I don't know what to do!?

[alone321]

I feel ashamed but, this is really getting to me now. I have had bouts of anxiety when I was younger, and it was really bad. I even tried overdosing, thankfully I was rushed to the hospital and I recovered. That was many years ago, and today I posting on here I am almost 50yrs old and I the feelings of anxiety have come back and hit me like a brick. They often hit when I am sitting down to take my blood pressure, my doctor scared me into thinking that whatever problem my mom has had I would have just because she's my mom. I had never believe that because we don't live the same life. I don't have diabetes and I've never smoked and so on.. Well for some reason that day it all got to me and after that I feel this funny feeling in my gut and I get all tensed when taking my bp and boom! Bp is crazy! My highest one ever was 163/100 of course it only got worse, I took it one day and I was relaxed and it went down to normal 114/70. This is what it has been forever! Sometimes I feel this weird sensations in my head and it moves around for spot to spot, but not quickly. Almost like a headache but burning itching feeling around my head. I feel like I am going crazy!! I exercise and eat well 90% of the time. I have my moments of not eating healthy but I stay on my game. Anyway, I need tools to calm my mind when I take my bp and when people are making me angry, I can't live like this again. Do I have other stresses, yes, my mom has had several strokes and I have a son who is autistic and it's a lot to deal with but I feel like I've made it this far with a high bp so why now? I've gone to the doctor to get a blood panel done and everything looks fine so it must be anxiety again. Please help I need positive post! I know about what genetics but I don't want to solely focus on that because if I did then I "should" be just about dead. Lol! I made a choice to not eat like my mom did and to take care of my body and I am not putting her down, she even tells me she's proud that I took care of myself and did not chose to ignore my health. So, that is all, thank you for your help. I am tired of crying...

[BonnieSue]

Good for you to make good choices like eating well! That's the best we can do...we see something that we can do better than our parents did and so we improve on it. And I'm sure there are other things that your parents did that you admire or agree with and you chose to keep those habits which is great also.

You've had some weird sensations around your head and weird is a very good word for anxiety symptoms. You also mention crying, an autistic son, an ailing mother, an elevated BP and other stressors which all can all indicate/cause anxiety.

Have you given any thought to asking your doctor about anxiety medication? You have elevate anxiety causing you problems and rather than treat all of the problems it makes sense to address the anxiety. Maybe give this some thought and see what you think.

I have a long list of about 24 non-drug self help resources for mostly anxiety that you can do or read about. If you're interested in them let me know and I'll print them here.

[alone321 in reply to BonnieSue]

Yes, I would be interested in that information. I am talking to my doctor about it and I told her I would like to try to see if I can handle it on my own and if I can't then I'll go back to her for help. Thank you!!

[BonnieSue in reply to alone321]

You're most welcome!

Some natural remedies and non-drug sources of information are books, videos, and workbooks suggested by other people on this site:

1---"I've found David D. Burns' "Feeling Good" and "When Panic Attacks" to be very helpful."

2---"I am working through the anxiety workbook by Dr David Carbonell and it has helped immensely!!! " His website is anxietycoach.com

3---psychcentral.com/lib/9-ways...talks about ”9 ways to reduce anxiety now”

4---The book Freedom From Fear by Neil T. Anderson. Addresses the spiritual aspect of the battle of anxiety with a holistic approach and the peacefulness God gifts to us.

5---Dr. Jonice Webb authored "Running on Empty: Overcome your Childhood Emotional Neglect"

6---Mindfulness has helped many people and is now recommended by doctors in the UK. Here’s just 1 link that explains it’s usefulness: heartwoodrefuge.org/benefit.... Another option of many is called MINDSHIFT. You can download it to your phone from Google Playstore.

7---TRE (Trauma releasing exercises) is something you can learn in a class but you don't have to talk about your problems and once you have learned the technique you can use it at home.

8---UK site for stress, anxiety and depression information: panic attacks: nhs.uk/conditions/stress-an...

9---anxietytipsoftheday.weebly.com

10---"A good book that I came across recently is The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, 6th Edition by Edmund J. Bourne, PhD. You might find this book to be of some help to you, although communicating your thoughts and feelings in a group setting is enormously helpful as well. "

11---“The book DARE, which is about anxiety. It’s a very good book about accepting anxiety and letting go of the fear. The author is Barry Mcdonagh and he also has a YouTube channel and a Facebook support group.”

12---For anxiety: Claire Weekes audio books on iTunes. “Self Help for Your Nerves” is one title that is good. You can see her on YouTube. “The Dr. Claire Weekes book is easy to understand and will help you on your way to recovery through acceptance.” Someone else says: “I like the paradigm of acceptance by Dr. Claire Weekes in Hope and Help for your Nerves. It is the preeminent book of self help for people experiencing anxiety disorders and the depression that accompanies it.”

13---I would also add Don't Panic by Dr. Reid Wilson.

14---Another really good CD and book is the Linden method.

15---How to be good with yourself: self-compassion.org/the-thr...10---Try the meditation app called Headspace. It's done in 10 min. slots once a day.

16---Videos on YouTube by THAT ANXIETY GUY helps with anxiety re: depersonalization/ de-realization states.

17—For UK residents: Have you ever been in touch with the organization called MIND? They offer one to one sessions with a Project Worker free. They also run courses that you can attend free of charge. One of the courses is about anxiety. Their website is mind.org.uk

18---"Go on the Psychology Today site and look for a therapist that specializes in anxiety." Psychology Today has listings with psychiatrists and psychologists and therapists with their pictures and the therapists’ specialties and philosophies, sliding scale fees if they have them, education and insurance accepted and other details they choose to post for you.

19---Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings – after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect? self-compassion.org/the-thr...

20---“Have you ever listened to Louise Hay on YouTube? Some of the talks help motivate you and hopefully you will feel a positive energy.”

21---“I called one of these online therapist sites. The therapist was really good. It was prestoexperts dot com. Her name was Lori Burke. Definitely a professional and she got me through this awful depression/anxiety morning.” (There is a charge for this service)

22---For meditation look at:

Tara Brach and Chopra Center

23---theworrygames.com/anxiety-f...

24---Anxiety No More by Paul Bywater. A phone app.

25---At Last a Life book by Paul David.

26---The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook

Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance

By: Matthew McKay PhD, Jeffrey Wood PsyD, Jeffrey Brantley MD

A Clear and Effective Approach to Learning DBT Skills

First developed for treating borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has proven effective as treatment for a range of other mental health problems, especially for those characterized by overwhelming emotions. Research shows that DBT can improve your ability to handle distress without losing control and acting destructively. In order to make use of these techniques, you need to build skills in four key areas-distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Source: NewHarbingerPublications

Caution for non-Buddhists: Zen Buddhism inspired aspects of DBT, along with behavioral science and dialectical philosophy. Source: GoodTherapy.com.

[AnxietyFish in reply to BonnieSue]

Wow! What a list! I am actually excited about it, I'm not sure why. The battle in the mind is a ridiculously hard one, but I feel like I must fight and I can't afford to lose. Thank you so much!

[BonnieSue in reply to AnxietyFish]

You're very welcome. With all of these approaches, you can choose the method that suits you best.