JadeStar Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Hello all. I was wondering if some of you could give me some tips on relaxation techniques. Last week I had a episode, where I felt very sick to my stomach, had chest pains and had pain in my arm. I thought I was having a heart attack or something. It hurt so bad. I went to the doctor told them what was going on. They did an EKG and all. Came back that the tests looked good. However, the doctor says she feels like what I had was a panic/anxiety attack. She put me on xanax, however not on a regular basis. I have had panic attacks before but not often, and not as bad as the other night. She told me that xanax can be addictive for some people too. However, since I have them every so often she just wanted me to take a pill if I ever felt one coming on. I don't deal with stress very well and she said people that don't have a handle on stress to well are more prone to panic attacks. My question is, what are some relaxation techniques I might could try to help get a handle on the stress? I thought about maybe some yoga tapes, biofeed back things, walking more etc. Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites
whichwayisup Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Yoga will help relax your body, mind and soul. Deep breathing and visualization will help keep you calmer as well. Meditation is good for your mind as well, keeps you focussed and positive. Those negative thoughts really can take over and mess with your head during an anxiety attack!! I do know as I am a fellow anxiety sufferer here as well! I have a friend who does 'guided visuals' this really helps and makes you feel sleepy and relaxed. Good for when you feel the panic coming and stress levels will go down if you can MAKE yourself feel relaxed and get to that 'quiet safe' place in your mind. Going for walks in the early evening I find really helps me. I wake up feeling more energized and don't feel that 'yuk' feeling first thing in the morning. Drink enough water through out the day and make sure you have little snacks. Low blood sugar can mimick anxiety and/or bring on anxiety! I try to have some fruit or some cheese, or even yoghurt just to keep the blood sugar up. Get enough rest. Listen to your body...Especially this time of year! Not enough sleep can bring on anxiety as well. I hope this helps and please feel free to PM me anytime!! I know how crappy the symptoms can be. I'm glad your health is okay. Anxiety really can take over and give you health anxiety as well! I know from my own experience. Thing to remember is it all physical and there isn't anything wrong with you. Don't be scared of the attacks, just accept them, deal with them and let them pass through you. Even calling someone during those low times can help distract you. Or putting on music, keep busy doing something whether it be cleaning up or doing dishes. Take Care. WWIU Link to post Share on other sites
JadeStar Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 whichway, Thanks so much for the advice. I'm glad I now know what it is I'm dealing with. For so long I wasn't sure what was happening. I know I stay tired alot. Some days exhausted where I feel like I can colapse. I figured it was just the daily routine of being married and having kids, running here and there. Which is apart of it, but its all in they way people handle it I guess. I don't have those attacks that often but every once in awhile it will be bad enough it just kind of jumps on me. I will really check into doing some yoga. I need to learn some good breathing techniques too. I have found that my breathing can become kind of shallow. I have also noticed if I'm upset over something I'm not breathing properly. Its almost as if I hold my breath without realizing it. Anyway thanks again for the advice. Link to post Share on other sites
whichwayisup Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Hey anytime! You will love the yoga! I do find after afew weeks of routine I need it and if I don't do my yoga my body feels odd. AND you will see shape improvements in the hips too! LOL! Have a great day! Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 vigorous exercise for 35-45 minutes, three times per wk this does not mean walking or doing meditation. I mean vigorous like weight lifting or bicycling or swimming. Link to post Share on other sites
liono Posted December 24, 2004 Share Posted December 24, 2004 I am on zoloft now but I had some episodes when I was traveling on the highway and sometimes just driving to the store. It felt like I couldn't breathe through my nose and I felt I was going to faint. What relaxed me was tilting my head back and leaning on the head rest. This was the only way to calm me down. Whenever I am driving and I feel agitated thats what I do. Link to post Share on other sites
bicyclejunk Posted December 28, 2004 Share Posted December 28, 2004 [color=darkred]Stretching and Jogging and just sitting down and meditating(thinking strong, positive thoughts) is what sort of works for me. I'm still trying to learn to chill out and not have anxiety. I'm guilty of having it many times.[/color] Link to post Share on other sites
blind_otter Posted December 28, 2004 Share Posted December 28, 2004 I feel for you. I had severe panic disorder for about 3 years and tried everything. I was on xanax, 4x/day for over a year because my panic attacks were so frequent and debilitating. They switched me to klonopin, which was longer acting. I hated taking meds every day. Turns out, it was the situation I was in. My job, my marriage, my life - was the wrong fit. I was taking buspar and lexapro, and klonopin and beta blockers. I developed a mysterious seizure disorder - my body was literally killing itself from my inability to deal with stress. I recovered. It took 2 years. I am still dealing with the consequences of the seizures and have permanent brain damage. I changed my life. Different job, no more marriage, different life. I no longer have panic attacks. Look at your life. It may very well be something you're around that is making you crazy. Link to post Share on other sites
kkat Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 I developed some anxiety, panic attacks, mostly in the form of claustrophia-driven situations and other specific situations, but textbook anxiety. I was prescribed Xanex and Klonopin for situational use, like you were prescribed. I was fortunate in that I was able to see, on a regular basis, an Anxiety, Phobia and Panic Specialist, and learned many tools from him and my work in the sessions. Here are the things I found helped me, but you really have to be committed to finding what works for you and really, really sticking to it. Vigorous exercise, as often as possible. It burns off the stress, although I don't know how to describe this in more scientific terminology. Limit caffeine! I was a caffeine junky and had to cut way back. I didn't give it up altogether, although I have NO caffeine whatsoever on days I have to deal with anxiety-producing situations. This simple fix made a huge difference. Sleep. You must get enough sleep, every night. Good diet, plenty of water, and don't ever let your blood sugar drop too low. Carry a "kit" with you everywhere that makes you feel you have what you need to survive a panic attack. I did this for two years and now and free of this need. It is primarily a psychological tool and by feeling you have "what you need" in your little kit, you will be less likely to ever suffer a full blown panic attack. My kit included a bottle of water, fully charged cellphone, candy bar, New York Times crossword puzzle, pencil, and Xanex. Yours might be different. See below for explanation of the crossword! Tell a few people close to you about your panic attacks. Most people find that by disclosing their problem, they eliminate the anxiety that comes from the fear of people finding out, and that in itself reduces the anxiety. Learn to rank your attacks on a scale of 0 to 10 with 0 being "I feel no anxiety at this moment" and 10 being the worst panic attack you can imagine. Jot down when you have an attack and try to figure out what triggered it. If you feel the signs of an attack coming on - stop and do something to distract yourself. I did crosswords. You can do things like count backwards from 500 by 3 or anything that is somewhat difficult for you to do. It forces your mind to leave the anxiety thoughts and then Poof! - they go away. This trick alone is how many, many people manage their attacks. Good luck to you! Link to post Share on other sites
whichwayisup Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 KKat, that is wonderful to read your post. I am not as bad as I used to be with the panic attacks. I do see a therapist and am currently doing CBT. She is the most amazing person, more than just a therapist, I can call her anytime I need to. I agree with you 100% about keeping busy during an attack...Writing out how you feel during it always helps me or even calling somebody on phone so I don't feel so isolated. The anxiety-kit with me, I would have a can of gingerale, bottle of water, a pack of mild-cherry halls and yes, the cell phone as well. Tums/rolaids as well. I"m really glad to hear you are doing so well and it does give me more hope that I can fight this battle and win! Link to post Share on other sites
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