Aa
help with anxiety
hello everyone, i am feeling anxious today so need some support, i suffered with anxiety about 6yrs ago and thought i was dying, i found no panic website and they was brilliant, i was in a bad relationship and my anxiety eased off abit, my fear was feeling my heart beating fast thinking i was damaging it, anyway met a new partner and my anxiety wasnt there for a while then it just started again, my partner was helpful because he had suffered panic attacks before, anyway we split up about 12months ago now, i met somebody else about 8months ago and my anxiety i think has only came on me bad about twice but never with my boyfriend, i have started feeling like i can feel my heart going fast again so i am fixated on it, i go out for a drink now and get palpitations so i had to have an ecg and it was fine, i have been off work sick for a week and going back in today and i am feeling really anxious, i work in a hospital so me with a health anxiety the way i am at the moment it isnt making my anxiety any better, i dont want my boyfriend to know how bad i am but it is upsetting me because i am moving in with him in 2weeks and scared that he will find out i suffer from anxiety, he isnt the type were he would understand, because i can seem to control it as such now, when i do get an overwhelming feeling of anxiety and i cant calm down thats when it scares me to death because i think about the bad times when i had the anxiety bad, i have never took medication before because i dont agree with it, doctors just dish them out to often they never have time to listen to you, its easier to mask the problem with drugs, anyway if people have got any coping techniches let me know it would be nice to chat.
Beewoman's comments are very insightful and I just wanted to add that you are not alone in what your are feeling. My first anxiety attack happened when I was 19 and I'm 46 now. At the time of my first attack, I didn't know what was happening, was very confused and upset, and thought I was going to have a heart attack. I went to the doctor, found out I was physically sick and rationalized my attack was due to the illness. It doesn't seem that long ago but doctors didn't really recognize or diagnose attacks as anxiety back then. My first one happened at a mall that I frequented on a weekly basis for years. I couldn't enter a mall for 6 months due to that first attack but I eventually got over it and moved on. After all, I didn't know that what I experienced was an anxiety attack.
I didn't have another attack, that I can remember at least, for years. Then I started experiencing them again after I had my twins. At this point I was 32. I figured my symptoms must be due to sleep deprivation but it was the anxiety rearing its ugly head once again. This time, when I went to my doctor about it, she diagnosed me with anxiety and asked me if other members of my family had "episodes". My doctor had done studies on anxiety in her post-grad work and she told me something that blew my mind. She said that anxiety is hereditary so I probably had it passed down to me. So I started asking my family and found out my mother, sisters, brothers and even grandmothers experienced these same feelings and attacks. It was comforting to know that it just wasn't happening to me, that I was some sort of freak. Alot of people are uncomfortable about talking about this because they think they are the only ones that feel this way but as you can see it's not true.
I never took meds for this because #1- I didn't know I was having anxiety attacks and #2 no one had diagnosed it until 13 years after I had my first one. My doctor did prescribe Ativan for me but told me to take it ONLY if I felt an attack coming on. She only prescribed a small amount, like 10 pills, but just knowing I had something there for me if I needed it, helped me to control my anxiety. I'm not an advocate for taking medication for anxiety but I'm sure some people really need to.
As far as coping techniques, I have a couple to offer.Atleast these worked for me.
1- Recognize what triggers an attack for you and change the pattern. My second series of attacks were triggered by the produce dept at my grocery store I went to almost daily. Sounds silly but that's what happened. I recognized the trigger and avoided the produce section for about 3 visits and was back on track in a week.
2- When you know an attack is happening, don't focus on it. Distract yourself with praying, reading, watching television, calling someone on the phone, anything to get your mind off of it. If that doesn't work, try to reason your way out of it. Control your attack, don't let it control you. This isn't easy the first couple of times, but eventually you will be able to control it. As you said previously, it's mind over matter. I firmly believe that.
This forum is wonderful, I just happened upon it looking for acne help for my son so I hope this helps. Let me know how you're doing, I understand comletely what you are going through. But realize that it will get better and you are not alone with the way that you are feeling.
Take care,
Tina
I didn't have another attack, that I can remember at least, for years. Then I started experiencing them again after I had my twins. At this point I was 32. I figured my symptoms must be due to sleep deprivation but it was the anxiety rearing its ugly head once again. This time, when I went to my doctor about it, she diagnosed me with anxiety and asked me if other members of my family had "episodes". My doctor had done studies on anxiety in her post-grad work and she told me something that blew my mind. She said that anxiety is hereditary so I probably had it passed down to me. So I started asking my family and found out my mother, sisters, brothers and even grandmothers experienced these same feelings and attacks. It was comforting to know that it just wasn't happening to me, that I was some sort of freak. Alot of people are uncomfortable about talking about this because they think they are the only ones that feel this way but as you can see it's not true.
I never took meds for this because #1- I didn't know I was having anxiety attacks and #2 no one had diagnosed it until 13 years after I had my first one. My doctor did prescribe Ativan for me but told me to take it ONLY if I felt an attack coming on. She only prescribed a small amount, like 10 pills, but just knowing I had something there for me if I needed it, helped me to control my anxiety. I'm not an advocate for taking medication for anxiety but I'm sure some people really need to.
As far as coping techniques, I have a couple to offer.Atleast these worked for me.
1- Recognize what triggers an attack for you and change the pattern. My second series of attacks were triggered by the produce dept at my grocery store I went to almost daily. Sounds silly but that's what happened. I recognized the trigger and avoided the produce section for about 3 visits and was back on track in a week.
2- When you know an attack is happening, don't focus on it. Distract yourself with praying, reading, watching television, calling someone on the phone, anything to get your mind off of it. If that doesn't work, try to reason your way out of it. Control your attack, don't let it control you. This isn't easy the first couple of times, but eventually you will be able to control it. As you said previously, it's mind over matter. I firmly believe that.
This forum is wonderful, I just happened upon it looking for acne help for my son so I hope this helps. Let me know how you're doing, I understand comletely what you are going through. But realize that it will get better and you are not alone with the way that you are feeling.
Take care,
Tina
hiya, yes i have seen a councillor awhile ago but it done me no good, i hate just sitting there and talking when they dont, i like somebody to talk to me aswell, i went to see my doctors husband who used to be a GP but he now has a homeopathic clinic now what you have to pay to see him, he prescribed these crystals called aconite, you put one on your tongue, it could be mind over matter but i think they do calm you down, i havnt had them for ages but when my anxiety came back the other week i called in and bought some, i just wanted to say thanks for your comment.
I just noticed your post and sorry for not answering it sooner.
First, you came to the right place for support, this forum will really help you, by reading what others have gone through and how they cope and also by conversing with people that really truly understand what you are going through.
If you are moving in with your boyfriend in 2 weeks, it must be a serious relationship, that is wonderful for you. All relationships must be built on trust and therefore you have got to share your anxiety with your boyfriend. If you do not, it will be so stressful for you to hide it, that by doing so you will increase your anxiety and make it much worse than it is already. Please tell him and also let him read some articles about it, and how he can help. If he loves you he will try and understand.
You say you don;t take meds, I can understand that, neither do I. Although I have read many threads from those that have been helped by medication when it has been properly prescribed by a good doctor. However, you do not mention if you have been to therapy or tried talking with a professional who could perhaps coach you in ways of coping strategies and such like.
There are many books out there that claim to be "cure" anxiety, some have great techniques. Get them from your local library and start reading. Breathing techniques can be found on the internet and they so help if you practice them.
If you look on my profile, in the past I have listed different techniques that I used and books that I found good too, in past threads section.
Good luck, but tell your boyfriend sooner rather than later!
First, you came to the right place for support, this forum will really help you, by reading what others have gone through and how they cope and also by conversing with people that really truly understand what you are going through.
If you are moving in with your boyfriend in 2 weeks, it must be a serious relationship, that is wonderful for you. All relationships must be built on trust and therefore you have got to share your anxiety with your boyfriend. If you do not, it will be so stressful for you to hide it, that by doing so you will increase your anxiety and make it much worse than it is already. Please tell him and also let him read some articles about it, and how he can help. If he loves you he will try and understand.
You say you don;t take meds, I can understand that, neither do I. Although I have read many threads from those that have been helped by medication when it has been properly prescribed by a good doctor. However, you do not mention if you have been to therapy or tried talking with a professional who could perhaps coach you in ways of coping strategies and such like.
There are many books out there that claim to be "cure" anxiety, some have great techniques. Get them from your local library and start reading. Breathing techniques can be found on the internet and they so help if you practice them.
If you look on my profile, in the past I have listed different techniques that I used and books that I found good too, in past threads section.
Good luck, but tell your boyfriend sooner rather than later!
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
