Dealing with anxiety

My anxiety just comes on out of the blue, does anyone else have this problem. Plus I smoke which apparently makes it worse. How do you guys deal with your anxiety withoutout medication?

[Jerry_NJ]

I am not particularly proud of my effort on the same subject with the post "me again"  http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Anxiety/Me-again/show/1903386

but I offer it to you too.  Not the answer, but some ideas of things that may help.

[nicky39812]

Thank you for the response to my post. I really appreciate that a lot. These are some really good idea's that I am going to try. Especially the trying to stay busy, possibly some excersie. I am  willing to try anything at this point, just tired of feeling the horrid anxiety, that hits me out of the blue.




Thank you so much Nicky.

[bubblez91]

My anxiety comes out of the blue too. Im not on meds either, but what i did was find out what physically triggers my attacks and changed what i could. For example weed, caffine, skipping meals etc. I had to stop doing things i saw trigger it. I dont really think they cause they actual anxiety attack but they do cause symptoms like rapid heart beat and stuff which makes my body think im about to have a panic attack which adds to the anxiety which actually causes the anciety attack... i think the best way to deal with it is working on your mental health and state of mind... with all this the anxiety never goes away and the fear of an attack is always still there but i dont get attacks as offten as before and they arent as sevear but the anxiety it self .... always lingers, im starting to think meds is the only way??

[nicky39812]

Yea I realize that there are different things that have been shown to trigger rapid heart beat and trick the body into thinking its having a anxiety attack. I have done a little research myself its shown that limiting caffeine, nicotiene etc can help. Unfortunatley for myself I smoke because it helps me when I am stressing and such. But I am going to try and limit it because sometimes it does cause my heart to race, but like anything its a nasty addiction. As for my mental health, I also deal with Major Deppressive Disorder. So thats going to be a little more difficult, but I'm working on talking more about my feelings and problems. It sometimes helps, but some people will just not ever truly understand the pain and stress. As for why I dont medicate is because I was on Ativan for my anxiety and I ended up overdosing on a full body and almost died. I literally woke up in the hospital, not knowing anything that had happened and was in a physc unit for 5 days. So medication may work for you but I also found out that Ativan was a deppressant, so it was making me feel worse ultimately. You just have to do your research and know what your taking exactly.

Thanks for all your help,
Nicky

[bubblez91]

Wow me too!! I mean i have depression too idk if the depression comes from the anxiety or vise versa, but yur right people who never had to deal with this will never understand, so it makea it even harder to open up. Ive tried talkin to people about it, but they think anxiety is just worrying, they dont understand that it has physical symptoms that are very scary. So when i say anxiety attack they think im jus stressin sumn when in reality i feel like im about to die. And i too had been avoiding the meds for the same reason as when i get really depressed i tend to be impulsive and have OD'd before.... :/

[nicky39812]

Really, glad that I am not the only person. I feel that way a lot of the time. Yes it makes it very hard to open up, especially when they dont take you seriously, which makes you feel 10 times worse. The physical symptoms are horrid I had a mini panic attack in my car before going to work, thankfully I had my best friend to talk to. Yes exactly, I feel that way to. My heart races and my breathing increases. I know meds and very deppressive, and very impulsive people do not mix. :( I wish I could trust myself, but I just cant.

Nicky

[bubblez91]

Yea it feels better knowing yu are not alone. N i know what yu mean i wish i could trust myself but i know meds will not be a good idea, but who knows ... maybe its a risk worth taking coz latly ive bn feeling like something has to change i really cant see me living the rest of my life in fear i mean im only 21 ... what do your anxiety attacks feel like nicky? How long do the last? What do yu do to cease it?

[nicky39812]

Yea, this is true I am only 22 and have been dealing with anxiety and deppression since I was little. I mean if you can find a anxiety medication that will actually help you  then go for it but just make sure you can trust yourself first. Some medicaiton can and will make you feel worse unfortunatly lots of anti-anxiety and anti-depressants can casue suicidal tendencies. I do not recomment ativan, mainly because it is a depressant itself. My anxiety attacks feel like my heart is beating very quickly, my breathing becomes shallow and sometimes if its bad enough I hyproventalite, causing tingling throughout my body, sometimes leading to me going to the ER, last bad one I had my oxygen level got down to 72%!  All I try to do is calm down and talk to my best friend, because she understands. But sometimes I cant do anything but hope it stops. Its a hit and miss for me personally.

Nicky

[bubblez91]

Ooh :// ive had really bad ones before too that lasted hours so i had to go to the er to get meds for it to stop. For me its like im in a dream everything looks n feels weird like extreemly vidid ...n then i get hot n cold chest pains my left arm hurts n goes numb my knees get week sum times i throw up n have nose bleeds too i always feel like im having a heart attack itsz horrible!!!

[nicky39812]

Jeeze that sounds pretty bad, gosh I can't believe sometimes you throw up and get nose bleeds :( thats horrid. I know I feel like I am having a heart attack too, like I can't breath I have actually passed out because its so bad plus I am hyperventalating a lot. Ugh got to love anxeity, NOT!

[Marie0456]

Having a competent doctor that you trust is key to getting the correct help. I suffer from anxiety and MDD. I see a counselor weekly and I go to group through NAMI weekly. It has been a long three year process to get to this point. Denial was first, then a trip to my family MD that I trust, then anger that I took out on the counselor, Now acceptance and a list of strategies to deal with my feelings etc... Good luck.

[nicky39812]

Thank you Marie, I appreciate your thoughts. I have a really good family doctor, but unfortunately all he wanted to do was prescrible me medication. All on which I have O'd on :(. I was seening a therapist and well she was kind of a ***** about my problems. So I just stopped going, I am trying to figure out how to deal with things on my own. Its a process but I am glad I am not alone!



Thanks so much, good luck to you also
Nicky :)