Over the last 2-3 months, my anxiety has gotten a heck of a lot better. I wouldn't say I'm "cured", but I can handle my panic attacks now as though it's a non-issue. I've made some massive changes to my life that have helped and I want to share them, on the chance it could help someone here.
Something that has been tremendously helpful has been diet and exercise. I've been an on and off vegan for about half of my life now, but lately I've been sticking to it. I eat the recommended 7-8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day (often a little more) and I don't eat meat, dairy, or processed foods. What I've learned is that eating a banana isn't going to stop a panic attack or improve your anxiety overnight, but if you stick with a healthy, plant-centric diet over the long term, you will probably see some improvement. Dr. Michael Gregor has some videos on this, and talks about it in his books. See here: nutritionfacts.org/topics/a...
Also, like I said, exercise helps. At first I was too afraid to walk out the front door (agoraphobia), so I started to exercise by pacing about my apartment. I would end up pacing all day! I'm serious. Eventually I faced my fear of going outside, and had some pretty massive panic attacks doing so, but I stuck with it. Now I can run almost five miles four times a week outside, and my mood gets a massive boost. I couldn't have built up to a five mile run if I didn't start pacing (sad but true), and if I didn't face my fear of running past all those houses outside.
One of the biggest things that helped me was I stopped engaging in (cognitive behavior therapy term here...) "safety behaviors" Every time I would feel anxious or have a panic attack, I would call my mom and stay on the phone for hours, trying to feel better. I did this for years. Now I know this is something I can handle without another person to talk to. I'll lie in bed or listen to music, but I won't call someone. Believe it or not, this made a big difference. My CBT therapist recommended not calling mom years ago but I only recently took it seriously.
I face my fears whenever necessary, like when I need to go to the grocery store, or the post office, or the dentist. I'm not a thrill seeker, trying to face my fears all the time, but if I need groceries, I'll pick them up, regardless of anxiety level. I used to associate certain grocery stores with panic attacks, but I still go to them. Now I can go to any grocery store and it's a non-issue. I feel perfectly calm. Same with any other errand that needs doing.
Finally, I cut way back on caffeine. I drink anywhere from half to a quarter as much as I used to (probably 20-40% because I'm not going to Dunkin Donuts now too). It didn't completely stop me from panicking, but I've noticed improved sleep quality and less jittery-ness. I remember the first panic attack I ever had, one of the first thoughts that went through my head was "I must have had a lot of coffee today." It feels good to somewhat break the addiction.
At my worst, I was having massive never-ending anxiety attacks every two days. Earlier this year, I was averaging one panic attack every 6-7 days. More recently, I've had eleven day stretches, fourteen day stretches, nine day stretches, without panic. Again, I'm not cured, but the frequency is better, and the time both during and between panic is MUCH less stressful. I feel very... relaxed these days. Learning to not fear panic makes any given panic attack less threatening. It's kind of the definition of getting over panic disorder.
This has been very long winded, but I'm doing so much better thanks to changes I was willing to make. I actually just started a new job, had a panic attack on the job, and just worked through it, rather than asking to go home in terror. Again, I'm not cured, but my panic and anxiety is manageable where I don't fear things as much. Maybe one day I will be cured, but if not, I'm OK with that too.
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