Ways to control my anxiety everyday.

[becca364]

Hi I just found this site. I've had anxiety since middle school and I'm 20 now. Recently it's gotten out of control. I try to think positive thought sometimes it calms me down but other times I go into a full anxiety attack! any suggestions to cope with it?

[RENEENAY444]

Sorry I have no advice for you. I just want to let you know that I am also VERY anxious lately. Someone on here suggested drinking a lot of water, and I honestly think that has helped some. It is an awful illness to have. Best wishes to you.

[becca364 in reply to RENEENAY444]

That's how I used to cope with anxiety in school I would drink water. It really is an awful illness thanks best of luck to you as well!

[Barbaraf]

HI there. PLEASE don't struggle with this by yourself... I did that for over 20 years before seeing a nurse practitioner that specialized in behavioral health. A simple medicine worked for me... I wasted too many years trying all kinds of things when it was a neuro chemical issue. btw.. paroxetine worked like a miracle for me.. I'm not saying it's right for you, though. I will pray that things work out for you...

[becca364 in reply to Barbaraf]

I'm tired of doing this by myself. I'm planning on going to see a therapist for anxiety and I'm wanting to get on medicine. The anxiety is getting in the way of my life it's hard to see friends and go to work or even college somedays because of anxiety attacks and social anxiety has become an issue now. Thank you for your response! I don't want to live with anxiety this bad anymore.

[Barbaraf in reply to becca364]

You shouldn't accept it.. I'm so glad you will be finding help. I couldn't do so many things and missed many opportunities.. My life is great now (though I have problems like everyone) but the FREEDOM is wonderful.. please keep me posted.. I really do care what happens with you!!

[becca364 in reply to Barbaraf]

Thank you I will deff keep you posted!

[EdanaBrietta]

becca364,

Your story sounds very similar to many others, and to mine as well. I've had horrible anxiety as long as I can remember. It has always come and gone, but it's been there like a tiger ready to pounce. Just thinking positively can only do so much (although I don't know what you mean by thinking positively). I finally found something that helped me when I was 24 and going through horrible anxiety about a relationship I was in. I saw a therapist and began to work with her. While I had been to a different therapist earlier in my life, this new therapist was completely different. I came to realize that my first therapist practiced a form of therapy that only helped with my depression, not my anxiety. My second therapist practiced what I now know is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). You set goals with your therapist and then they help you, through weekly sessions, devise ways to challenge your anxiety and develop ways to cope and overcome it. I highly recommend this, as it helped immensely! Numerous studies have also found that this form of therapy is most effective in treating and preventing relapses of anxiety. In fact, I've recently experienced another episode of anxiety and started work with a new therapist (I had to move away from my old therapist) to continue to work on my anxiety using CBT.

If you do not have access to a therapist, there are other resources. Firstly, there are many workbooks available that walk you through the basics of CBT, but you have to commit to using them as they are intended to be used. I reached out to one of my good friends who has worse anxiety than I do and she recommended a book I am now using in conjunction with my therapist- Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks. But there are several others, all inexpensive ($15-20 USD). You could always give them a try and see if they help.

Best of luck,

Jenn

[Lindsay478]

I totally understand how you feel. In those immediate circumstances, if you don't have anti-anxiety medication yet, breathing is key. Your body can be "tricked" into calming down, just as it was tricked into panicking. (Since panic is a response to a threat, and anxiety is one where there is no threat, but your mind is tricking your body to a fight or flight response.)

When possible, I lie as flat as I can and breathe in through my nose deeply, breathe out through my mouth very, very slowly. Breathe as you think you would be breathing in your sleep. This triggers your body to respond in similar ways to sleepiness. Sometimes, I even trigger yawning.

Another really simple and quick relief is to do simple math problems or puzzles. (There are apps for this). Sudoku, crosswords, word searches, simple multiplication tables, anything like this reverts your brain to grounding thought-processes associated around logic. Logic is what we're lacking when we are anxious, so again, it's bringing your mind and body back to a place in reality. (These things are also not really that weird to just start doing in public, unlike pulling out a yoga mat all of a sudden. )

I think it's just important to know that anxiety is when your brain and body are responding to a stimulus that isn't in the here and now. Any activity that will bring your consciousness back to the present, will help. Of course medication is a great aid, but knowing these tricks for when you are without it will be necessary.

Hope you're doing well.