Anxiety?

[Jaime03]

A few months back I was at work and all of a sudden i got really cold and started sweating. I got scared I thought I was dying I swear. I had to call my mom to come pick me up. I couldnt drive. I felt really really weird..it was a feeling I couldnt describe. Went to the doctor he said it was an anxiet attack. I am only 20 and since then it is like I opened a door. Before that I could do anything now its like I get nervous and have to take deep breathes and tell myself it is all in my head when I start to have one. It works but it still sucks. Especially when I am hung over it is sooo bad. Can anyone relate? I would like to know I am not the only one like this. I do not talk about it because I dont want people to think I am crazy.

[A Fly onThe Wall]

I had a panic attack a few years ago.. I did it to myself.. All hyped up on caffeine and I even remember freaking myself out over something small.. But I kept on dwelling about it in my mind and boom.. An attack..

 

It was the weirdest feeling.. tighness in my chest and just anxiety everywhere.

It took weeks to go away

 

I've since removed caffeine from my system and have learned how to not obsess and worry about things.

 

Removing caffeine also have the effect of helping my quick temper.. which a girlfriend was good enough to point out that I had right before she and I split.

[Marshbear]

Your not crazy.

I have had anxiety attacks and sometimes it felt like I was dying. What triggers them I don't know but you are not mental or weird. Sometimes my skin just tingles all over my body and you feel weird and you don't know what is happening to you. I took some medication but it just made me sleepy. I remember at work I also got so stressed out that I had to call someone to pick me up because I was afraid to drive home.

 

I have learned to control them and I haven't had an attack for 3 years. I think things in your life trigger them. Worry seems to intensify them. You need to find out what is causing the stress and try to eliminate it ( I know. Easier said than done ). Just hang in there and realize that you are not crazy and lots of people go through it. It does get better.

[whichwayisup]

The one thing to remember about panic and anxiety attacks is the actual attack won't last too long. The body can only handle so much adrenolin.

 

When you feel that anxiety building up, take deep breaths and really try to stay positive. Trying to keep incontrol and not give the anxiety power of you is a huge part of fighting it. This thing can take over, take control and really ruin your life!! I have some threads that I've replied to about anxiety, maybe check out further pages in this section and read some of what others have gone through...Each topic is either titled anxiety or social anxiety...

 

I know exactly how you feel because I suffer from an anxiety disorder. I am seeing a therapist weekly and doing Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. It has helped me so much and I can honestly tell you I'm not scared of the attacks anymore, infact I don't have that many of them...For me, it's the "worry" thoughts that get out of control and then that is what sets me off sometimes. I'm learning to stay and be in the now...

 

Look at the plane crash yesterday here in Toronto...It's proof that all we have is NOW. Not tomorrow, not next week, but the now. Let the past be in the past - don't focus on the future and what hasn't happened yet.

 

Sidenote: I must say, it's a complete miracle that ALL passengers, crew members lived and not too many were seriously injured. Amazing...

 

OOPS, also check out the self improvement, the first section, there are some anxiety threads in there as well.

[Outcast]

I used to have them when I was a teenager. I knew I wasn't dying but boy did I feel awful. I tried to see what would work to make me feel better because I had a babysitting job and didn't want to have to leave it (I'd get these things very often!).

 

Rather than focus on how awful I felt, I'd do different things to try to feel better and when I found something that worked, I'd use it. Seems to me the things that worked best for me were to chew Rolaids or mints (I usually felt nauseous during these things), to take very looong, deeep, slow breaths (and that itself took focus away from how I felt) and by finding a blanket or shirt or something to wrap my legs with to warm them up. Don't know why that worked but it did.

 

Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be ok. Every time one happens, know that you can do things to make yourself feel better. Don't think about how bad you feel but instead concentrate on taking very slow breaths. When I couldn't find something to wrap up in, I'd run warm water over my hands and wrists and that helped, too. Understanding there's nothing seriously wrong with you is the first step to getting control. Now you know it's just a panic attack, you're on your way to controlling them for good!