Copin with the symptoms.

[Children_of_God]

How do you guys all cope with the symptoms?
I don't mean like breathing techniques n stuff, 'cos I'm not talking about just getting panicky.
I mean general symptoms, like unrealness (depersonalization AND derealization) n breathing.
'cos I have been feeling really unreal for the past couple of hours (with myself [espicially my hands] and my environment) and feeling quite hard to breathe. N I'm just trying my hardest not to get panicky.
I know it can't hurt me, but the feelings r quite strong and I just don't know how to cope with them.
Does anybody have any adive? or how do you all cope with them?
'cos I really don't know what to do and it's proper getting to me = S
please help.
lol. thanks. :)
xxx xxx xxx xxx.

[honeybee3939]

Hi

I get like this also, and the thing that works best for me is to try and distract myself, you could try listening to music, singing, doing a crossword puzzle etc, i even find by running up and down the stairs helps me. Thinking about your symptoms tends to make things worse. It reminds you how unpleasent they are and so increases the fear that you already have.

Have a look on the How to Cope link at the left hand side of this page, there is also some good advice to help with your breathing too.

Love

Andrea
xxx

[feelbad73]

As a fellow sufferer of debilitating anxiety for the last 14 years you may be interested in what helps a little for me. Ive tried the distraction method for years and its never worked for me. Kinda get frustrated when you end up phoneing some helpline for help and they reel off the same old distraction methods.

For me I found something not too long ago in a Claire Weekes book "Self Help for your Nerves" which i doctored a little, it has helped me a lot with my symptoms. The advice is to think of a phrase, word or mental image that describes a frame of mind thats beneficial to be in when faceing these scary sensations, something like going into neutral, or seeing standing corn in a field bending over and yeilding to a passing gust without resistance. You may have to read the book to understand fully where im coming from but the point of it is to get into the habit of not fighting the symptoms as its the adrenalin thats released from the fight or the fear responce thats driving those dreaded feelings, so what you want to do is to aim at accepting them fully and not react with fear. It takes a lot of practice to do this as its hard at first as we are so use to reacting with fear to these symptoms. You should find that if you let them happen and kinda take a back seat and just observe them happen, let yourself go into neutral and trust that nothing bad will happen as you know it is only anxiety however bad you may feel you know it will not harm you. This way you'll find that the symptoms will become less severe and will gradually lesson the more you practice. What you are doing is breaking the habit of reacting with fear which is making you more fearful and more uncomfortable. Give it a try. And read that book if you know whats good for you. Distraction techniques are not good for you because you are not facing your fear, your running away and that only makes you believe in your fears more over time. Try accepting the bad feeling and let them pass, try not to resist the feeling in any way. Practice it ive seen it work in myself and others. My problem is i keep going back to my old ways of fighting the feelings or running away from them but every so often when i correct myself and get back to doing this things get better, dont look for instant results its not a quick fix, it just takes as long as it takes.

[Dying_Swan]

Hello :)

I agree with both re: distraction. It can be useful at times, but in the long run doesn't help so much with learning to face the problem. That said, if it gets you through a brief period of panic or depersonalisation etc, then it's not a problem.

I find DP/DR is one of the most difficult aspects of anxiety to deal with, I guess because it's more chronic than a panic attack.

I think it's very important to make sure you have slept enough, eaten well and exercised. Feeling physically healthy tends to mean I feel more 'real' too.

The other thing I do is repeat some phrases to myself silently. You will find phrases that you like, and just remind yourself of them when you are feeling strange. I find that it tends to go. I just get on with whatever I'm doing and remind myself that it will go eventually. It always does.

There are times when it's horrible and you feel you won't get through what you're doing, but you always do. That's what it's all about I suppose - allowing the feelings to be there and carrying on. They do go.

I'm sorry I can't be of more help. I'm sure there are others who could give you more advice.

Best of luck xxx :flowers: