any other anxiety sufferers?

Wow. I cannot imagine how you must feel. I do not suffer from anxiety in that way; however, I did just want to give you some encouragement and pray that you're able to find a resolution. Your courage is an inspiration. I believe some people would've stayed home; not even ventured out to the gym. I'm so very proud of you and you should be doubly proud of yourself. *high five*

I pray you're able to find ways to alleviate these attacks.

*hugs*

Jean

Yes I suffer from anxiety also and exercising is one of the best things for it. I mean, when you get panicked or anxious, your heart beats really fast, you sweat, etc. By working out and causing your body to sweat and pump your heart fast this way, it helps train your mind and body slowly to handle anxiety a little better. It is actually called " exposure therapy".

I have been overweight most of my life an anxious as well. I have no doubt that the two are intertwined. My self esteem, worries, short- comings and such are mostly tied to me being "obese". However, trying to be healthy and put yourself first and save your life as you said, will start the change in your mind that you are worth it and some anxiety may fall away.

A simple coping mechanism that helps me when I'm overwhelmed is called a grounding technique;

Breathe slowly and use your stomach to talke deep breaths.
Pick a color, green for example and look around where you are and focus on everything that is the color green, and what shade, etc... This will just help ground you and pull you out from your mind briefly.


Good luck, hope this was somewhat helpful!

Hi, I've been there! The first time my husband and I decided to try a yoga class I hid under the covers and he literally had to drag me out of bed and FORCE me into the car. I was terrified, sick to my stomach, dizzy, etc. etc. I get this way often and there are a couple of things that help me through:

1) I start taking deep, controlled breaths. Helps regulate my heart rate.
2) I remind myself that if I'm scared of something, or nervous about something, it usually means I need to go through with it. After I do whatever it was causing my anxiety usually seems less scary after the fact. Plus, I'm always proud once I've done whatever it was that scared me.

So, I'm so sorry you experience this but you can learn to control it, or just recognize it as your mind's way of dealing with the unknown. If you can separate the emotion from who you are (that is, do NOT let it define you), it may help. It helps me.

Good luck and feel free to friend me!

I have had issues with this in the past, and have mostly conquered it. Honestly, I don't know any easy ways to tell you how to beat it, though. I wish I did. My teenage daughter is currently on three anti-anxiety meds, and still gets panic attacks. The best tip I can give you is to try and convince yourself (because it IS true) that what you're afraid of is never nearly as bad as the fear itself. It does get better. Every time you don't let the fear have control over you is a MAJOR victory, so celebrate it! Good job not letting it stop you! (Also, if you're religious, prayer can really help.)

I do suffer from anxiety. Not so much from the gym but more over life matters such as finances, jobs, car repairs, am I a good mom, am I a good wife, I didn't work out today am I going to stop losing....and the list goes on. What I have found is that I need to #1 realize that I don't have to think about every thought that comes in my head. So "Think about what your thinking about". #2 I pray alot and realize that even in the smallest thing when I think I am in control I am not. There is nothing that I can do in this world including take another breath without God giving it to me. We as humans like to think there is so much we can control and we in all honesty don't have control over much at all. #3 I need to learn to see myself as God sees me. He sees me and you as made in his image, we a beautiful and strong and there is nothing we can't do (if he wills it) as long as we draw strength from him.
I am proud that you posted this. It isn't a subject that many people want to admit they struggle with. Just know you are not alone in how you feel and we are here and so is God. Feel free to friend me if you wish. God bless!

Hi There,
Congrats on going to the gym anyway...that is really hard.

I have not had a panic attack in quite awhile (knock on wood!!) but i use to get them all the time. I found that just knowing what it was helped me get through it. At first I thought it was physical issues so knowing it was caused by my mental state seemed to help me overcome it. I don't know if this will help you because everyone is different but I hope so. Also knowing it was temporary was a great help. You are doing the right thing by talking yourself through it and it worked so i think you are stronger than you give yourself credit for!! I hear at some point people actually crave a workout...hahaha...never had that feeling myself but i hope you will get there.

Good Luck and keep up the good work.

First of all, good for you for committing to making a positive life change! Changes are scary and intimidating for everyone, and people experience stress in different ways. A panic attack can happen when your mind is telling you, "Oh no! I can't do this!" and then your body hops on board too and tries to convince you to avoid the scary situation... maybe with stomach aches, difficulty breathing, a closed throat feeling, etc. You did the right thing by taking control of the situation and telling yourself that it's important for you to exercise and you will be fine. Deep breathing can be helpful. You can do 5-5-5 where you breathe in for five seconds, then breathe out for five seconds, and do this five times. It can also help do do some imagery, where you imagine yourself at your goal (i.e. at your goal weight, or exercising calmly at the gym, or being calm in the current moment... whatever inspires you). Or you could imagine a peaceful place that makes you feel happy. Another thing to do is to concentrate on the present as much as you can... focus on every little sight, every little smell, and push away all other thoughts that have nothing to do with "here and now." (As a side note, this is supposed to be a great way to eat less, too.... concentrate on enjoying every bite, smell, taste, texture, and don't watch TV or get involved with any other distractions while you eat... your meal will be more satisfying that way... that's what I've heard although I haven't personally tried it.) The thing about anxiety is that it's most difficult at first... once you face your fear a few times and see it's not that bad, the anxiety will lessen on its own. Another thing you could do is to do something called "systematic desensitization" where you break a scary task into smaller components. For instance, you might start out by watching an exercise informercial at home (or, for that matter, using workout DVD's at home would help you avoid the gym component if you really feel that uncomfortable with it right now). Anyways, the next step of the systematic desensitization might be to drive past the gym. And the next time you'd drive to the gym and park in the parking lot. The next time, you'd drive there, park there, and walk around inside the gym but not work out. The next time, you'd go and work out for 5 minutes. Basically, the concept is that you push yourself a little further each time so you conquer lots of little fears at a time, which is much less overwhelming than conquering everything at once. I hope this helps! I just finished a graduate program in psychology so I thought I'd share some of my knowledge Good luck!

I get anxiety as well but not proper full blown panic attacks, more like a horrible feeling of dread and angst which can appear for no reason I am on a mild daily med for it but if I forget to take it I sure know it. I actually find exercise helps this, I'm glad you posted this as I've found reading answers from others beneficial. Well done to you for actually making it into the gym. If anyone wants to friend me for mutual motivation and support feel free.

You are absolutely not alone. I've been dealing with anxiety and depression for most of my adult life. I finally overcame the stigma and got help through meds about 7 years ago and I am SO much happier. I am very familar with the early morning panic attacks . . .they are awful. My best advice (for what it's worth) is . . .help is out there, you just have to ask. There is no reason to torture yourself. Get help! Life is so so so much better!

I find that if I write down what I am anxious about - put it into words, then list ways to "overcome" those fears, it helps me deal with them. For example, when I have something at work, like dealing with a grouchy coworker, it keeps me up for nights. I write down what I am afraid of happening (like her handing me my *kitten* in a confrontation) and I list how I can "win" - keep calm, stick to the facts, etc. It has helped me deal with a lot of situations.

You can do it!!!!