Newbie calling all seasoned HA sufferers!

[Follow The Sun]

Hi all

I've had general anxiety for a few years but am going through a tough patch with my citalopram which has helpfully heightened my anxiety all over Christmas and New Year after I started taking it for a second time, leading me to develop health anxiety for the first time.

I've never had such irrational thoughts before! It's like my brain has split into two - a loud, panicky, shouty part and the rational part which is increasingly struggling to make itself heard.

I developed a fear of being ill and had some blood tests, which all came back negative. Hurrah - or so I thought it would be. I've now started worrying that I could have a really horrible infection from having blood tests. What if this happened, what if that happened etc etc etc. You just can't win!!

Or can you? I'm asking for some tips from those who have fought this before on how to stop that shouty, panicky voice in its tracks. Are there techniques you use?

Any help would be gratefully received! :)

Jen

[HoneyLove]

Hi Jen, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is highly recommended for anxiety, especially if you're having trouble with irrational thoughts like that. It will help you look at your uhealthy thought patterns and bring them under control. It takes consistent effort, but it does work.

Would be work talking to your doctor about, or simply looking up CBT therapists in your area and arranging a session :)

[Follow The Sun]

Hi Honey Love - thanks for your reply. I'm reading about CBT now and am going to sign up for a course. I know there are no quick fixes but wondered of people had found particular calming techniques that help take the edge off...?

[Fishmanpa]

CBT does actually give you techniques to quell the spiral of thoughts that lead to panic and anxiety. There's a free course here that you can download.

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=131665

Positive thoughts

[HoneyLove]

Absolutely, relaxation is an excellent way to help reduce anxiety and it's something that helped me enormously :)

Personally I meditate every day, even just 10 mins of meditation a day has been shown to have great benefit on both physical and mental health. It will activate the part of your nervous system that will help you relax again. Anything that puts you in a state of deep relaxation is a good idea, so things like meditation, guided relaxation, breathing exercises and yoga are all helpful. Even massage would be good for you, but obvisously it's hard to do that every day lol.

I learned meditation from a book called Soul Centered by Sarah McClean, but there are lots of free videos on YouTube that will teach you how to do it. There are also loads of free guided relaxation videos on YouTube, I found this one recently and love it: http://youtu.be/Jyy0ra2WcQQ

I also regularly use a relaxation CD that comes with the book Control Stress by Paul McKenna. I put the recording on my Mp3 player as it's best listened to on headphones. The book also has loads of information on stress management.

What will also help you is anything that rasises levels of feel good hormones in your body, so exercise is important, as well as is eating well and doing things every day that will make you happy even in the smallest way.

[Follow The Sun]

Thanks for those tips and links! I have found meditation a big help in the past - I didn't keep it up though. So that's my challenge for today (and the next day, and the next etc) - do the guided relaxation! And I'm going to have a look at the CBT course, Fishmanpa, definitely. Think I need to invest some time on this issue as it's really hit me for six.

[HoneyLove]

Keep us updated on how you're doing, getting back to meditation should definitely give you a helping hand :)