My first thought is to pray which always takes the feelings away and I always distract my thoughts by doing something like cleaning or organizing I have a very clean and tidy home because of this lol.

Iasked myself what is the truth in what I am thinking, am I dieing? NO! Am I going crazy? No! Will I stop breathing? NO! all that have been stated here are facts, you don't Die from Anxiety, stop breahting, go crazy, so my first reaction is to ask the truth about tthe situation I am in, does it warrant an fear? or aanxiety, usually not, then I try to relax and not fight it cuz giving anxiety second fear is now falling prey to it, what's wron, somethings wrong, I know there is, all these are negative's and you need to think positve.
In the Book "The Anxiety nad Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne, it gives and tell you first hand COPING SKILLS, get it, I know it is here on line somewhere free on DS

Here is the book, free


http://books.google.com/books?id=C

Sorry try this one


http://books.google.com/books?id=C...#PPP1,M1

http://books.google.com/books?id=C

go to the Aniety Forum go to page 2 and #7 post, get it there, I seem to not be able to post it, morning time! ;0

I try to distract myself from "feeding my thoughts" and also throw the thought over my shoulder and walk away and dont look back. (Obviously this is in my head) but you can do what works for you.
Put it in a balloon and watch it disappear up out of sight, get a big bat and bat it out of your life, take it into the middle of no where and bury it .... just what you prefer.

I also bring myself into the moment ... I am not sure I am doing it right ... but I try to centre my thoughts, so I think of nothing ... I was doing it last night in bed while trying to get to sleep, and it worked. I am not sure it would have if I was worried though, I was just tired.

There is another book called "Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers. I have it, but have not read much of it, but apparantly it is very good.

Good Luck

If it is a small attack, I get busy, but if it is too bad....I have no choice but to take a xanax!

Today I took my Buspar, took a walk, went and ran some errands with the family and tried to face the deeper threat. It's been somewhat, yet not completely successful.

Sounds like great progress Don. Everytime and everyday will get easier with your change in attitude.

Well , I'm doing OK. This is the first real tough challenge I've had since I've been on the board but I'm hanging in there. Thanks for the help
Joel

I do my breathing techniques, i then just get on with it what ever the trigger, i usually do fine, days like yesterday, i still got on with it but was on the roller coaster of anxiety, waited till bed time, took clonopin, had to take more than i suppossed to a it has stopped worked, ativan and valium have never worked am scared am at the end of the road with med help when needed.
Im just trying hard to get on with life and ignore the anxiety.

Yes ~ breathing correctly is very important in controlling your anxiety.

Another thing donttread, one step at a time, baby steps, is my motto.
Try not to acheive too much too quick, allow yourself to take things at your pace, not others.

You will get to know what is enough for you by trial and error.

Good Luck

Hi donttread: I read and reread my "Worry Therapy" Book (below). I have posted it on the anxiety group and in the Serenity Room before with positive replies. I'm hoping it will help you today. Please take away from it whatever helps. It's not meant to tell you how to live your life ... just offer some little gentle reminders of ways to help deal with anxiety when it first hits. Best wishes! ~Pattye~

WORRY THERAPY

Worry is like the rain â a little can be good; too much is destructive. Like a gentle rain, worry can be a gift from God, letting us know life is out of balance and needs fixing.

Sometimes worry isnât so gentle. It pours down so hard we feel as if weâre drowning in it. Yet we can learn to channel worry in positive directions.

Just as we can weatherproof a house, we can take steps to âworry-proofâ out lives. We canât stop the worry from coming (or the rain from falling), but we CAN make sure we have shelter when it hits.

Make a list of what worries you. When you get worries off your chest and onto paper, you take away some of their power. You can begin to look at them more objectively.

Look at your Worry List and ask, âWhatâs my biggest worry today?â Circle it. Ask yourself, âWhat can I do to lessen this concern today?â Then do it.

Be sure to focus on what you can do, not on what you CANâT. It will help you to realize that you do have choices and to come up with creative solutions.

Too often, we only think about whatâs wrong in our lives. Next time you face a worrisome situation, ask yourself, âWhatâs right here?â Balance your worries with hope and optimism.

Make another list. Call it your âJust Fine List.â As you ponder all the things that are okay with your life, you may find that your Just Fine List dwarfs your Worry List.

Get going on a worrisome task early in the day. That way, it loses its power to hold the rest of your day captive.

Itâs easy to imagine the worse, but the worst rarely happens. Most of the time things work out just fine â whether weâve worried about them or not. Try not to âawfulize.â

When youâre feeling overwhelmed by the âwhat ifsâ (âWhat if X goes wrong?â âWhat if Y happens?â, itâs time for some backup planning. Assume the thing youâre worried about DOES in fact happen. What will you do? What will you need?

When we crowd our schedules with too many commitments, we create opportunities for increased tension. Try slowing down your day. Space out your commitments ⦠leave gaps in your schedule ⦠give yourself a little breathing room.

Being a worrywart involves constantly visualizing bad things happening. Redirect your imagination and visualize positive outcomes. Once you can visualize something good happening, you can look forward to it.

If youâre worried about something big in the future, plan ahead. What small steps can you take now to help you cut a big worry down to size?

Worries multiply when weâre scattered and unfocused. Try to do one thing at a time. When you concentrate on the task at hand â no matter how great or small â you leave less room for worry to take hold.

Worry thrives on the feeling of helplessness. Donât hesitate to ask for the help you need. Your burdens will be lightened.

Many worriers have trouble delegating. When we realize others are able to carry some of our responsibilities, we can share the load. And the whole world isnât on our shoulders anymore. What a relief!

Listen to your âself-talkâ â the messages you send yourself. Are you telling yourself, âIâll never succeed at anything,â or âIâm always messing things upâ? Eliminate negative self-talk and watch worry wither away.

Some of the things we worry about are beyond our own ability to fix. When youâre feeling overwhelmed by a problem, invite God into the situation through prayer.

Try using distraction in situations that make you uncomfortable. Engage your mind in something more intriguing than worry. Read a book, take a walk, etc.

There are few worries that can outlast a luxurious bubble bath, a dip in a whirlpool, or a hot shower. Let warm water bring soothing comfort while you take a break from your worries. As you allow your body to relax, notice how your worries lose their grip on you.

Gentle music can soothe a trouble soul. When was the last time you took in a string quartet, a classical guitar concert, or gentle piano music? Find peaceful music that suits your tastes, and keep it near at hand whenever worry starts to disturb the peace.

Laughter is the best medicine for many ailments, including excessive worry. Take in a funny movie or play; call a friend who makes you laugh; read the cartoons in the paper. Laughter can brighten a day clouded with worry. Let the sun shine!

Getting enough sleep at night is essential when youâre feeling overcome by worry. And donât overlook the healing power of a catnap. After all, when was the last time you saw a cat that looked worried?

Eat well and wisely â donât add poor nutrition or overeating to your worries. Make meals a time to socialize, to enjoy the company of family and friends, to celebrate life.

Spend time in the great outdoors and observe nature at work. The grandeur of creation has a way of shrinking worries. Take a walk and tell worry to take a hike!

Seek out optimistic people. Naysayers bring nothing but worry. Positive and hopeful people bring balm to a troubled soul.

Divide your worries in half by sharing them with a trusted confidant. Just getting them out into the open often lessens the load. Plus, you may gain a fresh, more objective perspective on the situation, leading to new solutions.

When you get in touch with a good friend, you get in touch with the goodness, beauty, and strength inside yourself. Cultivate the garden of friendship and there will be less room for the weeds of worry to take root.

If you dwell in the past, you invite regrets. If you dwell in the future, you invite worry. When you dwell in the present, you invite delight, because the present moment is filled with nothing but wonder!

Some of us, by temperament, are more prone to worry. And we need extra effort to keep it in check. Know your own warning signs when worry is throwing you off balance, and take immediate steps to steady yourself.

Worry thrives in a noisy environment. Take some quiet time for yourself. Turn down the volume and listen to the calm, still voice at your center. There ⦠isnât that better?

Given lifeâs many uncertainties, a certain amount of worrying is unavoidable. But if you let God be in charge, you will find that you donât have to control life â you only have to live it.

Donât let worry get the best of you â get the best of worry. Use it as a springboard to take needed action, improve your outlook, and get your life in balance.