Stupid anxiety
 

Re: Stupid anxiety
 

I would check with your doctor about whether the dosage or specific medication is the right one for you if you are still experiencing panic attacks. It sounds like maybe it's not working very well and you might need adjustments.

Additionally, you should seek out a therapist. Therapy is amazing and can help you develop tools to manage your anxiety.

Finally, lots of different tactics help people with their anxiety. Exercise that gets your adrenaline up such as rock climbing, running, biking, swimming, skiing, tennis etc, and mindfulness based activities like yoga and meditation, plenty of sleep, healthy food, and water, or even spending time with friends. However, while I totally endorse self-care and doing things that feel good to you and all that jazz, this is just stuff that's good for life, it's good because you're building up positive resources and experiences, but it's not meant to replace medications, if needed, and the therapeutic tools that a qualified therapist/counsellor can provide if you have a strong current of mental illness towing you down like I do.

Re: Stupid anxiety
 

Hi Lucy! :hug: Panic attacks are a really horrible experience and can be absolutely terrifying, so I'm very sorry that you're going through that. I have a few ideas that you may or may not have already tried:

1) When you feel like you're about to have a panic attack, or when you're in the midst of one and trying to calm yourself down, it can help to give your mind something else to do that is both soothing and repetitive, and requires some thinking. The 54321 technique is great - you look around at your surroundings and name 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. The more detailed and specific you are, the better. Counting up or down by strange numbers (so you really have to think about it) - e.g., 9's, 13's, 17's - might also help. And if you're with another person at the time, and you trust them, it might be helpful to have them walk you through whatever grounding techniques work well for you, since thinking clearly is usually difficult when you're panicking.

2) Some kind of major distraction can be really helpful in sort of re-setting your brain when you feel like you're about to have a panic attack. I suggest something that requires all of your attention and ideally some level of external composure - e.g., if you're at work and can feel yourself beginning to panic, go talk to a customer or your boss. Your goal is basically to interrupt the spiraling thought process that leads to a panic attack, and sometimes having interactions like that can be the "jolt" to your system that you need to kind of reset the situation! Things like engaging podcasts, songs, etc. might also work.

3) I totally agree with the previous user's recommendation to see a therapist! Therapists are awesome people and can make a huge difference. I think one of the most important things they can help you do is become less afraid of your panic attacks - I've found that once they become less scary, they don't happen as often, because fear of having a panic attack can sometimes actually lead to a panic attack. (Super ironic and horrible.) A therapist can help with that!

Hopefully something here helps! I'm sure that dealing with panic attacks for as long as you have been has been really, really rough, but you're awesome for continuing to stick with it and look for ways to get better. I hope things start looking up soon. :hug:

Re: Stupid anxiety
 

Panic Attacks can be quite debilitating that is for sure. Talking with a therapist is a good technique, but there are also other therapy options that work on processing things from your past that can bring on Panic Attacks. If you see a therapist you might want to ask your therapist about some of these therapies. If you ever need to chat please feel free to message me. My name is Tiffany and I am working on my Master's degree in School Counseling.

Re: Stupid anxiety
 

Hey Lucy,

The other members have already given you some great advice! I used to get panic attacks all the time, especially when I was a kid. One thing that really helped me was visualization. Whenever I felt an attack coming on, I used to visualize that I was petting my cat, and that really helped to calm me down. Listening to certain songs that I found calming was also a great help, so I suggest doing that if you're in a situation where that's available to you. And of course, breathing exercises are a great way to help prevent an attack. I would always get short of breath during an attack, too - try breathing in to the count of four and then exhaling to the count of four.

I hope this is somewhat helpful! Please don't hesitate to message me if you want to chat or anything. :) I know panic attacks are absolutely awful. I'm very fortunate that I don't get them anymore, but I had them for years.

I wish you all the best!

Re: Stupid anxiety
 

My older sister and I live together, so we spend a lot of time together. She's become very lethargic, emotionless lately, and hasn't spoken to me much. She's the kind of person who prefers not to talk about her problems, so I started to worry. I persuaded her to see a doctor, and he diagnosed her with depression caused by high levels of stress. She was shocked by this, threw all the doctor's prescriptions and refused to buy drugs, saying that she could do without them. I had to find it all myself and make her take it. If you encounter a similar problem, you can [Edited] find the medicine you need. And please take care of your health and the health of your loved ones, and give yourself time to recover.