coping with anxiety

[hanksandbubbles]

hey everyone!

 

Over the past five months, I have been experiencing symptoms associated to an anixety disorder. Since my extremely stressful breakup with my first boyfriend, followed by removal of wisdom teeth (which extended my period of healing even more ), beginning a new life at university etc etc it seems that no matter where i go, I cannot shake the simple feeling that i'm gonig to pass out and faint. Whenever I'm in public, I "experience" these dizzy feelings, with an extreme surge of nervousness and anxiousness to go back to my home. I know these thoughts are in my head, and i know that i'm not going to faint, however it's hard to deal with these feelings everyday. I'm hoping christmas will be a way in order for me to go back to "normal" because this anxiety is really preventing me for living my life to the fullest. Also, for the past two weeks, I have been getting dull headaches every day. Anyways, I was wondering if there was anyone else out there who experiences these symptoms of anxiety, and if so, how do you deal with it from day to day? does anxiety simply disappear?

[supermom]

I suffer from anxiety as I have been diagnosed with Bi Polar Disorder. I experience manic phases as well which are uncontrollable. I would go to a doctor. I went so long w/o being diagnosed I just thought I was being crazy, but I really had something wrong with me.

 

I am much better now, stress doesn't get to me like it used to, but with the right medicine was it possible. You should check it out if it continues.

 

Good Luck

[indigo_moon]

The symptoms you're experience could be anxiety/panic disorder...or there could be some underlying medical (physical) reason - for the symptoms of feeling faint, dull headache, etc. Others here might have *similar* symptoms but may have something entirely different. Don't trust your health to strangers on the internet. Get yourself into your /a doctor, and have a good checkup done......if other possibilities are ruled out (being low in iron/anemic, low blood pressure, etc), you can discuss maybe trying meds to help with the anxiety/panicky feelings.

[Not the only one]

As indigo moon says you should go see a doctor but I know it's helpful to hear about other people who have or have had similar symptoms just to know you're not the only one.

 

After seeing my doctor and goint thourgh all the other tests to rule out all other possibilities (i.e. thyroid problems, anemia, diabetes live function) I was first diagnosed with depression & anxiety.

 

I'd say the anxiety was worse....exactly those dizzy queasy feelings and faintness ended me in the hospital a few times. Then to make matters worse I was afraid of going out because I didn't want to embarass myself with another panick attack...

 

I tried a couple different medications eventually Paxil worked the best.

 

I also went to counselling to identify the situations that made me anxious and how to better prepare myself for them.

 

I let close friends know about the disorder so that they could help make me more comfortable and also understand why I sometimes had to leave places or couldn't go out at all. (malls, busy restauraunts and bars were the worst)

 

In my case, I'm off meds and the anxiety hasn't completely gone away but I've learned coping startegies...I make sure I get plenty of sleep, I ask for a secluded table in a restauraunt and I try to do my shopping at off-peak times.

 

Looking back, it took a lot to get to where I am and I'm sorry I waited so long to go see my doctor. Go see your doctor before Christmas if you can.

[Naive]

I go through the same thing constantly and I know it's hard for you. It's also hard for me. Like a real great person on here told me, you have to seek couseling. Sometimes you need professional help. You might think you can do it yourself but it's not that easy.

 

Hopefully you will seek counseling soon.

[whichwayisup]

I suffer from anxiety as well. I know exactly how you are feeling and how s***ty anxiety is! All those panic attacks, the constant build up of anxiety and feeling hopeless. And crazy, alone and confused!!! Oh man do I know.

 

Thing to remember is all of it is physical symptoms, it feels absolutely horrible at the time but it won't kill you. Our bodies and emotions can only take so much stress...Sounds like you've been through alot of things that has contributed to your anxiety. Health issues, situational crisis, the change in the weather, horomones, all play a factor in this! Do yoga, deep breathing, keep a daily journal of your thoughts...Get it out and down on paper or on the computer...Talking about it does help. Join some health websites that will give you some online support. There are some wonderful ones I belong to, feel free to PM me and I'll pass those sites along to you (or anybody else if you feel like it) they've helped me cope, I've made some incredible online friends who have helped me through my lowest and worst times...Just knowing I"m not alone, they understood- I never had to explain, they just KNEW...And that felt great!!! Losing your independence to anxiety, becoming agrophobic is a really hard thing to deal with...But it does get better....

 

I am currently seeing a therapist, I go once a week. I'm doing Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and it really has helped me!! I'm not cured yet I doubt I ever will be, but I am learning HOW to attack this f**k'n pain the butt thing and FIGHT it, tell it to F OFF and be strong! I have alot more good days than bad days, but I do know more about panic/anxiety disorder too, I'm not as scared of it anymore...That makes a huge difference.

 

Talk to your family Doc about a referral to a CBT therapist. I promise you it can help!! AND I don't take meds as I am a med whimp...That is the thing about CBT, can be done with or without meds. My T didn't think I needed them, but also said to me if I did need to go on them, she'd definately try and get me to take 'em.

 

Some is covered under insurance, some free...Depending where you are. In Canada where I am it's covered under most insurance policies...Some of it is anyways, the rest I pay but can add into my income tax return and write it off as well. Some is covered under OHIP here as well...Unfortunately mine isn't...But finding the right therapist is the key. I searched until I found someone I trusted and could really open up to. She's awesome and I'm really lucky to have found her!

 

I hope this helps! All the best and feel free to ask me anything! I'm pretty much an open book now on my anxiety! I've had to be.

 

WWIU

[hanksandbubbles]

thanks so much you guys!

it's nice to know that i'm not the only one..

i did go to a doctor a few months ago when i would just experience dizzy sensations..(i was going through a diet crisis..in which i wouldn't eat or if i did, it was very healthy..) i had numerous blood tests done..and all were negative..i'm not anemic and my hemoglobin is also fine

what really bugs me though is that i can't really go out into very public places anymore..people don't bug me..i cna't explain it..it's just all the busy hub bub gets to me in really closed off place (like the gym, resturants, and malls :S)

that just leaves me with the headaches...did any of you experience tension headaches at the back of the head? if these continue..i will go to the doctor...i'm not sure if these are related to the anxiety..but i read up somewhere that they can be a result of the tension etc.

i don't really want to go on meds, and i know that counselling can get pretty expensive...

so i don't really have a choice right now except to deal with this myself... *sigh*

whichwayisup- i would love if you could send me a few of those web addresses..(i tried to pm you, but i was having technical difficulties lol) could you put them up on this post? i'm not sure if the email i gave out is working properly...

 

thanks again you guys ^_^

[whichwayisup]

Yep! I know about those headaches. I get migraines too. Some days I'm not sure which gets it going, the migraines or the anxiety-back and forth...But they do go hand in hand.

 

You CAN do this without meds! Check your local Universities/Colleges and see if they offer therapy there. It's cheaper and may be free? I don't know. Check it out though...

 

I will try and PM ya, but here's the sites, healingwell.com and healththru.co.uk. Both are great and full of support.

Some really nice people too. I don't know if putting sites out here is allowd, but hey, I'll try and they may remove it (Sorry mods! Just trying to help here!) we'll see.

 

Another thing is really make sure you sleep alot, listen to what your body says. Not enough sleep can make anxiety skyrocket as well!

[hanksandbubbles]

Just wanted to say thanks once again to whichwayisup ..my pm service isn't working..so i'm just going to have to use this post..i found that the healingwell.com site is VERY helpful..the people have been providing excellent tips..which are very useful..the sleep tip..yes..the anxiety does shoot up if i don't get any (which is probably why i'm so wired right now ) ..anyways..take care for now...and once again THANK YOU!

~hanksandbubbles~

[alphamale]

One word - XANAX

 

go to the doctor and get an Rx

[Matilda]

I have problems with anxiety too, and have had those dizzy feelings since I was in my 20's (I'm 42 now). I started taking an anti-depressant about a year ago, for depression. I tried one that was supposed to help with anxiety too, but I couldn't take it because it made me extremely nauseous. Anyway, I manage the anxiety on my own. I too get dizzy in public places, especially if I'm waiting in line, for some reason. But, it's been happening to me for so long, and I have never fainted or anything close to it, that I just acknowledge it for what it is and it goes away rather quickly. Taking very slow, deep breaths helps a lot. You need to take breaths with your diaphragm, this stimulates a nerve from your brain, that in turn slows heart rate and helps you to calm down. Here is a link that explains it better:

 

http://caregiver-information.com/Relaxation/abdominal_breathing.htm

 

My anxiety was probably at it's worst when I was in college, and later in my 20's when I was going through a very stressful period. I think hormonal changes have a lot to do with my anxiey as well.

 

I would also suggest counseling. That was another thing that helped me tremendously. I would look for a counselor that is familiar with cognitive behavior therapy.

[whichwayisup]

HB, glad you like that site. It really helped me through alot last year! I didn't feel so alone and as you can see there is alot of support as well. It is a good feeling to know you're not alone in this and others just know and understand how you feel. I'm glad to have helped you!!!

 

Alphamale...LOL!...Taking meds isn't the answer or solution for anxiety. Yes, it may help relieve some of the symptoms but there are real reasons why the anxiety happened in the first place and the only way to stop having anxiety attacks is to deal with them head-on and fight it hard. Find out why it is happening and solve the problems.

[Kate]

i say it's okay b/c i have been there. i never experienced anxiety until the following: i had just graduated from college. i was living at home and had a very strained relationship with my mom my whole life, however i didn't realize the day to day impact of now being back at home. at any rate, i spent a very stressful weekend with her and my best friend. afterwards, i went home, not looking forward to working at my job the next day -- where i knew i would be leaving shortly b/c i wanted to move to florida. i was sitting in my living room, and all of the sudden i got REALLY scared...like someone was trying to get me. i got short of breath, panicky and sweaty. i was SO scared...but i didn't know why. i had to call my friend to get me. this was the first time i had this....then it happened a year later....

 

a year later i smoked some really bad pot -- i rarely did it ever, but couldn't sleep for nights, so i figured it would chill me out. it didn't. i ended up in the hospital with a shot in my ass. the pot was laced....

 

after this experience, i got occasional heart palps, immediate sweats and fear of public places like baseball games. i felt scared in places i didn't think i could leave...

 

i'm sharing these experiences with you b/c for me, personally, they only happen during times of change or extreme stress; hence, i have LEARNED how to deal with myself BEFORE this happens now. it's normal to get severe anxiety if you don't yet know how to prepare for the symptoms you may get. right now, i'm changing jobs, i have a HUGE interview coming up with a big-timer, and i'm anxious...but i now take care of myself during these times of change. what i mean by that is i drink less, sleep more, work out more and take more alone time. you may always get anxiety from time to time, but know that it is manageable as you learn how to manage the first few times.

 

i never ever thought i would suffer from this, and it is not to the point where i have to take anything, only on a very very rare occasion. if you need to, you may want some zanax in case of emergencies only. don't use drugs or alcohol EVER to cope, they will only make it worse. exercise is paramount to helping you with this, too.

 

you will be fine. it's all new in the beginning when you don't know what is happening. now i just try to anticipate that any kind of big change or stress may provoke it, so i treat it like a marathon; when runners hydrate big-time before the race -- i take care of myself before a "big race".

 

take care, you will manage this.

[Mr.positive]

Do martial arts or yoga . This will definatley help you.It makes you more focussed and relaxed.

[hanksandbubbles]

wow! i'm so surprised that my post was brought up again! lol

It's pretty much been a year since I discovered that I had anxiety..and I can happily say that it has gotten alot better since then.

Yoga is a HUGE stress reliever...actually, any type of physical activity is great.

But i found that just getting used to the dizzy sensations, and convincing myself that there was nothing to worry/panic about was the most helpful thing. I still get tension headaches quite often, but I now go to a massage therapist for that.

I have no clue if i'll ever be 'free' of anxiety...but i'm now able to calm myself down without reaching the panic stage.

[whichwayisup]

I am progressing along nicely too...I'm not scared of the anxiety anymore and I handle it so much better. I fight it, I get mad at it and I don't let it take over my life like I did in the past.

 

Not sure if it will ever go away, but HOW I handle it will be different. I'm stronger and wiser now, know what to expect when it hits me...Seems you're well on your way too! That's great! It's such an amazing feeling to battle this f**k'n disorder and get through it!! Such a positive and inspiring feeling that makes you feel so strong and secure.

 

Take care and I'm glad you posted again.

[Ejames]

It's such an amazing feeling to battle this f**k'n disorder and get through it!! Such a positive and inspiring feeling that makes you feel so strong and secure.

 

Here, here

[whichwayisup]

Here, here

 

Thanks! It's true though. There are those times when I used to get really bad attacks, feel very low and basically wanted to be alone...I'd work through the feelings and find out what it was that set me off and then when I would feel better, I got a huge energy lift! Very powerful! Like nothing could ever bring you down and ruin the day!

[Ejames]

Thanks! It's true though. There are those times when I used to get really bad attacks, feel very low and basically wanted to be alone...I'd work through the feelings and find out what it was that set me off and then when I would feel better, I got a huge energy lift! Very powerful! Like nothing could ever bring you down and ruin the day!

 

I know it is true and consider this my biggest accomplishment so far in my life. I had begun to withdraw from so many activities because I thought they caused the panic attacks before I learned cbt. Now I watch the Amazing Race, Fear Factor etc and think to myself I could do all those things if I wanted to as long as I keep my thoughts under control. I now understand what people meant when they said "mind over matter." I never knew how powerful my mind was and now I am using it for positive things instead of to defeat myself.

[theduke]

there is a blessing in being so low you that you don't think you can take it anymore, then encountering new friends, books (like Obitz's and Anthony Robbins's) and deep breathing exercises, and then beginning to come out of it and see the world in a new way.

 

It helps you to understand the complexities and possibilities that exist in life.

[PYT]

Beating an anxiety disorder is a huge accomplishment. I know because I used to have horrible panic attacks along with other anxieties. My cbt group taught me how to alter the way I thought about them and now I am doing so much better.