Anxiety Disorders Anyone?

I suffer from anxiety and have had plenty of panic attacks in the past because of it. I'd also suggest going to see a doctor about it so that he/she can get you on the right track to making you as healthy as possible.

In the mean time, I know that once I cut caffeine out of my diet, my anxiety problems drastically decreased. And I mean drastically--I used to have panic attacks like three times a month...now I have only had one within the last year. Perhaps cutting out caffeine could work for you as well.

Whatever you chose to do, best of luck to you. Anxiety is a b*tch to deal with, but as long as you develop a strong support system through family, friends, and even doctors, it becomes much less of a burden to deal with.

I used to get panic attacks daily-- usually before work (which resulted in me calling in a lot more often than I should have, because I was filled with such a feeling of dread about going to work that I froze and literally couldn't make myself go), sometimes during or after work, and often upon first waking in the morning. It was an awful time in my life.

I would highly suggest going to a therapist. Find one that makes you feel immediately comfortable, not someone who appears to be judging you or is going to push meds on you at the first sign of a disorder. It's crucial that you find someone you can be 100% honest with, someone that you can trust. Because in order to discover things inside yourself that you need to improve, you need an impartial bounce board, someone who can listen and then point out the conflicts between your current life and the life you want to have. I have been seeing a wonderful counselor on and off for the past 3 years, and she has helped me realize some huge things about myself and why I function the way that I do. I think that everyone, regardless of their mental state, can benefit from this.

I, unfortunately, turned to weed to treat my anxiety, and it created a habit that I am still in the process of breaking. However, even without the substance, I have noticed a dramatic decrease in my anxiety issues now that I a) have a regulated sleeping and eating schedule, b) give myself quiet time every day (AWAY from the computer!) to decompress, and c) have a better understanding of myself and how my body functions. If I feel myself spiraling out of control, sometimes I just have to tell myself, "buck up, Amber, what you need to do isn't scary and isn't going to humiliate you and isn't going to be nearly as bad as you think, so just DO IT." It's kind of like internal tough love. But I cannot stress enough the powers of regular sleep (this doesn't mean a LOT of sleep, just making sure you wake up and get to bed around the same times every night instead of it being sporadic), and the power of just... doing nothing. Or at least, not much.

The next time you're having a really uneasy day, try taking a long walk by yourself. Restlessness broods anxiety. If it's too cold to walk, try going for a drive, or if you're feeling lethargic just lay in bed with some quiet music on and focus on your breathing. Remember, no matter how bad a day seems, it is just one day, and you WILL make it to tomorrow. This too shall pass. Add me if you'd like, and I wish you the best of luck with this.

You should have blood work done to have your vitamin levels (B, D, etc) tested as well as get your thyroid tested. Make sure they get a full workup before they try to force any pills down your throat. I had most of the symptoms you described and turns out I have PMDD. Severe PMS symptoms that occur 1-2 weeks before my menstrual cycle. After taking many types of medications that didn't work for long periods of time, I decided I had enough. I stopped all medication and have never felt better. Sure, I still have my bad moments but I work through them... exercise and diet have certainly helped. You need to try to figure out what your triggers are. I'm also thankful I found a phenomenal chiropractor that has me on supplements for my thyroid as well as a few other things that have certainly lessened my anxiety/depression symptoms. Good luck!!!

Oh my god, PMDD is really a thing?? Here I thought my PMS was just getting way out of control lately (like, suicidal rage out of control!!) and I was wondering if I should try to get on birth control to avoid the nonsense altogether... now I have something to bring to my next therapy appointment, haha! Thanks for sharing!

Yes, it certainly is. I used to feel suicidal every month, even tried drowning myself in a bathtub once. Then the next day AF came, and I was okay again.

Of course, if you have a chemical imbalance or the the anxiety is caused by something in your brain then meds are needed and the simple steps that have helped some of us to relieve anxiety are not enough.

Some of us (like me) do not have a chemical imbalance, but instead have Post traumatic stress disorder. That is different because it is the result of trauma. I do not have a chemical imbalance. The anxiety disorder was caused only because of long term trauma that occurred when I was a young child, in my home (I also understand that some people have ptsd and a chemical imbalance, but that is not the case for me). So, for me, I do not take meds. Meds actually make it worse for me. It creates a state of relaxation that works for people that can respond to that. For me, it actually triggers the ptsd because I feel like I have been drugged and do not have control over my body and I start to feel terror and like I am trapped in my body and won't be able to get away and take care of myself if something bad happens to me (for me that is a trigger for the anxiety).

The only option I have is to try and manage the symptoms when I get triggered. If I do not manage the symptoms my hair falls out in clumps for days on end, I break out in hives for days on end, I develop a facial tick and other problems from tensed muscles, as well as all the mental and emotional symptoms. But, I do manage it and I am managing it very well now.

I am right there with you. To make a long story short I to suffer with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). If I can offer any advise to you it would be to get help right away. Do not wait. I was so stubborn, thinking I could just make it go away. I tried everything, diet, exercise, breathing techniques, for me none of this worked. I thought I was going crazy. It progressively got worse. I did not sleep or eat. I lost 35 pounds in about 7 weeks. I was also convinced that I was dying. I went to the doctor and had every test under the sun all were normal. I felt so hopeless and scared. The mind is a funny thing. Anxiety makes you feel and experience horrible symptoms. Before this happened to me I knew of several people that had panic/anxiety. It was so easy for me to tell them..oh just eat better..go for a walk..just don't worry about it. I never understood how serious and painful this disorder is until it happened to me. I thought I could control this..make it go away. It only got worse. I went back to the doctor and broke down in her office. She tried prescribing a bipolar medication to me. Something didn't feel right about that . I am not blaming her mind you, she is not a psychiatrist. I was just about at my breaking point when a very good friend recommend that I see her gynecologist. There I sat in her office, scared going out of my mind. When she walked in I broke down tears flowing. She looked at me and I will never forget her words. You are not alone. There are countless other women who are going through this as well. Those words made me feel better. She picked up her phone and got me in that day with a psychiatrist that specializes in women's issues. I also did not think I was depressed but I learned that depression and anxiety often run together. I also learned that this is a hormonal and chemical imbalance and no amount of diet or exercise was going to fix that..believe me I tried. The biggest thing I learned was not to be afraid of medication, I had heard horror stories about anti depressants and was so afraid to take them. We started on a low dose of Lexapro and within a month I was able to go back to work and was feeling so much better. This is a gradual process. You may also get a little worse before you get better when starting your medication..your body is trying to correct itself. This is where some folks stop taking it because they feel its not working. Hang in there.
When you go to your doctor make sure they are well informed on this, mine was not. She tried to diagnose me with being Bipolar. If you can please see a psychiatrist. Yes it is expensive but it is worth it. This is there field of expertise. They can prescribe the right medications. After a year of being on Lexapro my psychiatrist weaned me off. She suggests a year because your body needs time to heal. This is not a catch all..some folks need more time on medication. I have been off medication for almost a year. I am doing pretty good. I still have my moments and I always know that if it gets out of hand that all I have to do is start my medication again. Sooner rather than later
If you need someone to talk to I am here. There is help out there and you don't have to suffer with this. I am glad you are taking that step of getting professional help. God Bless