Bad anxiety

[Lexirae_]

I’ve been good all day and now I’m super anxious, focusing on my heartbeat which is making it faster and freaking myself out 😩 today is the first time in a long time that I got outside, felt somewhat relaxed (atleast way more then usual) all day I felt decent! Now I’m sooooo anxious and I’m having anxiety about potentially putting myself in a panic attack 😔 anyone have any advice 😭

[Agora1]

Hi Lexirae_ you are going to be okay. You are safe. My advice for reducing the fear

and anxiety you are feeling is to go to YouTube and listen to these videos that will

allow you to focus on your breathing not your heart. Listen to the soothing voices

and follow their suggestions.

"Sinking & Slowing Breathing Meditation" by Quiet Mind Café

"Sympathetic Breathing Meditation" by Quiet Mind Café

"Guided Meditation/Blissful Inner Peace" by The Honest Guys

Find a comfortable chair, dim the lights and know that you are not alone.

We are right here with you. Breathe xx

[socratesanne]

Breathing in for a long breath, assuring you take enough breath so as you slowly blow out through your mouth twice as long down into you abdomen. Do this slowly three times as it opens up the parasympathetic nervous system from the sympathetic nersous system. They should have called the sympathetic nervous system something different as it is often not as it sounds. That nerve is really the fight and flight nerve but our goal is to keep it from doing either, hense the wrong name for it, in my opinion. When you breath outward long and slow three times the whole system calms down. Some folks find just worring about breathing can make it worse but not with this type o breathing once you master it. But now, if you are one that increases in worry and still panics, just orient around your room, looking left and right slowly orienting to your surroundings and assuring yourself there is nothing around you to create the fear you are experiencing and find an object to take you mind off the fear, noticing all the senses. You will find some sense, perhaps music for your olfactory sense, or a smell of lavendar or another joyful smell or even the touch of certain comforter or the fur of your pet if you have one to use your tactile sense. Some people find a warm bath can help, or I recommend to put your blanket into the dryer and then wrap up with it depending on your weather. Camomilee tea or my favorite is sleeptime can help calm down anxiety. Hope any of these are helpful. Keep us posted so you do not have to revert back to a panic state. When calm, try to note the cause (trigger) of this one. Usually you will see it and can prepare for anymore in the future. I write about mine and that helps as I learned that from PTSD training. I measure it and write and then when the fear subsides, note if is decreased and then those triggers I wrote make it clearer as to where it stemmed from and talk to a counselor about it if you have one. If not, perhaps it might help. If all else fails, Peter Levine a specialist in panic attacks and dissociation says to dance. Bessel van der Kolk recommends yoga. I like going for a walk and that works miracles for me when I can, or perhaps you like to run or cycle...

[Hidden]

Hey Lexirae,

Try not to focus on the feeling of that heartbeat...it is what it is: a byproduct of anxiety. Your body's internal alarm system trying to round up the troops inside to be ready to flight or fight. Gets the blood moving around the system so if you were to need to run or fight...well the body is ready. You've made great progress today in getting out and feeling well given your panic and anxiety. It's very common for those of us with anxiety and panic to worry about the next potential attack...but we're playing with what if scenarios that haven't happened and may not even happen. Instead of worrying about the attack happening, ask why you think it will happen, what is the worst that could happen, and what's likely to actually happen. Anxiety is tricky in that we all just want to act like a fish out of water and return to the safety of a pond. Instead, we get stuck in a net fighting it so hard...that well...here we are again in that panic attack. Our mind over exaggerates what's going to happen. The good thing about panic/anxiety attacks is we can face them, while scary, by letting them come on and go without struggle. This is always easy to say, but always harder to do. If you don't fight it and let it pass, you will be doing better in the long term. One trick I read in the Dare book by Barry McDonagh is to turn my anxiety/panic into the dumbest looking cartoon. He's our unfortunate buddy....but we've been long letting him run our show. Instead of that, we're going to stop paying that guy/gal much attention and take back control by using breathing techniques, calming music like Agora mentioned, and using mindfulness while our unfortunate buddy tries desperately to get our attention. When our buddy realizes they're stuck in the waiting room forever...they'll get bored and head away. Anxiety hates the relaxed state. So try practicing that while you are beginning to get anxious and try not to fear what hasn't or may never come. The unfortunate cartoon friend loves it because they get to control the night while we recluse to our safety net areas or fighting them around the room with a stick, furthering our anxiety. Mindfulness/meditation/deep breathing, on ground levels, stick to one trick really. Breathe through your nose and fill your belly, hold slightly to keep calm, and then breathe out through your mouth, holding again slightly. As you do this, identify the most prevalent sensation of your breath. Nose, lungs, maybe the feeling of air in your mouth? Focus on that one sensation and breathe like above. When, and it will, your mind goes off to think about anxiety, things you need done, or dinner plans, we acknowledge it, and head back to our one sole thought: that sensation in our breath. Breathing likes this helps release feel good chemicals our body naturally releases as opposed to the anxious chemicals like adrenaline and norepinephrine.

If you're out with friends, a significant other, or whomever, maybe excuse yourself and say you're having a little anxious spell and just need sometime to relax in a calmer setting. Don't feel embarrassed about it because more people than we realize suffer. Sometimes they may have only had one, but they'll understand. Do focus on the positive things...like all of earlier today. In CBT we learn how irrational and illogical our mind is during panic and anxiety because it's just trying to protect us. We learn that our worst case scenarios aren't likely to happen. The videos that Agora mentioned are amazing and I'll add that there are apps on smartphones (such as Calm, 10% - formerly 10% Happier, and more) that can provide a guided session from a soothing voice with or without soothing music. I truly hope this helped and hope all goes well. We're always here and there's always someone around with good advice to help you through. Take care and be kind to yourself while you manage!

[Laniben]

That’s what happened to me last week, I went out with my daughter and son in law Was doing fine, when I came home it all started, happened a Couple of times,

Maybe it’s the aftermath of having a good day out I dont know? I hope you’re ok now

[Agora1 in reply to Laniben]

Laniben, it could be that having a good day is just as stimulating.

Our brain doesn't know the difference. It can react the same to

both good and bad emotions. xx

[Laniben]

Yes could be.

I perked up a bit earlier but Feeling weak again now and all ive done is showered and hoovered, ive borrowed my neighbours exercise bike for my legs, have only done a little bit and I feel like ive walked mount everest or something, its a horrible feeling this weakness and exhaustion.

[Agora1]

Lexirae, such great advice from both "socratesanne" and "Veritas". You can tell they've

done their homework in researching and finding not only what works for them but also

why this happens. Why is this happening is just as important as finding an answer.

You have some good sound advice now that I hope you can apply to your own situation

and get your anxiety to taper down. We are always here to help one another by our

own experiences. Namaste xx