hello - im new!

[tinydancer]

hello all
I have been suffering with anxiety and panic attacks for almost a year...to be honest when it started i didnt really know what it was, and it wasnt untill having a full blown panic attack that got totally out of control that i saw a doctor...
I am and English girl living in France and unfortunately the first doctor (who was french) i saw was quite unhelpful, prescribing me tranquilisers, but giving me no advice and telling me to work out what the cause was myself.
I am lucky (??) that my partner and a couple of friends have suffered panic attacks in the past and they have been able to support me and help me realise what is happening.
I have also since seen a doctor back home who, although unable to offer me any treatment, did give me alot more reassurance and some advice about what to ask for from a doctor over here!

I have bought books and read lots of info about anxiety and panic and I think i am gradually coming to understand why this is happening to me now. (due things that are happenng in my life right now causing me stress..much due to me living abroad away from family/partner/friends)

However i am struggling to break the cycle of negative thinking and behaviour - when i feel anxious and unwell due to that anxiety; I know deep down that there is nothing seriously wrong with me but i am unable to change my behaviour to make the anxiety go away and frequently feel i cannot cope.... despite my sbest efforts to be positive i often feel down about everything and im worried about the effect it is having on my life and relationships..which of cause just perpetuates the situation!

Im hoping maybe through this forum i can share some more specific issues and get some advice or comments from people who have experienced similar things......

Im sure there is a way through this but ive just not found the right route yet!

[diane07]

Hi tinydancer

We just wanted to welcome you aboard to NMP. We hope you enjoy your stay here and get all the support and advice you need.

Please take some time to read the website articles on the left as well for loads of advice and tips.

[calm]

hi tinydancer....you will get so much support here xxxxx i know how hard it is to break the cycle...but we will...nothing lasts for ever.
love tracey xxxxx

[BritTutor]

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[tinydancer]

BritTutor - infact today im having a reletively good day :).... yesterday was a different matter.....I woke up with a tight knot in my stomach and felt spaced out/'detatched' from myself, I was not breathing 'properly' (short and shallow) something i became increasingly aware of which of course made it worse! i struggled to concentrate on my work and my thoughts were constantly invaded by 'worries' some of them quite ridiculous to look back on but at the time not so easily dismissed...i wanted to leave work and go home to my flat to escape...even though there was nothing to escape from.... I feel very negative about anything to do with me or my own problems.....

it sounds so melodramatic when you write it down.....

[Jaguar]

:welcome:tiny dancer this site has helped me so much. i hope you start to feel better soon best wishes Maxine xx

[BritTutor]

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[tinydancer]

Thanks everyone!
and BritTutor..... yes yes..you're right, the thing is i DOknow nothing bad will happen really...i just cant stopthe feeling of dread at the moment!....i also want to find a way to banish the worrying thoughts...at least the ridiculous ones..i find i worry about everything - especially things i cannot control and can so quickly worked up myself into state about them.
Id love to wake up one morning with a smile on my face and not have the first thing that pops into my head be a concern about what is going to happen that day!

[BritTutor]

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[tinydancer]

thanks for the encouragement!
i know i cant expect to live a worry free life; but i guess by banishing the worrying thoughts i mean, banish the effect they have on me.....

[In_Places]

Hey tinydancer, I seem to be in almost the exact same boat as you. I also got it about a year ago when I moved away from home, and feel a bit unsatisfied with just tranquilising the pain away. I too wake up and immediately wonder how bad it is going to be today, and then worry about the effect it is having on everyone around me and the kind of person it makes me.
Breaking that cycle or worrying yourself sick about worrying is exactly what I am trying to figure out. It's usually only bad when I am on my own, or have no immediate plans to look forward to, so my main weapon is just distraction. Going out with friends is the best remedy, but when they aren't around it's films, books, audiobooks, games, or maybe doing something like drawing or playing music. I can't be without distraction for more than a minute when it's bad, which is very draining.
What sort of things do you do to help take your mind of the worry?

[BritTutor]

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[discostu58]

I tend to go by the ruling dont sweat the small stuff

[discostu58]

I've been on the down side 4 nearly three weeks now dont want to go out cant be bothered doing owt hence a trip to the doctors to review meds

[tinydancer]

to be honest i dont really know how to break the cycle..im not quite there yet....im currently keeping a diary to try an log how i feel day to day and see if there are patterns in my worry....i figure if i can understand what is causing me the anxiety then maybe i can learn to cope with it better......and writing these things down makes you realise how silly some of your worries are...even though they are at the time quite distressing!

[charlb]

Hi, iv sufferd with anxiety, panic attacks & worrying thoughts for a long time now. I dont have a quick fix but everytime i have a strange thought (and sometimes they've been very strange) i say to myself " these are just thoughts, thoughts cannot harm me & today im trusting that everything will be fine" try it, even if u have say it to yourself a thousand times, i found it helps me when im stuck in a cycle of worry. Hope it helps you. Charlotte x