constantly on edge

[confuzed.com]

im finding it really hard to relax at the moment and no matter what i try to do i get no luck..
..i just feel constantly worked up and a really tight aching chest.
..ive tried tensing and untensing all muscle groups one at a time but my mind gets distracted and i find it hard to complete
..ive tried having a bath
..ive tried distracting myself

any tips on relaxing?xx

[eva82]

I know the feeling..when nothing seems to work. :(

Some other things you may want to try:

Slowly sip some herbal tea (decaf of course)
A walk outside if the weather is good
Journaling all your feelings including worries and fears
Deep breathing meditation
Light strectching or yoga for 10-15 mins

I'm sure others may have some more tips too! Hope you can find a way to relax and feel better soon! Xx

[potato11]

Hi confuzed

I've had the same experience as you. "Low level" anxiety can be just as despairing as panic attacks - the constant feeling as if "something is wrong" or not quite right takes away your ability to focus on even menial every day tasks, which makes enjoying anything or completing tasks properly/ to the best of your ability pretty hard!!

I have felt at some points that the feeling would "never go away" because I just had no idea what was causing it, and was sure I must be seriously ill. However, I've since learnt that the trick is to lose your fear of it. "Distraction" techniques and relaxation techniques may work to some degree, but the thing that is going to STOP the panic/anxiety is losing your fear of it. It's like turning the tap off (CBT/understanding panic), instead of using a mop to mop the water up (relaxation techniques)

Whilst stress certainly contributes to causing panic, panic attacks happen because we are SCARED of the feelings that arise - we misinterpret them as something "wrong with our body" so we add more adrenaline - which results in the ''feelings'' we are so scared of (in your case, tight chest) heightening!! very ironic. In CBT this is known as the "panic" cycle.

So, to overcome this you need to learn that there is nothing to fear about the feelings you feel. Once you have achieved this, you will break the cycle of panicking about how you feel, and thus stop heightening the sensations. I know this is easier said than done. If you spend your time trying to "distract" yourself from panic, you're reinforcing in your mind that it's some big scary thing you need to run away from, which will just keep you in a state of low-level anxiety. The real relief will come when you accept there is nothing to fear - it's all just adrenaline. Panic will never harm you. You're always safe even when you really think you're far from it!

I thoroughly recommend the website
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=91696 < Please use the link to the appropriate thread on No More Panic.

- theres a brilliant online CBT course with e-booklets and videos. It really helped me - since reading it two days ago I have had the calmest 2 days in a year!! and this is with me being 'under stress' in my job as a third year student midwife - i was running a busy clinic this morning and felt fine using the techniques. Of course there are moments where I feel anxiety arising,Im not saying i'm now perfect - but because I now understand the cause I can nip it in the bud quickly :)

I wish you all the best! it feels too good to be true once that feeling goes! haha. PM me if you need support

[confuzed.com]

i have just returned to work after 3 weeks off sick and I was fine when i was there, I was only doing half day.
i started to get dizzy at about 1:00pm for no reason at all..went home..dizziness fazed out.
it got to about 6:00pm and i just went upstairs for a lie down and to watch some tv and from that point onwards i just had a really bad ache in my chest, like someone was squeezing my muscles together and no matter what i did i could not relax them at all.this lasted for about 5 hours until i went to sleep.
i don't feel like i know how to control the onset of this at all!?

[potato11]

Confuzed

I think that's precisely the problem - you feel you don't know how to "control" your symptoms. (Which is perfectly understandable - who wants to feel dizzy or whatever when you're trying to get on with your day at work?) But the ironic thing is, attempt to control the symptoms only makes things more difficult for you.

Like I said, the trick is to lose your fear of the symptoms - take the dizziness for example. You were feeling OK until for whatever reason, you felt dizzy. This could have been for a number of reasons - but the cause isn't important, it's actually your reaction that is the key. I'll bet you focused on the dizziness ("Oh god why am i feeling dizzy? this isn't right.. ok try to chill...can't feel like this at work.. what if i have to go home again? i can't be off any longer..whys this happening to me..must be something wrong..etc") which will have triggered the fight or flight response, along comes adrenaline and heightens your senses, therefore magnifies your perception of the dizziness, together with some hyperventilation to boot and a bit of blood vessel constriction and wahey you're feeling even dizzier!

Once you got home, you relaxed because you can use your "coping" mechanisms more easily - noones looking at you, you can lie down, distract yourself more easily.. which explains why it passed.

The tight feeling in your chest is probably to do with the tension of the day. But again, your focus on it will be magnifying it and probably making it out to be much worse than it is. Ignore it - it won't cause you any harm, might be annoying for a while but you'll live!

Does that shed some light? :)

[Anxious_gal]

Try using heat on your chest