I'm starting to get major anxiety attacks.

[scared and alone]

How do I make them go away? It's gotten so bad that for a while, i've been afraid to even move or go to sleep, and i haven't even left the apartment building in a few days because it's been so bad. I can't live like this. There's not even a REASON behind it, its just intense anxiety. I've had a few crying break downs about it too. I FINALLY got a full night sleep last night since friday. Every other time i slept, i didnt get to sleep til after 5 am and when i woke up i was so anxious that i couldn't go back to sleep and i just sat on the couch all day.

[paranoiac543]

aww! Try to distract your mind my playing a video game, watching tv, or anything else that's relaxing.. have you tried therapy? or breathing exersizes? Also I heard chamomile tea is relaxing.

 

I'm so sorry

[Angel_baby]

I have went to the doctor because I have always suffered from anxiety attacks. But they were getting out of control and I was actually "blanking out" during them... so that was my last straw and I went to a psychiatrist. I was told I have an Anxiety Disorder and was given anti anxiety meds for it. I can't say the meds have helped much and usually try not to take them unless I REALLY have to.

I think the best thing to do is to go to a counselor and talk to them about what is troubling you and triggering these attacks so that you can find a way for you to work through them.

[paranoiac543]

I used to be really anxious too but anti depressants have really worked for me

It should work for you too because your anxiety seems a little too severe for just therapy

[HellFrost666]

Have you looked into meditation and controlled breathing?

 

Someone recently told me that when I feel like I might panic I should try doing complicated math in my head. It works. I know it doesn't seem that appealing to most people, but it really is a good distraction.

 

There are also vitamins you can take that help anxiety.

[JeckyllNHyde]

Have you looked into meditation and controlled breathing?

 

Someone recently told me that when I feel like I might panic I should try doing complicated math in my head. It works. I know it doesn't seem that appealing to most people, but it really is a good distraction.

 

There are also vitamins you can take that help anxiety.

 

i rea calcium is good for anxiety headaches and anxiety. have you ever heard anything about that?

 

which vitamins (for example) would be good for anxiety?

[scared and alone]

This is part of the problem possibly. Lack of sleep - sleep deprivation basically plays havoc on our abillity to cope. "Controlled breathing" like the other poster said will help and move to the top of the priority pile - quality sleep!!!! Watch the caffiene intake, avoid white sugar/flour, if you smoke, then don't or at least cut down, get some exercise and fresh air.

 

My sympathies OP - I've been there!

 

But how do I get quality sleep when I wake up and can't go back to sleep because the anxiety is so strong? ugh.

[paranoiac543]

But how do I get quality sleep when I wake up and can't go back to sleep because the anxiety is so strong? ugh.

 

Ambieeeeeeen

[rikka]

But how do I get quality sleep when I wake up and can't go back to sleep because the anxiety is so strong? ugh.

 

UGH! I feel your pain. It got so bad for me that I had to get prescription sleep aids to get me back into a rhythm (and until I learned how to cope on my own). I haven't used one in over two months.

 

Things that I have found to work for me:

When trying to go to sleep I like to have ambient noise, something to distract my thought patterns. Distracting myself (complicated math problems, counting, singing in my head, making up stories) while I am trying to fall asleep. I find that the night anxiety begins with the racing thoughts. The thoughts that have been lurking all day but finally get to surface because you have slowed down. One counselor taught me the square breathing exercise it helps me to focus on breathing and I distract myself. By counting me breaths and drawing this invisible square I tend to not think about anything else.

 

Waking up mid-sleep is worse. It is harder to get back into it. I began the habit of making up stories when I was back in grade school. So I create this alternate/distracting world in my head and I focus on the imaginary storyline until I fall asleep. I have also found that sometimes I just need the distracting noise. During my worst periods, I could not fall asleep unless I had a TV on. I would move to the sofa and put on a mindless movie and I would be out shortly. It was all about distracting myself.

 

Anxiety sucks. Dealing with it on a daily basis sucks. I wish you luck. I do recommend seeing a counselor if you can, you can learn some neat coping tricks. There is always the chemical route as well. I was originally put on Antidepressants for my anxiety (which ended up being part of a larger disorder in the end) but they can help.

[scared and alone]

Thats the thing that sucks, we are moving out of state in weeks so i can't exactly look up a counselor right now ugh i hope i get over this soon. Maybe i'll calm down when my boyfriend gets home.

[rikka]

Stressful situations certainly don't help. For me, routine was necessary. As lame as it sounds, think happy thoughts. Don't let the negative consume you. Since you don't know the root/cause all you can do is deal with it day by day. Just take baby steps. See if you can't get outside the apartment, even if for a little bit. take a walk, it may calm you. Don't forget, you have thousands of sympathetic ears here - let it out when you need to.

[scared and alone]

So, I just took a walk down the street, got out of the house, for the first time since saturday. Even that was hard. And the thought of getting into a car makes me want to cry. oy. this is not good.

[JeckyllNHyde]

I know it's hard, but I think it's important to keep taking these steps. Even if it's hard, it will be even more harder if alot of time goes by.

Hope it makes sense, but though I don't struggle with anxiety attacks, sometimes I do have mild social phobia. And I find if I stay inside, or don't at least push myself to get out and at least go do errands, go buy some groceries or something I fall into that vicious cycle of not getting out at all. It just makes it harder to do the everyday things.

[scared and alone]

It's not a social phobia though, its more, if i leave the house, i might not be safe or something.

[scared and alone]

Here I stupidly thought my bf coming home would help. Boy was I wrong. He's only making it worse. He seems to think saying stupid things will help, WRONG.

[JeckyllNHyde]

like jokes?

[rikka]

Yay for getting out and taking a walk. I know it couldn't have been easy - but you did it. And even better nothing bad happened. See if you can't do the same tomorrow.

 

I am sorry your boyfriend isn't helping. In his defense though, anxiety is a hard thing to understand unless you experience it yourself. It is a very irrational set of fears and it consumes you so much. He may be making light of it thinking that joking will make it better. Often times people will just assume you can "snap out of it" or just get over it.

[calidreamin0]

oh this is not gonna get better. trust me. go see your dr. At least he might be able to get you a benzo to get you out of this funk until you move. To sleep, I would just take benadryl.

 

FYI- moving is the BIGGEST anxiety trigger for me. So that can very well be your biggest trigger as well.

 

Lately I've noticed the negative thought patterns coming back. THis is what I have been doing lately--- screaming NO FEAR inside my head. It sounds so silly, but it has been working. So if you are afraid to go on your walk...start repeating NO FEAR NO FEAR. honestly, what am i fearing? So i pass out, ill hit the ground and wake up. I drop dead, im dead...i cant worry at that point anyways.

 

Or imagine a big red stop sign, a counselor told me a few years ago to do that. You just have to trick your brain and own it, not let it own you.

 

and i also had a bf when I was in anxiety really bad. at first he made fun of me, didn't understand,etc. once he realized how consuming and terrifying it was to me is when he started to care. He always cared, but no, he never understood it at all.

[rikka]

Lately I've noticed the negative thought patterns coming back. THis is what I have been doing lately--- screaming NO FEAR inside my head. It sounds so silly, but it has been working. So if you are afraid to go on your walk...start repeating NO FEAR NO FEAR. honestly, what am i fearing? So i pass out, ill hit the ground and wake up. I drop dead, im dead...i cant worry at that point anyways.

 

 

That is what I was taught to do as well. Think of the worst thing that could happen. What is it about that that scares me? What would a possible outcome be? How realistic is it? It starts to put some of the fear into perspective. It isn't always easy though and it does require knowing what in the situation is causing the anxiety.

[calidreamin0]

That is what I was taught to do as well. Think of the worst thing that could happen. What is it about that that scares me? What would a possible outcome be? How realistic is it? It starts to put some of the fear into perspective. It isn't always easy though and it does require knowing what in the situation is causing the anxiety.

 

exactly, you have to have had some prior long term anxiety experience. When I first heard the stop sign thing... I thought YEAH right. But now that I am a little older and understanding this disease more... it makes a lot of sense. Just don't think anything else except NO FEAR or STOP.

[scared and alone]

Well the WORST thing and the thing I fear itself is death, and you can't escape that. And there is NO overcoming that. Thats, forever. THAT is what I am MOST afraid of, so how do i get THAT out of my head? i'm way too young to die and just thinking of it, it terrifies me. I think THAT is why I am feeling like this. If it's gonna happen, its gonna happen, you can't prevent it. That's why i confine myself to my house. oy. i need help.

[calidreamin0]

It is very terrifying, but its terrifying for everyone. Honestly, when I was thinking how you are... I got right on meds. It was the only thing that snapped me out of it. Deep breathing, relaxing music just won't do when you have serious anxiety thats disrupting your life. Anything that is disrupting your life needs to be examined whether it be physical or mental.

 

The thing is though, the longer you have this bad anxiety the more physical symptoms will show up. And those will scare you, and then you will worry about those and it becomes this big cycle.

 

So break that cycle quick!