Living with anxiety

[BrittA1990]

I have lived with depression & anxiety all of my life. My anxiety has only gotten worse these past few months. I’ve been having panic attacks since May , as much as one every day! Every time I have a panic attack I immediately think it’s my heart, that I’m having a heart attack. I automatically assume the worst. I definitely need to stay off of google because I have diagnosed myself with a million different things. It seems like I’m only stressing over my health. It’s been really hard these past couple months from loosing my job to scaring my kids to death because I literally have thought I was going to die. I just wish I could cope with it better. I can say I’m a little better than I was a few months ago but still not all the way better like I want to be. I’m scared to take any medications because I had a bad experience with Lexapro. My muscles are so tense all the time from my anxiety. Does anyone have any helpful tips or resolutions to this? It’s taking over my life & I have 2 beautiful babies that need me here forever!

[Wannachange01]

You have two beautiful babe to spend life. Work for them. Definitely u will be happy

[BrittA1990 in reply to Wannachange01]

Thank you!

[Jeff1943]

BrittA1990, if anxiety becomes overwhelming and you have work and family commitments there is nothing wrong with finding respite through medications. To tide you over through a particularly difficult patch. Because Lexapro was unhelpful doesn't mean there aren't many other alternatives that will be effective. Maybe talk to your doctor about alternatives.

Those of us with a tendency to health anxiety are very good at frightening ourselves half to death. Every ache and vague pain must be something seriously wrong. Though it very rarely is. It's just our over sensitive nerves exaggerating small fears out of all proportion.

Why do we keep doing it to ourselves? The fear we continually generate keeps our nerves sensitive and prolongs our anxiety disorder and the depression that comes out of anxiety.

If only we can handle our fearful thoughts and stop bombarding sensitive nerves wth fear and stress hormones it would give our nervous system time to heal allowing us to recover.

I read a book many years ago and I haven't had a panic attack since. It reassured me that no matter how awful anxiety and panic attacks are they can't kill us or cripple us or send us crazy.

Their ability to inconvenience us is more limited than we think.

All we have to do is accept our symptoms for the moment and pass through panic. Not round it or away from it - we have to pass right through it by accepting it and carrying on as normal with the least amount of fear we can.

It takes time practicing acceptance but when we can pass through panic without caring too much whether we're having a panic attack or not then the days of anxiety are numbered and we are well on our way along the Yellow Brick Road to recovery.

[BrittA1990]

I appreciate you writing that, very helpful words. I am scared to take any other medications, I’m really hoping to over come this without them. I guess I just have to have faith. I’ve had panic attacks before but they never continued to last as long as this. But what you said about trying to fight them seems like it would work. I’m definitely going to try that. How did you get over yours ?

[ShlethaG]

You can drink chamomile tea it really works