Getting older and anxiety

[Sbonn06]

I have had panic attacks since I was younger and they just seem to get worse with age. I have had a couple of bad car accidents also so I have anxiety while driving as well. Being on anti anxiety meds seems to help a lot because it's hard to pinpoint where my anxiety is coming from half the time it comes out of no where for seems like no reason. Right now I have been trying to change my diet and drink more water versus pop because of the caffeine it's not supposed to be good for anxiety at all. And seeing that whenever I have something that's supposed to up my energy level gives me anxiety every time it's probably smart to cancel out caffeine. I just feel like I need to see a psychologist now because I'm getting older and my anxiety works differently then it used to sometimes. Anyways if just hope I can get rid of these panic attacks for good!

[Sweetcathy29]

Hi, you sound almost like my dad who gets panic attacks and anxiety a lot... for work, travel, and so on.

He had been on medications as well. It certainly helps when you can figure out where your anxiety and panic originates from or what base it has. My dad cut down some of his caffeine and sugar which helped him control his anxiety but not enough for his liking.

He is still trying to work with a councellor and there have been some basic questions asked, like;

What do you feel when you feel paniced or anxious? If you have to rate it on scale of 1 to 10, how much would you rate it? What is it that scares you the most? Is it the situation or that you are going into panic/ anxiety attack? What is the worst during that moment you fear will happen? Has it happened to you before? If yes, then what are the chances it will happen again? Is there anything you could do about it?... and so on.

You can try answer these to yourself or someone who can help. Reach out to councellors...

Other than that, you can try some other things when you get panic/anxiety attack, like;

Breath in a paper bag, listen to some music that calms you down, take a walk, meditation... whatever works for you.

If you need to reach out, feel free. Hope you get better.