Hi, thanks for the response.
I will definitely look into a therapist. I have an appointment with a social worker monday who is supposed to point me in the right direction so I will definitely ask her about it. I also have been drinking lots of tea since yesterday, which I feel has helped a bit. What blends do you usually use?
As for the rest, I feel like the symptoms are always there. My heart feels like its pumped full of caffeine at all times, even when I'm controlling my anxiety, and my eyes are always weird, so that even when I feel calmer, the disoriented feeling pulls me back in. I haven't not had symptoms for a few days now, even not working this weekend and spending relaxing time with my girlfriend whom i don't get to see much and who is very understanding and trying to lightly get my mind off it.
Is there any way this could be something else? I realize the majority of it is anxiety, but I'm wondering if the original physical symptoms could be from something else which leads me to anxiety. Especially because I have been having eye and concentration symptoms for so long without any anxiety, why would I be anxious now?
It sounds like anxiety disorder to me, but what you want to do is talk to a therapist, not a psychologist, not a psychiatrist, but a therapist. If you have a disorder that needs medication a therapist will refer you if they cannot help you enough. I say to see a therapist first because medications are given VERY quickly and sometimes, more often than not, a therapist can help with no medication needed.
Until then, here are some tips/techniques that helped me control my panic/anxiety disorder for the most part. If you have any questions or just want to talk to someone so you know you are not alone, feel free to contact me.
I have been struggling with different mental issues/disorders for quite a while. Through the years and especially after going to a therapist I found different tips/techniques to help with my anxiety and panic attacks. I cannot claim they will work for everyone, but they have allowed me to control my anxiety and panic attacks almost completely. If you have any questions, please ask.
Okay, there are pre-panic tips and full panic tips.
Let's start with the pre-panic tips.
A rubber band around the wrist can help if you use it before the anxiety turns into an anxiety attack. As soon as you start to feel weird you snap the rubber band onto your wrist. For some people, this can "snap" (pun intended) them out of going into the anxiety or panic attack.
When you start to feel the anxiety coming on, think of the most odd thoughts you possibly can. Wonder what a star would look like if it were really a circle in disguise.......how many caterpillars would it take to reach from the earth to Saturn if they were drinking caffeine. Distracting your thoughts with such bizarre thinking will redirect your mind from getting worse.
Sit down on a bench or chair, put your head between your legs, and force yourself to breathe in deeply, and breathe out deeply. It's when the breathing gets to short and quick that the panic gets worse. At first you might feel like you can't do it, but with practice, you can.
If you wear correctional glasses, take them off. For some reason sight plays into some peoples anxiety problems.
Okay, now for when you are in an actual panic attack.
Cold water on the face, forehead, neck, and wrists can help calm the anxiety or panic down. If it's cold enough, it's kind of like shocking you out of the attack.
To add to the cold water technique, if you are in full blown panic attack, find ice as soon as you can, put it into some kind of rag or cloth, wet it, and rub it all over your head, face, neck, and behind your ears. Again, the cold shocks the mind out of the anxiety.
Here are some tips to prevent the anxiety and or panic attacks.
Stay away from caffeine, as a rule, it is the MAIN reason people suffer from anxiety disorder and panic disorder.
Surround yourself with comedy whenever you start to feel off. Laughter is another technique that can fool the brain into concentrating somewhere else.
Keep a herbal tea you made handy when you are out and about. If you want, as long as you make sure it is safe for you, I will send you some "calm down" recipes that are 100% natural and legal.
Also, there are disposable instant cold packs you can buy from 99 cent stores to use for the cold, this makes it easy to find relief when driving, at work, or some other place a sink is not always available.