Tips for dealing with Anxiety and Panic

[Panickypants]

Thanks for this, i have anxiety attacks and at the moment i am at my worse, but i'm determined it won't beat me i have stopped them before so can do it again, your post is fab and i will read it everytime i am feeling anxious x x

[Insomniac]

What a great post!!

We all need reminding of these facts sometimes... well I know I do! Especially "TRY TO REMEMBER A STRONG FAST BEATING HEART IS A GOOD HEART". What great advice!

Loving NMP!!

[NoPoet]

Another couple of things I've learned:

* If you are scared of the world and think it's a terrible place, try being part of it. Be on the inside looking out rather than the other way around. Almost nothing that you are afraid of will ever happen.

* No matter how much you might feel like you are going mad, you are not going mad. It is not possible to suddenly go mad. If you were insane, you would not be remotely capable of questioning your own state of mind. You are simply feeling overwhelmed by what you are going through. This is not the same as going mad; it is a completely natural response when you feel trapped and/or surrounded by problems.

* You are not having a brain tumour. You would probably know if you were because the symptoms would not resemble anxiety or panic. There are physical symptoms for most type of brain tumour which do not all match anxiety or depression. If you are worried, please see your doctor for your own peace of mind.

* If a doctor gives you the all clear, you are all clear. Doctors who are concerned will forward you on for further tests. If they do not do this, it is highly likely that your symptoms have a mundane, everyday cause and are not a cause for concern.

* Feeling tense or anxious will make all of your symptoms feel worse. Concentrating on your symptoms is the same as putting them under a magnifying glass. Lying on your bed all day thinking about how ill you are will not help you to recover; forget about it, even for a few minutes.

* If you can relax and forget your worries even for thirty seconds, hell even for two or three seconds, you have proven that you can be free of your worries. It's that simple. Yes, it really is. You don't need to have the mental control of a Buddhist monk. (Although that would help!) You might only be able to manage a few minutes of freedom now. This will increase the more you practice it. Before long you will be able to go for hours, and eventually even days.

* Bear in mind that people permanently recover from anxiety and depression every day. Anxiety and depression can be overcome. It is entirely possible to live a normal life even if you have suffered from serious depression in the past. It is possible to never suffer from bad anxiety or depression again.

* You will have down days. Tough it out. The next day could be wonderful.

[Insomniac]

Another couple of things I've learned:

* If you can relax and forget your worries even for thirty seconds, hell even for two or three seconds, you have proven that you can be free of your worries. It's that simple. Yes, it really is. You don't need to have the mental control of a Buddhist monk. (Although that would help!) You might only be able to manage a few minutes of freedom now. This will increase the more you practice it. Before long you will be able to go for hours, and eventually even days.

* Bear in mind that people permanently recover from anxiety and depression every day. Anxiety and depression can be overcome. It is entirely possible to live a normal life even if you have suffered from serious depression in the past. It is possible to never suffer from bad anxiety or depression again.

* You will have down days. Tough it out. The next day could be wonderful.

Thanks for this post.... it actually gave me a flare of butterflies (good ones) with hope that I will be free for days, then months, then years. Sounds great!!

[deb1967]

Hi Lisa

What worries me more then anything is literally in the last few days, having felt "anxious" over illness etc for a few days, my hands have started to feel like I've just realised I have them, tingly, not completely pins and needles but a bit like that and slightly warm at times. Mainly in one hand.

Convinced myself I have early MS, dr says its to do with hyperventilating, but I don't feel like I am, ie not getting out of breath etc, just a bit less controlled breathing, then later in the day, after I dont feel so anxious, the tips of my fingers start to tingle a little?

Thanks/Deb

[Insomniac]

HI there,

just read a bit about tingling fingers on the symtoms section here. That section has really helped me feel better about the anixety, if you know what I mean.

Understanding why I feel the things I do helps me feel much less worried and realise that when my brain decides I should be fighting or fleeing make me breathe faster, increases my heart rate and the over breathing causes all those other things too.

Hope this helps you too. Check out the symptoms section from the menu on the left or try this link.

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/NMPcms....ppage=symptoms

[NoPoet]

Thanks Insomniac, glad I could help

The literature on depression that I have read tends to be quite scary. It rarely makes any mention of recovery. It just talks about "treatment". People can go into remission and they can conquer it altogether. Same with anxiety. You can be a melancholy or anxious person and still live a normal, healthy, happy life.

[stacey2712]

Thanks for bit about lying on the bed all day doesn't help. This is all Iv'e been doing/wanted to do so no wonders i still feel sick all the time, Iv'e done nothing since my stomach bug and its been 3 weeks, think i need to get a grip.

[mikey0071]

has anyone tryed a herb called RHODIOLA I have been taking it and can honestly say I feel soooo much better......my aunt runs a health shop and recomended it to me, apparently avoid getting it with caffine as this will give you the jitters....anyway so far so good as my G.P. put me on propanolol (betta blocker) and i wasn't keen to go there......will keep you all posted bye for now Mikey

[ElizabethJane]

Hi Poet this is the first time that I have replied to something that you have posted. I know that you are young (well a lot younger than me) I dearly hope and pray that you are free from anxiety and depression some time in the near future. Unfortunately for me at forty seven nearly forty eight I will never be completely free of this demon. That is not to say I dont lead a fulfilling and meaningful life I do. I have severe recurrent depressive disorder. I have had periods of serious depression throughout my adult life. On occasion I have been hospitalised because of my illness. I have had a lot of psychiatric treatments and they have all helped in their way. So now I try to focus in the present. I see my brilliant consultant psychiatrist every six weeks or so and we talk and he prescribes me drugs. I also see my GP every month. I know I've deviated from the point but sometimes it is better to accept that we can't be cured and then we can get on with living our lives.