Stress Center Peer Support

I feel tired and like not shakey but i feel stressed out and my body hurts i took blood pressure and it was 135 over 87. i'm not sure if that is normal or not but i feel dizzy and my body hurts and i feel nervous.

Wwhat i wanted to ask is can anxiety and stress caugh bad blood pressure or serious blood pressure problems? or just make it a little high? nothing bad? im really concerned..


i'm not really shaking and i feel tired and it doesnt feel like a panic attack but my stomach hurts my chest hurts and my body aches and i feel scared like it can be something serious... im not sure if that is normal blood pressure or bad or what.. i feel a bad feeling in my stomach like hunger pain but i feel like i cant eat at the same time. sometimes its hard to know if its anxiety or not or blood pressure im not sure...

Is it possible to be relaxed and calm even when your blood pressure is high and your feeling anxiety pains??

sorry for so many questions im just really really nervous about what is going on right now.. The only thing i did different today was exersize alot around 5am and now its 9am im trying to breathe in and out and relax my chest feels tight and my throat feels really tight like its hard to swallow.

I remember before this started i was ready to go to bed and felt a tiny bit sleepy but i normally go to bed around 11am or 12pm since my sleeping is messed up. I had alot on my mind about when i should take the ativan since i am so nervous of taking it i have a bad fear of pills. But im hearing everyone say that they can use this program and do it without pills . I am still trying to get the full program maybbe cheaper on ebay or something. But i wanted to ask is it for real that you can stop it wtihout pills?? when i feel like this anxiety attack if that is what it is and not blood pressure, then i feel like its not an attack that its something serious and im going to pass out or have a heart attack worrying if it is my blood pressure. Im not sure if the exersize i did made it worse a few hours ago or not since it was fast dancing exersize.

Is there anything anyone can tell me what the program would say i could do when these thoughts come and hit your head making you think its not a panic attack and is something else? this really felt not like one ... but breathing does help. it just takes a while to stop it... like its hard to breathe and calm down. hard to force myself to breathe since at the moment even moving is extremely stressful.

Im sorry if im typing alot of negative things in my other threads i've been having major anxiety lately and im seriously wanting to get this program so bad since im so afraid of taking the perscription of Ativan my Psychiorist gave me.

I feel extremely stressed and my body hurts. I'm worried because im not sure if this is anxiety or if it is blood pressure or how i know it is or if their both the same..

Hi,

First, pills are not a bad thing. Think of them as like a cast for a broken arm. They will allow your body time to work on coping skills. I have been on and off meds for years.

Second, get a checkup from your doctor. Alleviate your fears that something is terribly wrong with you.

Third, overwhelm yourself with positive affirmations. For example, "I'm capable of getting through an anxiety episode", "I'm a nice person", "I look forward to living every day with enthusiasm". As simple as it may sound, our thoughts dictate our feelings. It's not the other way around. I picked up a CD of positive affirmations from Louise Hay at my local library. Yours may have a copy too. If not, search the Internet.

Fourth, work on breathing exercises. The one that comes with this program is good. If not that, anything from Dr. Andrew Weil is good too. I tell myself, "with each breath I become more and more relaxed". I say that to myself probably 20 times a day.

Woodbridge

I need to try harder on these anxiety attacks and not let them get me so bad.
I am going to check into the cd from Louise Hay about positive thinking. Thank you so much for your advice.

xlostgirlx,

I have read some of your posts, especially the one to DeeDee where you said you are still living at home and not working.
A woman from StressCenter called me today from the sales department, so I told her about you and asked if they ever did any pro bono work. She told me to have you call customer service at 800-944-9460 and see if you all can work something out. Just tell them that you are not working and cannot afford the program, but need it. See if they can do anything to help you. I tried calling them myself about you, but they are closed today.

xlostgirlx,

I don't know what they'll say if you call customer service, so I checked on Amazon. They have the Attacking Anxiety Program by Lucinda Bassett for sale for much less than the full price that Stress Center charges. if you need to economize, you could also check that out. Look for ones that say they have the 16 CD's and a workbook and relaxation tape.

I don't want to insult you, but you need more help than we can give you on a website. None of us are professionals. If you can get the program and really do it, it will help you. If you can't, see if you can find a good cognitive behavioral therapist where you live.

Best of luck to you and I sincerely hope you find some good professional level help.

The main thing is, you are searching for help. Keep it up until you find it. Don't give up on yourself--you have a pretty common condition. Believe it or not, the program says about 15 to 20 % of people suffer from anxiety or depression.

LostGirl -

While there are many external and internal factors that affect our anxiety, the truth is that the vast majority of it is just a mental game. The trick to winning is calming positive self talk.

Probably the most basic strategy you can use when you start to have doubts is to repeat to yourself "it's just anxiety." Because that's really what it is. You might even right this phrase down on some note cards and leave them in strategic places to keep reminding yourself that almost all of your discomfort and fear is simply anxiety. I realize from your other posts that you are dealing with some other physical issues (a UT infection?) and of course those need to be handled with your doctor, but the majority of the rest can be handled entirely by you, right where you are, without any help from anyone else.

As you continue to repeat this simple phrase, eventually you'll start to believe it, but it will take some time. Some other positive messages you can also try are "this will pass shortly" and "regardless of how I'm feeling, I'll be just fine." Remember that you are your own safe person and your own safe place.

Good luck with your healing. And remember, it's just anxiety.

Jamie

xlostgirlx,

SeaRunner has given you some good suggestions. I have not read From Panic to Power, but that is a good idea as a possible place for you to start. It won't cost you a lot of money. You have to learn some skills to handle your anxiety. It makes you feel horrible, but he is right--you are just feeding yourself negative thoughts and that is what is causing your anxiety. It is hard to believe, but it is true. If you get the book, you also need a relaxation tape with deep breathing exercises and muscle relaxation. The medical director of StressCenter said that is a key to recovery. You should do the relaxation tape or CD two or three times a day in the beginning. You are not going to get any better unless you learn these skills and put them into practice, so that will require some work and determination on your part.

We have given you some options--get the book, try to follow the instructions of Searunner, call the customer service people at Stress Center--I read that one woman is doing the program online and it sounded less expensive. You could see what they say at customer service--I figure it never hurts to ask. Or if you can afford it, get the program on Amazon.

The main thing is to learn the skills you need. Either by one of the methods we suggested, or by going to a cognitive behavioral therapist. I don't know if you have mental health care benefits in your medical plan, so maybe that isn't going to work.

The main thing is to learn the skills you need to handle this anxiety. You can do it--lots of us have. Don't give up until you prevail, because you certainly can!

Where are you xlostgirlx? Really want you to read the advice from Woodbridge, Searunner and me. Think it will help you cope.

Originally posted by samcat:
Where are you xlostgirlx? Really want you to read the advice from Woodbridge, Searunner and me. Think it will help you cope.

I am so so so sorry i haven't been on. I have had an issue at home with family that i don't want to post on this forum because its too personal. But i'm still here i didn't go away please forgive me : (

I did call that number but it took a few tries and no one answered .. but i'm reading some of the book and i can understand some of it but its really hard to get out the negative i am trying with it though.