Anxiety attacks...

thogg85

I suffered for a while with anxiety and panic attacks. They came on suddenly even in the midst of a moment of no stress. The worst was every day when I drove to work and saw every imaginable way I could die in the car on the highway. This went on for a year. I understand how awful it is. The chest pain, the diarrhea, and stomach ache. Is there a reason you don't want to try meds? I tried everything else (prayer, meditation, yoga, purposeful breathing, exercise, etc.) and they were very temporary - only while I did it. Xanax saved me and helped me function and feel normal. I only took it when I felt it coming on or a half hour before I had to drive to or from work. It doesn't cure it, but it helps you to cope better. If you are disciplined, you won't become addicted. I never did and never had any side effects when I slowed down and eventually stopped using it. Now, it's very occasionally that I use it (once in a few weeks). I pray you find what helps you live life less painfully :flowerforyou: .

Txnurse97

Therapy has helped me more than any other thing I have tried. My employer has an employee assistance program (EAP) so I've gotten 6 sessions free. It might be worth it to check into your place of work.

pen2u

Make sure your hormone levels are OK. I had anxiety symptoms when my thyroid suddenly became overactive.

LorinaLynn

I know it sounds weird, but recognizing a panic attack as a panic attack helped me. It's as if I could convince myself that the "fight or flight" feeling wasn't real... "Oh, nothing bad is REALLY happening... it's just my condition."

Usually for me, it would happen when I forgot to take my medication (I've since been able to stop), and once I realized it was the lack of meds that made me feel so wonky, I immediately felt better.

Similarly, when I recognize PMS mood swings as PMS, I feel better, too. "Oh, so THAT'S why I wish I had a grenade launcher! Makes sense now. Just power through it and we'll be fine in a day or two."

I also learned to recognize my triggers. For me, it was beeping sounds and alarms that sounded like hospital monitors. My anxiety hit big time after my Mom was very ill and hospitalized for 4 months before she passed. I think I developed some almost PTSD during that time. It took a while to recognize that I was freaking out in the grocery store because someone in a scooter was backing up and it was beeping like a heart monitor.

themildcat

Hullo there

As a recovered sufferer of panic disorder I really recommend reading a book called Power Over Panic by Bronwen Fox. Her writings on anxiety changed my life x

Restybaby2012

I suffered from debilitating panic attacks for years. Here are a few things that worked. (BTW I no longer have them)

STOP yourself abruptly by saying (to yourself of course) STOP IT!! Then immediately re-direct to something pleasant. For me it was the words to a song, in my mind Id start singing that song. (usta be called Shout Therapy)

I would silently bind and cast the "darkness"....or " evils" by saying " Spirit of panic, Spirit of Anxiety, Spirit of Fear, I bind and cast you out of my life....I AM a CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD you cannot live in my life". Say this over and over til the fear leaves--it WILL leave(for those non believers or non Christians I apologize that this may not or does not apply to you---please dont take offense)

When the fear or panic starts....immediately start counting.........1.1.2.--1.1.2.3..---1.1.2.3.4---.1.1.2.3.4.5 ALWAYS go back to one and only go forward one more number...this will force you to concentrate on that next number and soon the fear and panic will leave.

Hope something helps

themildcat

Sorry, BronwYn Fox

KCoolBeanz

I find that if I tell myself something to the effect of: "don't worry, this will pass, it always does" it's quite helpful. Sometimes reinforcing that it's only temporary helps to keep me a little more grounded.

denise032

I used to get (still do at times) those similar thoughts of "impending doom." It's a paralyzing fear that can't be truly understood unless experienced...

Here are some things that help me reduce attacks: regular exercise (30 mins a day at least 4 days per week), plenty of rest (7-10 hours), plenty of water (8+ glasses per day), and I also use a lavender diffuser near my bed which has been the biggest help believe it or not.

Hope this helps

denise032

I find that if I tell myself something to the effect of: "don't worry, this will pass, it always does" it's quite helpful. Sometimes reinforcing that it's only temporary helps to keep me a little more grounded.

This as well! I always do this just when one is coming on and then re-focus my thoughts and energy back to what I was doing. It really helps.

BeckaT79

When I am at my worst I stop what I am doing and go into "Tree Pose" and then "Child's Pose" sometimes I lay flat on my back and stretch my body from the tips of my toes to the top of my head and lay there for a couple minutes. This is the only think I have found that may help a little bit for me.... Good luck I know it is not easy.

bushidowoman

I began having anxiety attacks my last pregnancy. I found some herbal remedies that helped--chamomile, oatstraw, lemon balm, and valerian root. You can order dried herbs online, brew them as teas (to make a medicinal tea, let it steep for at least 20 minutes) or make them into tinctures to be squirted under your tongue. There are other herbs out there that are supposed to remedy anxiety that I haven't tried; I just happened to have these particular herbs on hand already.

grammiejul

I sympathise too. I have anxiety and panic attacks. You've already gotten great advice here. One thing I can suggest to help with meditation is to do a Google search for guided meditation and another for mindfulness. You'll find recordings and videos on YouTube to work with.

I hope it gets better.

jenbk2

I have noticed that my anxiety has been really bad over the past couple of days. I tell myself that i know it is anxiety and i will get through this. Sometimes I get up and walk away from where I am and get my mind on something fun. (ie: taking my kids to Disney in October). I also feel that if I tell my fellow co workers or husband or friends that I am having an anxiety attack it calms everything. I think because I am trying to hide my anxiety it get worse.

caseyjade88

One method that my counselor introduced me to, and has worked really well for me, is to count to 50 slowly. Also, listening to happy music while getting ready in the morning seems to help for some reason! I still have a lot of anxiety, but when doing both the things I mentioned, it doesn't seem to be quite as severe.

PS. I've been off the meds for about 3½ years now. Working with a counselor has helped me tremendously with finding ways to cope, finding and dealing with the underlying causes, and wean me off the meds!

ellieranc

I have suffered from severe anxiety attacks since my mom died in 2000. I carry Ativan with me everywhere I go, but I try not to rely on it. I have found (and I am very grateful to my brother-in-law for this tip) that if I pop a stick of gum in my mouth when I feel an attack coming on, I can a lot of the times stave off the attack. I focus on chewing and breathing calmly. I know it sounds stupid, but honestly, it really works.

futuresizeeight

If you're like me, then the attacks are a little bit different each time. I can tell you some of the things that have worked for me at different times:

Avoiding caffeine and really sugary foods most of the time, they're triggers for me
Splashing my face with cold water (it slows down your body's processes)
Pacing/avoiding sitting down
Snapping a rubber band around my wrist when I feel the thoughts start racing
Distracting myself by talking to someone/talking to myself/talking to my cat
Sniffing a bottle of lavender essential oil
Drinking chamomile, kava kava, or other types of calming teas
Taking one Motrin P.M., but only if it's really interfering with my sleep
Reading a note a friend wrote me specifically for when I'm panicking, basically reminding me I'm not in danger, it's only anxiety, etc.

I feel for you, because this disorder has taken a lot out of me for the past few years. I hope maybe you find some of these rituals are useful for you as well.

Nan_

I suffered with anxiety attacks for six months before I went to a doctor. It was awful. I felt shaky, felt like I couldn't breathe, felt like my legs were going to collapse, felt like I was going to just freak out or crawl out of my skin. my stomach was upset.....it sucked. It got to where I rarely left the house. I finally went to a doctor. She put my on clonozapam and it really helped.

It stopped the anxiety attacks. My head still went there, feeling I'd have another anxiety attack but my body didn't go there, so I stopped having attacks. Then all I had to deal with was my head and triggers. After three months I began to feel better and with my doctor's permission weaned myself off the drugs. But I still had to deal with my triggers: being at a movie, play, dinner, someone's house or somewhere "trapped" where I felt like I couldn't leave if I had an anxiety attack.

I am a believer in the Lord, so I prayed. I picture the Lord holding my hand. I wrote down a bunch of scripture on 3x5 cards and carried them around in my pocket or purse. I read them whenever I began to fear having an anxiety attack. It is hard to think truth when you are having an anxiety attack, so you need to put truth into your head.

If you don't read the Bible, then you could write down something like "I am o.k. I can breathe. Nothing bad is going to happen to me. I'm not going to die. Who cares if I faint? If I do, strangers will be nice to me and I will be fine when I wake up. This is not going to hurt or kill me. I will get through this. Who cares if I panic and embarrass myself? I will eventually calm down and be fine. I can breathe, I'm not going to die. There will be an end to an anxiety attack."

I would pray and think these truths and just slowly breathe through it. Eventually, I got to the point where I said "This is stupid, I am not going to worry about a stupid anxiety attack."

I got to where I am now able to go to movies, plays, drive long distance in a car, fly "trapped" in an airplane, go out to dinner, go shopping, etc. I haven't technically had an anxiety attack in years probably, although I've had times where I've been a bit anxious about something.

When I felt stronger on my meds I slowly exposed myself to trigger situations, because mine were situations that I really couldn't avoid, like going out to dinner or going to a play. I mean I COULD avoid it, but I didn't want to. By routinely exposing myself to these things, I survived and it lessened the hold.

There were a couple of plays and a movie where I had an anxiety attack. Sometimes I went out into the lobby and walked and breathed, prayed and calmed myself down. Then I went right back in. Other times I just breathed through it and tried not to think about it. As I kept exposing myself these things lessened their hold on me.

A few times I have felt my anxiety levels rise about something that's happened and starting to quicken my breathing. But I've never panicked and it's never gone into a full blown anxiety attack. i just say "O.k., I'm anxious, and I'm breathing too fast. I'm going to be fine" and it just goes away. I do have anxiety meds in my purse just in case but I haven't needed them for years. I have them just as a "comfort" factor, I guess, just in case I need them.

Sorry for making this so long, but I did want to encourage you, all of you. You're going to make it through this. Maybe it will go away forever and maybe it won't. But it doesn't own you. YOU own it. The horrible feelings and feeling like you can't breathe and fight or flight feeling will eventually go away. Just ride it out and know that you ARE going to be o.k.

Please feel free to friend me if you'd like. I would love to encourage you whenever you want it.

naceto

I basically just focus on making my breathing calm... and I slowly repeat the serenity prayer in my head. I am not AA, and I am not super religious- but it makes sense for me.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

brandiuntz

I used to suffer anxiety attacks as part of my PTSD. I'm now healed from both.

What worked for me was therapy. Specifically, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and DBT (Dialectal Behavior Therapy). I learned Mindfulness techniques, which included grounding myself when I felt anxiety attacks starting.

You can find some info on Mindfulness, etc here:

http://www.siriusproject.org/dbtskills.html

Hope it helps. Good luck!:flowerforyou: