I have been struggling with my anxiety for about 5 years now. It got worse and worse, and then I went too the doctors and started taking Citalopram. After a few weeks a began feeling so much better and I was able too go out with my friends, go too work and basically live my life. Then about a month or so ago I had an anxiety attack in a nail salon, so I left, got back in my car and started too drive home. I ended up having about 5 anxiety attacks trying too drive home, what should of been a 30 min drive ended up being an hour and a half. Now, I'm too scared too leave my house. I constantly feel dizzy and lightheaded and fear that something is going too go terribly wrong even tho I know I am fine. I feel so alone and scared all the time and I just don't know what too do. Is what I feel normal symptoms?
I can't live my life with my anxiety - Anxiety Support
I can't live my life with my anxiety
Idk why we have to go through this. It's amazing how we all up here have similar to the symptoms.
hi there, your symptoms are perfectly normal anxiety symptoms . for starters, i highly suggest you try meditation, its proven to heal the body and change your mindset , do that everyday for 10 minutes with the smilingminds or headspace app (it also helps with panic attacks too) secondly do you know what specifically triggers your panic attacks? (as for me its a fast heart rate) , find what triggers it and try and sit with it , i know this sounds hard but overcoming your fears is better than coping/distracting yourself from it . and thirdly what also helps with panic attacks is accepting it, whenever you feel one coming, just sit with it and feel the sensation instead of fighting it because that will definitely get rid of them. lastly try and leave the house by going for walks around ur house for 10 min everyday , it will make you less scared of going out. hope this helps Xx
Well it's definitely reassuring that my symptoms are normal! Tomorrow I am going too go for a walk around where I live too see if that helps. I also am going too try doing some exercise in my garden as many people have said that exercise helps. One thing I am extremely worried about is that this Friday I have my grandmas' funeral which is 40 mins away from my house. I'm very nervous about going because I'm worried I will get very dizzy or pass out or even just freak out and I definitely do not want too make a scene during such a sad time for the family. My family are trying too help me but they are all saying they just do not know what too do and how too help me. I never know what too suggest because I don't even know what they can do too help! All I'm grateful for is that I'm not the only one that has felt like this! Xx
I'm sorry for your loss 
exercise is really good too! what also triggers panic attacks is negative thinking, try and not think the negatives when going out so when you're going out, don't think about the 'what if i get a panic attack' etc...
just reassure yourself that your fine and let the panic come in and out because the will definitely go away with time
what i did was when i go out that i felt excited about the panic attack! like i would change my mindset on panic attacks which let to it going away slowly because giving it a positive outlook on it will defs make your mind bored of it instead of fighting for it 
Xx
Ah well I never thought about panic attacks in a positive way. I shall try that! I always try my best too think as positively as possible but when you are in that anxiety/panic attack I find its so so hard too think positively! All I want too do is leave that situation but I have learnt that avoiding situations does tend too make it worse.
Thank you so much for your advise it has definitely made me feel more positive. You have been so kind xxxxx
awh anytime! x I'm glad you are still trying to be positive i know its hard but doing what I've said will definitely help you overcome it if you keep doing it consistently, my panic attacks use to be so bad i would beg my mum to call the ambulance every night :/ but after meditating and seeing panic attacks in a positive way, they barely come anymore! i was so amazed because i thought they were gonna stay forever !! take care Xx
Oh my goodness you poor thing! Thankfully I am okay at night time. It can take me a while too sleep as I have lots on my mind but once I'm asleep I'm all good so at least I get good night sleeps! Also, what meditation did you do then? What did you use too help you find the right ways too meditate? Because I have never done it before and I want too try it but not sure where too start or what I should use too help me? Xx
there is 2 apps i highly recommend , smilingminds and headspace , they're both free but headspace is only free for a 10 day trail whereas smiling minds is completely free! you just do each meditation session everyday
Have you tried Ativan or Xanax? I haven’t but people I know it helped them so much until they got better
Sound just like me yes one minute a feel okay next minute am falling it's harder driving with anxiety a tend not to drive far as my anxiety freaks me out. X
Yes I am exactly the same! I haven't driven further than a 15 minute drive for ages now! And I just bought myself a new Mercedes and it's just sitting in my drive way I just get scared that I'm going too get too dizzy too see or scared I'm going too faint at the wheel and also I'm scared I'm going too have an anxiety attack whilst driving as well which is really unsafe! Glad someone else has the same problem tho, we can get through it together!
Wow ye it sucks ano it's so unfair x
I'm scared to leave my house too and I've only been driving short distances, but tomorrow I have to drive to my therapist which is a good 30-40 minute drive. And eventually I have to go back to work. I can't live like this.
Honestly I am exactly the same. I have had a doctors note saying I'm not fit too work for the next 3 weeks but obviously I will have too go back too work otherwise I will most likely loose my job. And I start therapy this coming Monday and it will be my first session, and I will have too drive a 30/40 min drive too. So honestly I completely understand. Like someone said before, can you try meditation maybe? It's good too relax the mind and give you energy. How are you sleeping? Also is there anyone that can take you too therapy instead of you driving?
I've been off for almost a month. I don't know if I'm even going back. I have been meditating, praying, drinking chamomile tea, taking magnesium, omega 3 and 6, a multi vitamin, going on walks, exercising on the days I feel better, not drinking coffee, taking my meds, you name it! I had insomnia a few weeks back, but it's gotten better. I still wake up several times a night though. But I guess with everything it takes time. My husband can take me to therapy but I really want to try and do it on my own.
Your sound like mine. I am awaken at least 2 and sometimes 3 times per night and am already in a full blown attack. I have tried everything all the sites say to do-accept it, deny it, positive thoughts, belly breathing, journaling, and it is still getting worse. I am on meds and in therapy. I have had it before but never at night and not to this degree. This has been going on for almost a year and it is taking a toll on me !!
Yeah I know exactly what you mean. I feel scared of my health and worried something bad is going too happen too me, do you get that as well? I got through it before and I basically just pushed myself too drive and go out and even tho it was horrible I managed too ease myself back into my normal lifestyle, but this time around my anxiety is worse than before. The only place that I don't feel anxious is when I'm in bed! And I can't stay in bed for the rest of my life! Do you have anywhere that makes you feel relaxed?
I haven't been scared about health issues but if I don't get some sleep soon I don't know what I am going to do. I just don't know what else to try. I can not overcome the nocturnal attacks !!! I have an appointment with my therapist tomorrow morning so hopefully we can figure something out. I have been bad enough the last two morning that I considered going to the ER.
Have you tried Valerian Root and Ashwaganda?
I haven't tried all those things, but I have been told that the best thing too do is ease yourself into doing things. For example, too make sure you feel safe get your husband too drive you and then next time drive yourself there? But before you drive all that way maybe try doing a 10 minute drive somewhere and then drive home and increase your journey so eventually when you need too do that 30/40 min drive you feel okay because you have done it before. Does that make sense?
I drive to the store or to take my kids to school, I guess I'm just afraid to drive alone or when I'm alone with my 18 month old. My anxiety seems to ease in the evening and I am ok once I go to bed, but i wake up every hour or two. At least now I'm able to get back it sleep. It continue to wake up. I send most of my day on the recliner watching my baby waiting for everyone to get home.
Have you tried Valerian Root or Ashwaganda for sleep?
I'm still nursing so what I can take is very limited. I take Natural Calm which is a magnesium supplement, and that has improved my sleep. I also started taking Inositol which is supposed to be as good as an ssri.
How much coffee do you drink. I was advised to cut down on my consumption. How are you sleeping? See your doctor, psychiatrists are better at prescribing maybe you need your dose adjusted. You can and wil overcome this.
I don't like coffee so luckily that's not a problem as I never drink it! I also very rarely drink tea so that's not an issue either. I am going too ring the doctors today too get an appointed and see what my GP suggests. However last time I went too see him (about a week ago) we decided not too change my tablets as now I have my first therapy session this Monday so he said too see if the therapy will help first. Do you think that's a good idea?
See your doctor/psychiatrist for adjustment in medication
Yes it is all normal symptoms of anxiety They kept coming on your way home as you were afraid of them
I'm so sorry you feel so ill My heart goes out to you as I have been there
Relaxation and gradual exposure is the answer Try and go out and stay a little longer each time
Breathing techniques are wonderful
Read as much as you can about your symptoms and accept they won't hurt you and you will lose your fear of them
There are loads of relaxation videos on YouTube
You got better before and you can again
All the very best don't feel alone we are all here to listen and help x
I have had my anxiety come back recently and I am a big advocate of Mindfulness I got a book the other day by Ruby Wax called Frazzled it is a humorous yet interesting book to help with anxiety etc as she knows being a sufferer I would urge you to take a look at it as she explains it simply no ferills of gimmicks just simple facts and it helps a lot good luck
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