a two-in-one: put on some good spa music (itunes radio!) light up some candles, fill the tub with warm water, epsom salts (lavender scent?) and baby oil... reduces anxiety, stress, AND helps you recover from a work out! It's a three-in-one, actually!

2. As others mentioned, benzos (benzodiazepamines, aka xanax, klonopin, etc) are short-term only medication. your body builds tolerance to them, you need higher and higher doses to get the same effect. your body can also build dependence on them, making it very difficult to stop taking them. this is why they are short-term, emergency situation only, pills.

3. during the "height" of my anxiety disorder I also avoided exercise because I focused on my heart beat (I have an arrhythmia, but its not dangerous!) and breathing (I tend to chronically hyperventilate and get dizzy). I still get episodes where I'll suddenly get a chest pain are want to quit my workout, but then I remind myself "ok, you feel this random pain all the time, nothing has EVER happened to you, obviously its NOT dangerous", and sure enough it goes away and I realize "yep, it was nothing!". One way of getting over anxiety is "exposure therapy". we're afraid of the unknown, or have a bad experience once, and our brain just associates something harmless with a life-threatening situation. exposure helps re-wire your brain to understand this is an over-reaction, it is NOT life or death, no reason to set off the panic alarm. exposure therapy can sometimes be part of CBT.

MJ_Watson

For me, cognitive behavioral therapy was so helpful. I started exercising about a month after I started seeing my therapist, as well, but I don't feel it helps me that much personally.

The biggest thing, though, was probably nailing the dose on my hypothyroid meds. Anxiety is one of the lesser known symptoms, along with depression. At one point, I was swinging between those two so wildly that I had a doctor want to diagnose me with Bipolar Disorder (not for no reason either - he put me on SSRIs and I had a full-blown manic episode. Very scary). I had no idea that thyroid disorders and BPD could display so similarly but my current doctor says it's sadly pretty common and often overlooked. When I found the right dose for me it, combined with the therapy, honestly saved my life. I went from having panic attacks every day to maybe once a month, and I can even take the train to work again (one of my biggest triggers). I honestly thought I would never be able to function "normally" again, and it took a long, long time to get there (or TBH, close to there). So, I guess my point is, keep trying until you find what works for you. Anxiety is a very complicated thing and there's no one answer, but I hope you can find one that works for you.

Also, everyone in the world should get their thyroid tested. /hands you a pamphlet/

Good luck!

QueenofScott

I use a combination of medication and therapy. I suffer from major depression and anxiety with obsessive tendencies. The combination has been very helpful to me since I started both, a little over a year ago. I go to therapy twice a month.

Shan790

Am I the odd one out? Working out at too high of an intensity gives me anxiety. I can't think about "working out" or I get major anxiety. I just walk a lot and play sports. I don't think about exercising while doing them.

No, you're not the only one. Increased heart rate, sweating, etc. are similar to a panic attack to me. I had a good one while out walking and didn't walk again for a long time. I didn't want to have another attack away from home. Eventually I started with 10 minutes and worked my way back up. I am pretty good at differentiating now. It just took slow exposure. Very slow.

Classes trigger it for me except yoga where I'm forced to focus on my breathing etc. yoga helps. I also find the gym helps if I don't go with some one I need to be allowed to concentrate on my body so that I can tell between panic anxiety and elevate pulse from working out. I am also on meds.

KANGOOJUMPS

a good workout every day keeps the anxiety levels down.