Anyone who struggles with anxiety and panic attacks?

[Primrose_131]

I'm a new member here and I'm glad to find a community where people can understand what I'm going through. I started having anxiety when I was young and ever since it's been a continuous fight. It got worse again when this year started and I thought I could handle it all on my own, but I realize I can't keep it all to myself. What scares me the most is when I'm in public and I'm alone, I don't know who to call for help. I search for different ways to handle the attacks but I still get scared from time to time. I came here hoping that I can talk to people or be friends to anyone who is going through the same thing. I think that would be a big help.

[Barbloki]

Hi and welcome. There are many people here who understand anxiety and panic. I have daily anxiety and am now learning that it has to do with the amygdala in our brain and the prefontal cortex. It's not something we can consciously control but there are things we can do. There's a book that explains it really well that I just got this week called "50 Ways to Rewire Your Anxious Brain" by Catherine M. Pittman MD. The #1 thing to learn is deep breathing into the belly and calming the amygdala. I wish someone had taught me about this years ago so I would have suffered so much. There are also meds we can take and seeing a therapist helps. We need a toolbox of tools to help us. This group is great for support and information. I hope you have a good day.

[Primrose_131 in reply to Barbloki]

Thank you! I will try to check out that book and I also need to learn more breathing exercises that can help. I want to find alternatives first before considering meds.