Anxiety Coping Methods

[stupidginooo]

Hello -

I have recently been experiencing what I feel are anxiety symptoms.

Tight chest, feeling that there is something tickling my throat / small stuck in my throat, heart palpitations, etc.

When this began, I had my heart checked out during an episode and everything was ok (accelerated heart rate & slightly elevated blood pressure).  EKG was fine.

Since then, I have had two shorter, less severe episodes.

I do not want this to become a permanent condition and am eager to begin coping and dealing with these episodes.

I am looking for advice on dealing with or avoiding these symptoms in the future. Any and all advice on this topic is more than welcome. Thanks!

[tigereyedjames]

I think the first step to coping with anxiety is learning about it, accepting it as something that happens to a lot of people, and taking the proper measures to eliminate the factors in your life that might be causing it...learning to deal with your stress, cutting back on caffine and sugar, and exorcising (exorcising is reccomended by both doctors and therapists as a way to decrease anxiety.)
I am currently on meds (celexa) and am in therapy...I have had really bad days, and have come through it, and even though some recent factors in my life have increased my current anxiety levels, I know that I will come through this as well.
My personal coping methods are talking with friends who have been through it, running, and reading books on the subject (for me, after years of thinking that self-help books were useless, have found that learning about condition helps me in feeling more confident that I can deal with it...this works for me, but not for everyone.)
My biggest advice is that running from the problem, or ignoring it, doesn't work.
I am glad to hear that you are taking the first steps in dealing with it. Good luck and keep us posted.

[stupidginooo]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Unfortunately, my location does not allow me to find a therapist to work with, so I will need to find my way on my own.

I was able to nullify an episode relatively quickly this morning. Hopefully with time, I will learn to cope with these feelings, then things will even out and be back in harmony.

[Ariom63]

Seems like you are a very strong person and talking about taking the 1st steps to wanting to prevent this from happening again can be done if you get to the source when you 1st start feeling this way.  I sure wish I would have done something earlier but ended up on meds.  

But I have learned coping skills and living life to the fullest.  I just will not allow anxiety/panic to take over my being.  

There are days I feel bad..but far few and in between.  Wishing you the best of luck..you are not alone.  Don't know which road you are heading to, b ut try finding a good therapist, one that you feel comfortable with.

Best of luck to you!   Remember your mind is a very powerful thing!  Stay strong and healthy!

[natezekri]

HI im 15 yeas old i have been suffering from anxiety since i was 11 and i was having the same symptoms and i went to the emergency room about 5 times in one week because my parents thought i was have heart issues i eventually found out that it was anxiety and i was unable to go to school and was put on 3 different pill two are xanax and zoloft and my mom didnt like they way they made me look. She said i was lifeless and she took them off and within a year i got better. what is wierd is that i dont remember anything in that year literally. my anxiety attacks are coming back and i am back on xanax which i dont think is the best pill i have been suffering from memory loss i want to get off it. dont worry anxiety isn't permanent there is treatment  just breathe deeply through you nose and out through your mouth and think off all the good things in life like the people who love you. hang in there you will get better

[stupidginooo]

I also wanted to note that another issue i've been dealing with is sleeplessness. Several days, I have gone without sleep or had difficulty staying asleep.