calmiah
28-01-14, 15:51
New to the group, hope your all good today..
Just thought I would post some experiences that I have encountered while going through the Anxiety period, been some bad times but still lots to learn from those moments. I was diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder 9 months ago after a family trauma and offered Citalipram by the doctors, never took him up on it as I had decided to try and 'outrun' the anxiety.:whistles:
My main problem is not attacks as such but anxious about being anxious, I get all the symptoms but mainly the chest pains, struggle to breath, yawning, arms tingling, shoulder & back pain and a horrible disconnected feeling.
Since then I have tried a few things to combat this, the first being CBT which I found to be a waste of time. I know it works for majority of people & I still flick through my books now and again for a topup but the therapist I was assigned didnt have any interest at all. On each session he basically said I had 2 options, 'think happy' or 'think sad', 'its up to you which one you choose'. Technically correct but not really what I was expecting and not so helpful in the midst of an anxiety attack, I cancelled my last appointment so no joy there. I am sure that I just struck unlucky on this occassion and certainly wouldnt say to anyone not ask the GP for this if its needed.
I then tried acupuncture, had 3 sessions and while I felt relief in short spells when the anxiety came back it nailed me, much worse than I had experienced prior to that point so again not much joy in my search.
I then started Mindfulness, firstly with Finding peace in a Frantic World, I found the meditation CD a bit too much as a starter but the book is great and I do plan to go back once my current programme is done. I have now signed up for Headspace and after 4 months really do feel the benefits of taking a little time out each day to just do nothing, its 10, 15 then 20 minutes a day over a year to just calm the mind which I find I can now fit into my day, even with 2 toddlers tearing about. It encourages you to become more present throughout the day, this works for me as If I am being present I cannot then think about anything in the past or the future, just right here right now.
I also listen to Audio CD from Claire Weekes [Pass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety and Fear] which keeps it simple and is I believe well regarded along with a hypnotherapy audio that I cant post here as I'm new. Both seem to really calm me and clarify exactly what is happening and why.
I must say I am not 'cured' of anxiety as Im not even sure its an illness to be cured? It seems to me the mind tricks the body, the body reacts. fires the warnings back to the mind and the mind sprints away with you. I know this isn't a simple process and people have suffered with this for years but from my own experience up to this point by making the effort to do the mindfulness every day, a little exercise and reducing the Wine I am slowly managing the anxiety.
Reducing my alcohol intake has had a massive benefit, my intention is to stay off it Monday to Friday then have a couple of glasses at the weekend, I have found that 2 large glasses of a night leaves me ok, push it to a bottle and next day is painful. Obvious I know but if you can stay away all together it may be helpful even short term, it seems Wine & anxiety really do not mix very well.
One last thing also helping is exercise, since my anxiety struck I have felt very tired & weary as a result of the adrenaline and over-thinking. I have started now doing 15 minutes of cardio and some situps in the morning after meditating, not a lot I know but gotta start somewhere. At first I struggled to breath properly and had chest pains, once I accepted they were nothing but anxiety things have improved and I feel like I have much more energy through the day.
Anyway, sorry to have bored you all but hope it may give hope for just one of you out there.
Good luck & start to love your life again, it is there, its just stuck behind all the other thoughts x
Just thought I would post some experiences that I have encountered while going through the Anxiety period, been some bad times but still lots to learn from those moments. I was diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder 9 months ago after a family trauma and offered Citalipram by the doctors, never took him up on it as I had decided to try and 'outrun' the anxiety.:whistles:
My main problem is not attacks as such but anxious about being anxious, I get all the symptoms but mainly the chest pains, struggle to breath, yawning, arms tingling, shoulder & back pain and a horrible disconnected feeling.
Since then I have tried a few things to combat this, the first being CBT which I found to be a waste of time. I know it works for majority of people & I still flick through my books now and again for a topup but the therapist I was assigned didnt have any interest at all. On each session he basically said I had 2 options, 'think happy' or 'think sad', 'its up to you which one you choose'. Technically correct but not really what I was expecting and not so helpful in the midst of an anxiety attack, I cancelled my last appointment so no joy there. I am sure that I just struck unlucky on this occassion and certainly wouldnt say to anyone not ask the GP for this if its needed.
I then tried acupuncture, had 3 sessions and while I felt relief in short spells when the anxiety came back it nailed me, much worse than I had experienced prior to that point so again not much joy in my search.
I then started Mindfulness, firstly with Finding peace in a Frantic World, I found the meditation CD a bit too much as a starter but the book is great and I do plan to go back once my current programme is done. I have now signed up for Headspace and after 4 months really do feel the benefits of taking a little time out each day to just do nothing, its 10, 15 then 20 minutes a day over a year to just calm the mind which I find I can now fit into my day, even with 2 toddlers tearing about. It encourages you to become more present throughout the day, this works for me as If I am being present I cannot then think about anything in the past or the future, just right here right now.
I also listen to Audio CD from Claire Weekes [Pass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety and Fear] which keeps it simple and is I believe well regarded along with a hypnotherapy audio that I cant post here as I'm new. Both seem to really calm me and clarify exactly what is happening and why.
I must say I am not 'cured' of anxiety as Im not even sure its an illness to be cured? It seems to me the mind tricks the body, the body reacts. fires the warnings back to the mind and the mind sprints away with you. I know this isn't a simple process and people have suffered with this for years but from my own experience up to this point by making the effort to do the mindfulness every day, a little exercise and reducing the Wine I am slowly managing the anxiety.
Reducing my alcohol intake has had a massive benefit, my intention is to stay off it Monday to Friday then have a couple of glasses at the weekend, I have found that 2 large glasses of a night leaves me ok, push it to a bottle and next day is painful. Obvious I know but if you can stay away all together it may be helpful even short term, it seems Wine & anxiety really do not mix very well.
One last thing also helping is exercise, since my anxiety struck I have felt very tired & weary as a result of the adrenaline and over-thinking. I have started now doing 15 minutes of cardio and some situps in the morning after meditating, not a lot I know but gotta start somewhere. At first I struggled to breath properly and had chest pains, once I accepted they were nothing but anxiety things have improved and I feel like I have much more energy through the day.
Anyway, sorry to have bored you all but hope it may give hope for just one of you out there.
Good luck & start to love your life again, it is there, its just stuck behind all the other thoughts x