I have bipolar type I and anxiety. Generally speaking, the extent of my anxiety is a rare panic attack. They’re so rare that when I went to look at my Risperdal bottle to take one, I realized it had been expired since March 2009.
This semester has been busy (anatomy, chemistry, and nutrition), so I've been stressed due to the science classes. It's almost the end of the semester, so stress has been racking up more than before.
My anxiety began yesterday during anatomy lab. I could barely stand the sound of voices the rest of the day. That night, I couldn't stand my boyfriend cuddling with me or giving me a kiss. His arm around me and his face being close made me feel trapped. This morning, I could stand those again, but as soon as I got to chem, anxiety took over again. I could barely focus and couldn't stand not being able to see everyone around me. I'm hoping this evening doesn’t lead to the same problems as last night. My boyfriend doesn’t deserve the 180 act. He’s been very supportive and understanding, but still.
So, onto the question: Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with this anxiety? Since anxiety has never been a huge issue, my therapist and I chose to focus on coping mechanisms and how to look out for symptoms of my bipolar episodes to prevent things from getting worse there. I am unable to see my therapist until around the twelfth.
I’m at a loss. My head feels so odd to me. I feel on edge yet just want to crawl in a corner rather than lash out. I want to cuddle because that always makes me feel better, only it made things worse last night, so the thought alone makes my heart beat faster—not in a good way. And I have to get through creative writing and band today and Thanksgiving with my family and my boyfriend's tomorrow. Not a good time for anxiety issues.
Anyway, any suggestions on how to cope with this until I can see my therapist would be great.