im new to this site can anyone tell me how it all works. i suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and am open to all advice on how to coupe.

[emma-smith]

[Hidden]

Hi Emma

Behind all anxiety and panic lies fear. Fear of not being able to cope with or deal with daily life. Generally it begins when we are under stress, it may be because of what has happened to us in childhood or it may be triggered by other life experiences but we become afraid of the fear we feel....it is only when we can face the fear and just let it be without adding more fear that the anxiety lessens and panic subsides.

There is an excellent book by Clare Weekes called 'self help for your nerves'...not sure that is the exact title but Amazon has it, which explains this and offers excellent advice..when I found it many years ago it was a lifeline for me after years of crippling anxiety ...talking to people who understand is helpful...exercise is great even if your knees are shaking just a short walk can help...in all the years I have worked with anxious people I have never known anyone to suffer harm in a panic attack, what you feel is all that there is...going with it is the way to stop panicking...I wish you a peaceful day..if panic comes just say...'oh I know this feeling, it will soon pass' and it will!!

Best wishes..Babushka

[Hidden]

Welcome emma

Look around the site at peoples blogs , you will see there are several things people do to cope & recover from this

Blog & tell us more about you & people will respond with what they did /do to however you are feeling , no one will judge or tell you to snap out of it on here as we all have /do suffer so you are amongst people that understand

Look forward to hearing from you

Love

whywhy

xxx

[sheffieldwed]

Hi emma i too have been suffering from panick attacks this last 6 weeks and i am too finding it hard to cope with i have never experienced this before and have been so down not being able to enjoy what i usually enjoy i have been to my gp for some meds to try and help me have you been? Also talking to some of these nice people on here has helped just ask them anything they will help xxx

[sasays]

Hi Emma,

I was pretty quiet in terms of input when i joined at the end of last year but it helped me to read around and connect to things people were saying, i started to put a bit of my input in here and there, hoping i was able to provide something supportive to read or something to think on, and eventually felt ready to start posting myself. Im really thankful i found the site, i thought i had educated myself before but ist so different seeing(reading) and speaking(writing) to other sufferers, so much more honest and open. You dont have to analyse what youre saying or worry about making anyone uncomfortable which i really struggle with. The only thing i still find tricky here is keeping my messages short enough, oops, sorry guys!

I hope you find some support here, we'll all be here for you when you need us x

[marcusvanbreugel]

Dear Emma-Smith,

Welcome to this site. It is very nice to have you join us.

KIndest rgeards,

Marcus

[loopsyloo]

Hi Emma

I too am relatively new to this site and to the symptoms of anxiety , at first I found it rly hard to believe that all the symptoms I was feeling is just anxiety. I have watched my sister suffer with anxiety and depression for several years and could never understand why she reacted the way she did until I got those feelings myself. They really do take over every bit of your body . The fast heart rate the chest pains the strange sensation in your arms n legs the feelings of unreality ( like your not rly there ) and thats just to name a few. Its effects everything . I think seeing my sister go through it before me and have her to talk to ( to confirm that my feelings are anxiety ) has rly helped me get through each eposide . They are still very frightening but I rly try to keep reassuring myself that I know its just a anxiety and the calmer I am the quicker it will go away . I honestly believe that CBT is the best help for anxiety. It may be worth speaking to your gp about .

I hope any of what I have said has made sense to you or helped in any way. But you are not alone and things will get better ( so im told )