Anxiety Attacks

[Violet14]

Hello everyone,

I just want to understand anxiety a little better. I've always had anxiety which I think it was pretty functional because it kept me productive and anticipating for things that could get in the way of my success in school, personal life or at work.

However, recently I developed a more intense form of anxiety that became very physical, psychosomatic symptoms such as, chills, nausea, stomach problems, sweating, mood swings and depression, and an intense fear that something could be wrong with my health.

I don't consider my anxiety to be chronic but rather it gets triggered by certain events, usually things that are out of my control, such as my health, it got initially triggered when I got sick with covid, but additionally my body will be very quick to panic in response to an illness or an alteration from a substance (for example I had to quit caffeine altogether, cbd, and melatonin) things that used to help me regulate now instead cause a panic response in me.

My last two anxiety attacks or "episodes" that's what I call them, have lasted about 1 month, 1 month of intense physical symptoms and then it kinda decreases in intensity although the same mental worries remain.

I am constantly going to the ER to get reassurance that my symptoms aren't caused by an underlying condition, and everything has turned out alright, I think I get a sense of reassurance every time I go to the doctor and it has become very inconvenient to rely on that reassurance to be okay mentally.

I am currently managing anxiety with therapy, mindfulness meditation, excercise, and just trying to educate myself as much as possible on the topic. I also am considering get a PNR prescription for anxiety medication in case I have another one of these episodes, I am able to take it short term and overcome it better.

My therapist has told me to not focus so much on the triggers and rather focus on how to manage my anxiety on a daily basis, and even though I agree with her I also can't get my mind to move on and I'm always ruminating about the cause and trying to pinpoint what exactly triggers this response in my body and why.

Do you have any advice on how to manage anxiety attacks? Can they be prevented or should I only hope to manage them when they happen? I feel like there must be something I can do to overcome what triggers it.

Thank you!

[BlueSon808]

I tend to wake up in the middle of the night with negative thoughts that occur soon after. Rather than letting the time pass I put on an anxiety meditation before giving my body a chance to panic. It helps strengthen my mind with perspective as I’m going through the motions. It’s something I’m just starting to do.

[Kel76 in reply to BlueSon808]

Hi BlueSon. I do the same, in fact last night was one of those nights I wake up & here come the negative thoughts, fears & sometimes I'll littarly start thinking of bothersome stuff form years ago! I usually do a meditation when I go to bed & it helps but sometimes I'm just so tired & forget & crash. I wish that we had options around me for anxiety therapy. What few there is around me, seem to be very general & very poor reviews so I haven't reached out. A few with better feedback, well, they're very expensive. My headspace app has taught me many good tools though & I still use it & have for 3 years or more. Hope you get some peaceful sleep tonight!

[Violet14 in reply to BlueSon808]

thank you 🙏🏽 I recently started meditating daily and it really has helped me.

[BlueSon808 in reply to Violet14]

Best of luck to you on your journey.

[Judi1234]

I can't imagine controlling anxiety without medication. I had terrible anxiety long before there were antidepressants. In 1991, I was first prescribed EFFEXOR. I felt brand new. I have been on them ever since. The dosage is higher now. However, these past couple of years have been stressful and my anxiety is unbearable. I am seeing the doctor tomorrow for consultation. I also use "tapping" and exercise to help... But MUST have some sort of medication.

[Christory77 in reply to Judi1234]

I was just prescribed medication and have not yet been able to convince myself I’m safe to take it. Reading your experience gives me hope.

[Judi1234 in reply to Christory77]

I did speak to my Dr today. He is prescribing Ritalin for my anxiety+..

[Christory77 in reply to Judi1234]

I didn’t know they prescribed that for anxiety. I hope it works great for you.

[Judi1234 in reply to Christory77]

Why are you so fearful about taking medication? You would probably feel ok about taking meds for diabetes, or heart problems, or the flu. Heart patients take meds to control blood pressure , diabetics take meds to control insulin, etc. Your brain is s a part of your body and it, too, may need meds .

[Christory77 in reply to Judi1234]

For me I had a bad reaction to a medication some years back and since, it’s just hard for me. That and adding side effects to everything I already feel just seems insurmountable for me.

[Judi1234 in reply to Christory77]

I wouldn't tell you what to do . Meds might not be the right thing for you . I would take the chance feeling that I have nothing to lose and might possibly gain something ( feeling better).

[Violet14 in reply to Judi1234]

I'm not sure why medication feels so scary when I have even consumed other substances. There's a very strong stigma attached to medication for mental health, but it shouldn't be this way, it helps a lot of people to cope and manage their anxiety. I'm glad that medication helps regulate some of you! I'm still on the hesitant boat but I will definitely give it a try if these attacks persist.

[Sapgirl]

Wow this is me to a tee.... I am exactly like this. Symptoms 24/7 I don't feel the anxiety mentally as such it's physically and every day... I'm constantly convinced there is something wrong to be honest. I also have just recently got over covid. I'm still testing positive and its Been 32 days so thats a huge trigger for me. Think I'm at the G.P atleast twice a week but nothing seems to work for me.

[Violet14 in reply to Sapgirl]

it's very hard to overcome health anxiety after covid, I feel especially covid has a lot of mental fear attached to it, since we as society experienced a collective trauma of the pandemic, not just the virus itself but a lot of the social aspect of the pandemic that is attached to the virus and the overall fear of covid. Also know that you will test positive even after 90 days of getting covid but that doesn't mean you are still sick or contagious.

I always advise is important to discard any illness, but if you notice yourself getting relief from doctors and starting to become dependant on the reassurance then I probably would advice to stop. I promised myself I would not go again to the ER unless is a true emergency. A panic attack or anxiety are not true emergencies even though they very much feel like it.

[LifeIsThePitts]

The #1 biggest help I've found for my lifelong anxiety battle is Dennis Simsek The Anxiety Guy on YouTube. I've been 🎧 listen to his teachings and podcast almost daily since July and nothing has taught me more about myself and my personal relationship with anxiety, treatment resistant depression and my past traumas than this. I've bought 2 of his books 📚 too.PLEASE, if you're struggling, which I can see you truly are, give a few minutes to this podcast the next time you're wondering "wtf to do next"😵😵‍💫😕😳😬it's worth it 💟

Two nights ago when I was trying to go to 😴 sleep, creeping 💭 thoughts and fears about ☠️ death and dying suddenly hijacked my emotions and I found myself on the threshold of a full blown panic attack. It was like a storm from out of nowhere! But I started thinking 🤔 about the podcasts and what I've been learning about myself and I redirected the episode onto another mental track instead of following the panic path into the point of no return. Never have been able to do that before. Still didn't sleep great, but I did sleep, which is an improvement from my past self.

You can do this, too. Im 48 and have been living in a world 🌎 of oscillating depression and anxiety since I was 3. Childhood trauma is a gift that keeps on giving (more like taking)... and giving & GIVING...until you can find your own footholds against it. I'm here for you if you need to talk about anything else. Be strong and resilient.

[Agora1 in reply to LifeIsThePitts]

I'm happy that you found comfort in Anxiety Guy's podcasts.

He's great. Did you know that he was once one of us on this forum.

He followed his passion in helping others and now they are countless

including myself. xx

[LifeIsThePitts in reply to Agora1]

OMG no WAY! That's so 🆒😎 I truly can't say enough good things about his teachings. I wish everyone on this site would listen to him just ONCE. That's all it took for me to get hooked. His inner child work reeled me in and I'm a follower for life. I like podcasts like The One You Feed with Eric Zimmer and Hidden Brain (PBS) and ten percent happier with Dan Harris, but Dennis really hit me right where I needed it and I connected to his vibration and message immediately. Thanks for telling me about this. Made my day a little better. It's been a rough week already.

[Agora1 in reply to LifeIsThePitts]

You made me smile. We each find someone who inspires us to take that

leap of faith. I'm glad Dennis did for you. You've got this now xx

[LifeIsThePitts in reply to Agora1]

I know I sound like a teenage boy band groupie, but man, he's helped me put my Head in perspective like I've never been able to before. Im so grateful. Thanks for helping me out today, Agora1❣️

[Violet14 in reply to LifeIsThePitts]

I'm very happy to read this conversation between you two!!! That is awesome. Even to connect with another person through the same struggles is something beautiful.

I will definitely check him out. Thank you for the recommendation I very much appreciate it. If I may also share something with you is a you tube channel called Therapy in a Nutshell. I've found her to be very informative on anxiety as has helped me alot as well. I hope you benefit from it too.

Also, to comment on your ability to shift your mental path and avoid a panic attack. Doesn't it feel awesome when you're able to talk or think yourself out of that? I cherish the small victories like that because they are reminders that we do have control and that we are capable of managing anxiety. But it is indeed very hard and persistent work.

Thankyou for sharing 🙏🏽

[LifeIsThePitts in reply to Violet14]

Hey, Violet14. Can't wait to check out Therapy in a nutshell. I'm always looking for positive influences and informative podcasts.Yes, it was a victory in many ways. I was so thankful I finally got it under control. Usually once the elevated breathing starts, the attack is already underway. But this time I breathed my way out of it. Deep and long. It was empowering. Life is always changing. It's our responsibility to grow with it. I stopped growing a long time ago and haven't been able to get past 19 when my Mom died and start healing my psyche until this year. I'm 48 and have no more time to waste. I gotta grow up & figure out who I am now so that I can finally live a quality life in my 50s and beyond. My mom died at 55. I can't imagine only 7 years left to live and that scares me, too. I am the only one responsible for my happiness. Gotta face the crap inside so I can finally appreciate the beauty outside that life is meant to offer, that I've been missing.

[Agora1 in reply to LifeIsThePitts]

Violet gave you a good recommendation on YouTube. Another one of my favorites

"Therapy in a Nutshell" there are tons of videos that this woman Psychiatrist made.

Always on spot and so helpful. xx

[LifeIsThePitts in reply to Agora1]

That's on my short list of things to look up this weekend on YouTube! Today has been a great day for new growth opportunities and leadership possibilities. Thanks everyone and I'll let you know what I think of the new suggestions ☺️ can't wait to dig in💕

[designguy]

Hello Violet, what helped me was learning what anxiety really is and how to constructively deal with it which is the opposite of what typical therapy and therapist teach us. If you understand that anxiety truly is a paradox and the more you struggle with it, fight it, try to control it or out-think it, the more it persists and can increase. The solution is to surrender to the anxious thoughts and feelings, know that they can't hurt you and that it will pass in time if you you don't fight it. It takes time and persistence but over time you can desensitize yourself to the anxious feelings to where they no longer bother you. Understand that anxiety is actually a part of us and it's role is to protect us but as adults we no longer need it's protection but we have to convince ourselves of that by learning to no longer fear it. think of it as a fire alarm that is malfunctioning and still going off when there is no fire. It's also common for anxiety to manifest in different forms like from general anxiety to morph into health anxiety but the way to deal with whatever form it is is the same. Ir's also very helpful to investigate and determine where and how you developed anxiety. Anxiety can be from past traumatic experiences and repressed emotions, worries about the present and the future and it can even be caused by or contributed to by physiological things like our hormones, thyroid, adrenals, poor diet, too much caffeine, etc...

I've done a lot of therapy and work on my anxiety and found the DARE Anxiety book and youtube videos to be very helpful and a constructive approach to dealing with and healing anxiety. The other most helpful skill is learning and practicing simple mindfulness to be able to realize that you are not your thoughts and to be able to observe them and let them come and go without attaching to them. It's the believing our anxious thoughts that perpetuates the anxiety and the truth is they are lies and to never believe them no matter how absurd they are.

[Violet14 in reply to designguy]

Thank you for your response.

I appreciate the truth and knowledge that you've provided. Thank you for being thorough as well. I like two words in particular that you used "surrender" and "desensitize." I feel like alot of what anxiety is is resistance gradually building up in the body until it explodes out of proportion. So I do agree that changing the approach to dealing with anxiety and changing the relationship we have with it is what will stop that resistance and instead will help us navigate and learn from it better.

I am definitely on the right path learning two things simultaneously, 1. How to manage and "surrender" to anxiety, and 2. What type of trauma I haven't dealt with that is causing this "resistance," and I feel like I will find my trust self once I'm able to find those two answers. It feels very discouraging to not feel safe in your own mind and body, imagine of all the people in the world the one that is and always will be there is you, and is the one against you, it definitely can feel very lonely and hopeless, but if one thing I am is stubborn so at least I can be as stubborn as possible in learning how to manage and overcome this.

I recently started mindful meditation practice and it has helped me alot. Thank you for the book recommendation I will check it out.

I want to also recommend two things on YouTube.

1. YouTube channel "Therapy in a Nutshell"

2. "Heal Documentary" I think is also on YouTube but I think you might need to buy it or rent it to see it. But I definitely recommend it, it will be $5 well spent.

Thanks again for everything 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[designguy in reply to Violet14]

You're very welcome, glad to hear you are doing the mindfulness it is a very valuable skill for learning to detach and observe our thoughts and realize we are not our thoughts and it's also very valuable for grounding ourselves and bringing ourselves back to the present. Glad you are exploring your trauma, hope it helps you in getting clarity about your anxiety, I think it is very helpful for being able to get the specific help you may need to fully heal. The more we understand the better it enables our ability to heal.

I went for years with high-functioning general anxiety without knowing it and was then originally diagnosed with it after I had my panic attacks. I got over the panic attacks but continued to have anxiety and realized I actually had social anxiety and did a therapy program for it which helped but it still persisted. I then came across c-ptsd and trauma and realized I actually had trauma and c-ptsd from growing up in a emotionally abusive and physically abusive household and was shamed and punished for showing anger and showing any kind of pride and for trying to stand up for myself. I was also bullied in school and I had a lot of repressed anger and rage. I started working on getting over the fear of being angry and started processing and releasing it and I found a therapist that specialized in treating trauma/c-ptsd and worked with him for processing and healing the shame and emotions from the trauma, all of which greatly helped reduce my anxiety. One of the therapies he used was emdr which worked well and was really healing for me.

I'm stubborn and persistent too, and glad of it.

[davidjmattock]

I've struggled all my life.At 60 was diagnosed autistic!

It all made sense.

Suggest you get it ruled out don't let the years roll on not knowing or finding late in life.

[Christory77 in reply to davidjmattock]

That’s so interesting. I was just diagnosed at 45 this summer with Autism. It made sense. Didn’t fix the problem but made my thought process make sense.

[b1b1b1]

Instead of going to the ER, try going to your internist or personal doctor for a thorough check-up. Then you will know that it is anxiety and can proceed to work on it. The ER by definition, does not provide a thorough physical examination. For example, thy don't check your thyroid levels, do a liver panel, etc. etc. They just run basic tests to make sure you are not in immediate life threatening danger.

[Cat33]

Hello Violet I have found Body Scan Meditation by Jon Kabat Zinn the 29 mins one on You Tube a great help I do it every day and have noticed a difference

All the very very best

[Cjhays]

Girl , I understand . I would talk to your PCP about this OR see a therapist. Medications can and will help. Just like diabetes , allergies, your eye color, it can be inheritted. Chemical imbalance is REAL! KNOW a you are NOT alone !