Hi, I got this in an email and thought I would share it here as I deal with alot of anxiety myself...
take care
gina :)
Deal With Panic & Anxiety
I can still remember this day.
It was shortly after my divorce I was a single parent
with no money and two young children.
It came upon me suddenly, out of the blue.
I couldn't breathe. My chest hurt. My heart hurt.
I couldn't stop it. I panicked.
The more I panicked, the worse it got.
I called 911. The ambulance came.
They gave me some oxygen, then politely told me not to worry;
it was just a panic attack.
I had experienced another one
of those attacks, as long time ago.
Right after I first married the children's father,
I had shut myself down from anxiety.
I couldn't breathe, couldn't speak
from the fear I felt.
Many people experience panic and anxiety attacks.
Maybe you've had only one or two incidents of it;
maybe panic and anxiety make regular
appearances in your life.
Most people I've met have experience fear.
These are a few little clues I've learned that have helped me to deal with my own attacks.
* Breathe. Whenever we panic, our breath comes
low, awkward spurts. By deliberately breathing
slowly and calmly, we can slow our panic down.
We feed it by breathing fast. We put our
bodies on hyper alert. If we breathe as were
through we're relaxed, our bodies will start
slowing down.
* Don't respond to your panic with more fear.
sometimes we double what we're going through
by having an emotional reaction to our initial
reaction to our initial reaction. We're afraid,
because we're feeling fear. Let yourself go
original feeling without reacting to yourself.
* Instead of focusing on your fear, let yourself
be aware that you're feeling it, but do this.
Your panic will want you to do something else,
something that feeds panic and makes it grow.
Do something calming and quiet even though
that activity doesn't feel right to you. It could
be reading a meditation, listening to some
quiet music, taking a shower, or saying a prayer.
We all have things that help us calm us down.
Find something that works for you.
If panic and anxiety are a continual problem,
seek professional help.
But if they are only isolated incidents in your life
you may be able to help yourself.
One tool that has never let me down when it comes to anxiety
and fear is working Step One of the Twelve Step program.
I admit that I'm powerless over my panic
and fear, and my life has become unmanageable.
Then I ask God what I need to do next.
Don't let your fears run from your life.
Make it a goal to get through them.
Ask them what they're trying to tell you.
You may be on a path that's new, and
your body is just reacting to that.
There may be a hidden emotion underneath all this fear,
something you'd rather not see.
Or maybe you and your life are just changing so fast that
everything in your world is brand new.
Be gentle and loving will yourself and others.
God, help me welcome all the new experiences in my life.
Give me the courage to calmly walk my path today,
knowing I'm knowing I'm right where
I need to be.
Melody Beattie
BLESS YOU GINA ..YOU ARE A TRUE ANGEL.. have a great mother day sweetie your so loved here love poopie good post...
Gina,that was so calming just reading it! Ive never ever had anxiety or panic attacks until 4 weeks ago when i quit taking hydros...then i got hit with them bad.Having never experienced this before i wsant sure how to react,but i ended up doing just what you describe above,and it worked each time.For me,i would just get away by myself,out on my patio,or in my room and try and relax,read a magazine(that always works for me)Thanks for the post,it is very helpfull!Happy mothers day!~KIM
I am panicking right now cause I gave my meds to my husband. I feel like I am dying inside. I am breathing but I want my meds back in my own hands. But it is a beautiful thought.
Tina
Tina
Hey Gina:
Thanks for posting that. I couldnt imagine living my live without knowing the techniques to stomp anxiety. Yesterday was getting on MY NERVES! My husband and I were kid-free for the day and went to a water park. When I am anxious, I am overlyconscienious of my heart rate and breathing, which in turn throws it off because I am too aware of it.
I had to fight all day yesterday. Never had a full fledge OMG, IM FREAKING OUT MAN session but it was all I could do not to. It took a wonderful day from me. I couldnt focus on our togetherness because I was spending the day with my anxiety. We have four kids and a kid-free day is far and few between. Robbed from us. I wish now I would have just taken .5 of xanax and enjoyed the day but it is on an as needed bases. To me, as needed is when I am doing all I can do not to freak out and I am unsuccessful with the techniques that work for me in making it stop. That wasnt the case though. I was 'handling it' it was just taking every fiber of my being and all of my eergy to do so. I hate xanax worse than I hate anxiety. And for that, I am thankful.
But truthfully, now that the day is gone, I wish I would have taken my medicine and not be hardheaded. My husband deserved to have a good day with a pretty young woman that is happy fun and full of life. He got a stressful day of reassuring me everything was cool, its just anxiety. I dont know why he accepted this in me. At first he was like what the hell is wrong with you? He had to educate himself about it, it cant be explained if you have never felt it. He is AWESOME with me. He can get tough if I dont get it together.
Thanks for posting that. I couldnt imagine living my live without knowing the techniques to stomp anxiety. Yesterday was getting on MY NERVES! My husband and I were kid-free for the day and went to a water park. When I am anxious, I am overlyconscienious of my heart rate and breathing, which in turn throws it off because I am too aware of it.
I had to fight all day yesterday. Never had a full fledge OMG, IM FREAKING OUT MAN session but it was all I could do not to. It took a wonderful day from me. I couldnt focus on our togetherness because I was spending the day with my anxiety. We have four kids and a kid-free day is far and few between. Robbed from us. I wish now I would have just taken .5 of xanax and enjoyed the day but it is on an as needed bases. To me, as needed is when I am doing all I can do not to freak out and I am unsuccessful with the techniques that work for me in making it stop. That wasnt the case though. I was 'handling it' it was just taking every fiber of my being and all of my eergy to do so. I hate xanax worse than I hate anxiety. And for that, I am thankful.
But truthfully, now that the day is gone, I wish I would have taken my medicine and not be hardheaded. My husband deserved to have a good day with a pretty young woman that is happy fun and full of life. He got a stressful day of reassuring me everything was cool, its just anxiety. I dont know why he accepted this in me. At first he was like what the hell is wrong with you? He had to educate himself about it, it cant be explained if you have never felt it. He is AWESOME with me. He can get tough if I dont get it together.
It's true that when you first start feeling anxious, you'll notice how fast your heart is beating and your breathing..... then this "internal awareness" causes even MORE symptoms, because now you are so aware of your pulse that your heart starts beating faster.....
You'll think something like "My heart is beating fast; I'm having a panic attack." This causes you to become so aware of what's happening to your body b/c you're thinking "Ok, this is just an anxiety attack".... but now you're noticing your pulse your breating to reassure yourself that it's just panic, which causes your heart to beat faster due to the anxiety......
This may sound confusing to most, but for those who suffer with panic attacks, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Gina's post was excellent, though it took me about 12 years to get to the point where I could stop a panic attack before it got out of hand.
Controlling your breathing is the NUMBER ONE thing you can do to prevent these attacks...... During a panic attack, you're likely to start breathing too fast (due to the anxiety), which then causes dizziness, numbness of the arms & other extremeties, increased fear, feeling faint, etc. These symptoms cause the panic attack to get out of control, because now you're thinking "Is something wrong with me? My arm is numb; is it a heart attack? I feel like I'm going to pass out - am I dying?"
If you cannot take slow, deep breaths, then try taking a deep breath and holding it..... This will force you to slow your breathing down.
You can also try sitting on the toilet & trying to have a bowel movement..... I don't know why this works, but it really does.... Even if you don't go, the "actions" that goes into this helps slow your heart rate, which then reduces anxiety. It's disgusting I know, but I've had anxiety so bad that I couldn't leave the house, and I've had almost 13 years of perfecting my techniques in handling this.
I also keep a book on panic attacks next to my bed because it helps to read of other people having the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS (which helps reassure me "I am not going to die").
I call family members and have them talk to me to help calm me down, especially if I'm alone (I'm always scared that I will pass out or have a heart attack & no one will get to me in time, so I figure if I'm on the phone with someone, they'll know to call 911 if something happens).
As a last resort, if I had a panic attack that was EXTREMELY intense (this mainly happened when I first started getting them & still wasnt' sure exactly what was going on), I would sit in the WAITING room of the local ER. I would tell a nurse that I was having a horrible anxiety attack & that I was 99% sure I would be okay, but if they saw me passed out, then to help. It sounds stupid, I know, but it worked for me. When I have panic attacks, my biggest fear is that I'm going to die.... so being in a hospital helped reassure me: If something really WAS wrong, I'd have the doctors right there.
By sitting in the waiting room, it didn't cost me any money, I didn't take up a doctor's time that could be used for someone who REALLY needed it, & I could leave whenever I felt better (I have been known to spend a few hours there every night for weeks).
The good news is that you DO learn to live with this and it does get easier and easier to deal with it....... Up until I started suboxone, I always carried one xanax with me, too...... Sometimes it helped just knowing I could take something to make the panic attack go away, other times I'd have to take 1/4 or 1/2 to get better.....
Antidepressants work GREAT in preventing anxiety attacks, though they could take weeks & weeks to start working & can make anxiety worse in the beginning (when I'm on Zoloft, for example, I'll feel a panic attack coming on, but it's like my mind won't let my body get out of control... it goes away on its own).
Sorry for this long post..... you can tell this is something I've dealt with a lot.
Thanks, Gina..... I think your post will help a lot of people, especially during the withdrawal phase.
Danielle
You'll think something like "My heart is beating fast; I'm having a panic attack." This causes you to become so aware of what's happening to your body b/c you're thinking "Ok, this is just an anxiety attack".... but now you're noticing your pulse your breating to reassure yourself that it's just panic, which causes your heart to beat faster due to the anxiety......
This may sound confusing to most, but for those who suffer with panic attacks, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Gina's post was excellent, though it took me about 12 years to get to the point where I could stop a panic attack before it got out of hand.
Controlling your breathing is the NUMBER ONE thing you can do to prevent these attacks...... During a panic attack, you're likely to start breathing too fast (due to the anxiety), which then causes dizziness, numbness of the arms & other extremeties, increased fear, feeling faint, etc. These symptoms cause the panic attack to get out of control, because now you're thinking "Is something wrong with me? My arm is numb; is it a heart attack? I feel like I'm going to pass out - am I dying?"
If you cannot take slow, deep breaths, then try taking a deep breath and holding it..... This will force you to slow your breathing down.
You can also try sitting on the toilet & trying to have a bowel movement..... I don't know why this works, but it really does.... Even if you don't go, the "actions" that goes into this helps slow your heart rate, which then reduces anxiety. It's disgusting I know, but I've had anxiety so bad that I couldn't leave the house, and I've had almost 13 years of perfecting my techniques in handling this.
I also keep a book on panic attacks next to my bed because it helps to read of other people having the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS (which helps reassure me "I am not going to die").
I call family members and have them talk to me to help calm me down, especially if I'm alone (I'm always scared that I will pass out or have a heart attack & no one will get to me in time, so I figure if I'm on the phone with someone, they'll know to call 911 if something happens).
As a last resort, if I had a panic attack that was EXTREMELY intense (this mainly happened when I first started getting them & still wasnt' sure exactly what was going on), I would sit in the WAITING room of the local ER. I would tell a nurse that I was having a horrible anxiety attack & that I was 99% sure I would be okay, but if they saw me passed out, then to help. It sounds stupid, I know, but it worked for me. When I have panic attacks, my biggest fear is that I'm going to die.... so being in a hospital helped reassure me: If something really WAS wrong, I'd have the doctors right there.
By sitting in the waiting room, it didn't cost me any money, I didn't take up a doctor's time that could be used for someone who REALLY needed it, & I could leave whenever I felt better (I have been known to spend a few hours there every night for weeks).
The good news is that you DO learn to live with this and it does get easier and easier to deal with it....... Up until I started suboxone, I always carried one xanax with me, too...... Sometimes it helped just knowing I could take something to make the panic attack go away, other times I'd have to take 1/4 or 1/2 to get better.....
Antidepressants work GREAT in preventing anxiety attacks, though they could take weeks & weeks to start working & can make anxiety worse in the beginning (when I'm on Zoloft, for example, I'll feel a panic attack coming on, but it's like my mind won't let my body get out of control... it goes away on its own).
Sorry for this long post..... you can tell this is something I've dealt with a lot.
Thanks, Gina..... I think your post will help a lot of people, especially during the withdrawal phase.
Danielle
Precisely, I have a friggin law degree and havent ever in my life been able to explain it so well.
I am really starting to have an intense deep hatred for this curse. I will find a way, person, answer, RESOLUTION to being dealt this bulls***. I will eat it alive before it consumes me... I say despite the fact I have had to fight round after round of anxiety all day.
I am really starting to have an intense deep hatred for this curse. I will find a way, person, answer, RESOLUTION to being dealt this bulls***. I will eat it alive before it consumes me... I say despite the fact I have had to fight round after round of anxiety all day.
Dear Gina,
This is the first time I've been on this sight and I'm soooooo glad I did! I've recently been put on an anti-anxiety med called buspar. I just got it filled the other day so we'll see if it helps. I never really understood anxiety until I had my first attack and I thought I was having a heart attack! It was really hard to even read your post because I've been having attacks so frequently. I have been to the hospital twice, but that was because I was using and thought that the coke was causing my symtoms. Now that I've been clean for over a month I still have attacks! I'm sure it doesn't help my anxiety now that I'm clean and my husband is still stuggling! It's hard to even read the posts on how to cope with my husband because I start feeling the palpatations and fear that I'm going to have yet another attack! Some addvise on dealing with him would be helpful.
Sincerely,
Forgiven
This is the first time I've been on this sight and I'm soooooo glad I did! I've recently been put on an anti-anxiety med called buspar. I just got it filled the other day so we'll see if it helps. I never really understood anxiety until I had my first attack and I thought I was having a heart attack! It was really hard to even read your post because I've been having attacks so frequently. I have been to the hospital twice, but that was because I was using and thought that the coke was causing my symtoms. Now that I've been clean for over a month I still have attacks! I'm sure it doesn't help my anxiety now that I'm clean and my husband is still stuggling! It's hard to even read the posts on how to cope with my husband because I start feeling the palpatations and fear that I'm going to have yet another attack! Some addvise on dealing with him would be helpful.
Sincerely,
Forgiven
Welcome to the board Forgiven. Consider yourself lucky to have found it. I would recommend you post on the pain pill board because there is more traffic and alot of others understand our plight, although they have different addictions.
I am SO happy to hear you werent put on benzos, trust me, it isnt worth is.
I hope your anxiety and attacks get fewer and far between but when you are having one and cant get it together it is PERFECTLY ok to come here and post "Having attack, talk me through it". I use to do that and never came a time someone didnt hang out with me until it was over.
Idle chit-chat is the most effective diversion for me when having an attack. It puts me back in everyone elses realm of reality.
I am SO happy to hear you werent put on benzos, trust me, it isnt worth is.
I hope your anxiety and attacks get fewer and far between but when you are having one and cant get it together it is PERFECTLY ok to come here and post "Having attack, talk me through it". I use to do that and never came a time someone didnt hang out with me until it was over.
Idle chit-chat is the most effective diversion for me when having an attack. It puts me back in everyone elses realm of reality.
