Is there hope?

[duv05]

Does anybody have any advice on this anxiety stuff?  As I read more and more I am realizing that from all the people that suffer from this, more often than not they suffer from it for a long period of time.  While I am tryin to learn how to cope with this, I am jsut wondering if there are any people out there who have in fact figured this out.  This is something that is relatively new to me and I do not want it to be a compounding problem.  I dunno how much anybody can help me, all I do know is that I hope and pray there is some way to combat this.  My anxiety seems to come more so when I am alone or trying to fall asleep.  It's as tho I tell my mind to stop thinking about **** but it just wont listen.  

[remar]

i would suggest therapy to start with. and learning some breathing exercises. there are alot of people who only go through this for a short time so don't give up hope. take care. remar

[KOBISKING]

I don't know "if any has figured it out," but I do know that people learn to cope with it and significantly reduce the anxiety. Remar is correct. Therapy can be very beneficial; however it seems that your anxiety level is excessive. You may want to obtain a psychiatric evaluation. You may need some medication temporarily to calm the racing thoughts. It can be difficult to remain focused in a therapy session when you are easily distracted. Stress can lead to both physical and mental issues. Excessive stress can lead to anxiety, in which excessive anxiety can lead to panic attacks, which can lead to phobias (ie. agoraphobia). It is important that you make some lifestyle changes.

I'm sure you can find some support groups in your community for anxiety that are normally free of charge. Go to NMHA.ORG, or NAMI.ORG and read some educational material/ obtain support groups in your area.

Stress reduction tips: exercise, obtain adequate sleep, learning relaxation techniques, healthy eating, hobbies/ having fun, reducing/ eliminating liquor intake, (prayer, or attending Church if you believe in a higher power).

Best of luck!