Anxiety Support Group

Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...

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New to this...what would you have done

swmkb
swmkb

So it has been a week since I had a horrible episode. When i say episode, i mean an anxiety attack or panic attack, or both. On this day i had an anxiety attacked followed by a panic attack. i was looking forward to an event that was happening at my work and also seeing a friend that i haven't seen in a year. i was so excited that a week in a half earlier, i was already bouncing off the walls and experiencing some anixiety symptoms. Any minor anxiety symptoms, i can normally shake off without any help by either medicine or natural remedies. On this particular day, I went and saw my psychiatrist that morning for my 3 month check up with her. I told her about what i was feeling and how i was feeling. her suggestions were not what i wanted to hear. she told me that i just needed to take some more calming deep breaths or if i needed it, take a half table more of my sertraline. So, while i was waiting at work for my friend to arrive, i was excited, had those butterflies in the stomach (the ones you get when your excited). He showed up and I was fine. From the time I left work to the time I got home, nothing really changed until I looked at the time and noticed I had to wait a whole 1.5 hrs to go see my friend. Within that 1.5 hrs, I had an anxiety attack. My attacks consist of me feeling really nauseous, my muscles are shaking, and all i wanted to do is tear my skin apart to get out of this body. I took my xanax and laid down in my bed and put on my meditation app that i have on my phone. after about a 1/2 hr, i was finally calmed down enough that i wasn't shaking. i take a look at my phone and my friend texted me where he was at, and i lost it again. instant muscles shaking again, nausea came back. I tried to calm myself back down again, and i was too far gone. my symptoms just kept getting worse, to the point i vomited up my medicine that i took to help me out. I didn't sleep a whole lot that night, but i pushed myself to go into work the next day. Even though i felt really bad, was unable to eat anything big, i still wanted to be there for the event. The event lasted 3 days. Couple hours in the morning, a nice break during the midday, and couple hours in the evening. By the last day, I was exhausted. I was just to do everything that i learned in therapy; the square breathing, telling myself that this will pass, i had my armotherapy necklace and bracelet on with my favorite essential oils scent, i was pacing back and forth just to keep my mind off of how i felt. I finally gave in and asked my boss if i could go home. I was so tired and so exhausted that i felt like i had the flu. it is a week later, and my anxiety is getting a little bit better, but its still there. trying to see if there is anything else out there than i could have done, or can do to help me during those horrible episodes.

Momster18
Momster18
Oh my!!! Your situation is so familiar to me. I sometimes wonder if we confuse being happy and excited with being anxious and nervous. Our bodies can feel the same with both kinds of emotions. However, when anxiety strikes us with physical symptoms like nausea and muscle tension, it can really do a number on us. Unless someone has been in our shoes, it's difficult to understand why we don't have control over this. It's not your fault. When this happens, all we can do is what you did. You followed what you were taught to get through the anxiety, but sometimes we need to forgive ourselves and know we need to stop and take care of ourselves. Too many things happening within a short time span can cause an onset of anxiety for me. Perhaps that's what happened to you. Do you have a friend or family member you can talk to during your episodes? That helps me a lot. You are doing your best. Keep telling yourself that and know this will pass. Breathe.
djchurn
djchurn
Yes I understand how one works themselves into a panic attack. I do it myself and try to offset it by noticing when thins are about to spiral out of control. I this what I do is called Cognitive Behavior Therapy. I just recognize when I am getting into my head too much and do the usual things to distract myself; listening to music, exercise and reading. One of these usually works with exercise being the best. It is accepted that the brain produces endorphins with exercise and these give a feeling of calm without meds. To me it works as well as Xanax in claiming me. I used to rely on this and found that after about a year its effects didn't last. Try to avoid using social media (your phone) current thinking suggests it encourages anxiety and depression. Just builds what you are trying to cure. Find strengths in yourself that will make you feel better and remember the next day that you defeated bad feelings yourself.
rachelangelo
rachelangelo
I’m sorry that you had that experience. I dealt with panic attacks for years. They can be very debilitating. Your body feels completely out of control. A counselor that I saw gave me great suggestions to help. 1.) Drink water. I know this is difficult because it often feels like your throat is closing and you can’t breathe, but do the best you can. Panic attacks send adrenaline pumping through your body. Water helps disperse adrenaline quicker. This helps your heart palpations slow down. 2.) If possible, put your head in your lap and make your body into a ball. Centering your gravity in a small space actually helps calm you down quicker. I would get on the ground, sit cross-legged, and put my head in my lap. If you’re in a public place, sitting down in a chair works as well. 3.) Start slowing counting down from 100 under your breath. This will cause you to naturally slow down your breathing and prevent hyperventilation. Keep hope. The more you practice, the quicker the panic attacks will subside.