Stress Center Peer Support

Hello, my name is Daron. I have suffered with anxiety for most of my adult life. Anxiety attacks to me are absolutely horrific. They sabatoge everything about you leaving behind a sense of fear and frustration that binds your well-being in a most negative mannor. It's very hard to rationalize that you are okay when your brain is telling you something completey different. But.....They want kill you...Unless your irrational mind at the time tells you to drive to the E.R. while you are panic striken forcing you into an accident. There are so many factors to consider when you are striken with this illness. Do you get enough sleep? Do you eat healthy? Do you exercise regurly? All these measures will help I assure you. Anything you can do positive for yourself while being striken with anxiety attacks will help. I think anxiety attacks in general is a learned behavior. If you have a severe enough one it is etched in your memory like waking up in the morning and taking a shower. You never seem to forget it and you always anticipate when the next one will occur. As a anxiety sufferer you must somehow replace that negative experience with one of positive reinforcement. This is easier said then done. What works for me is allowing myself to stay in the moment when having an anxiety attack. This means not focusing on the past experiences or predicting future outcomes of the experience. I try my very best to recognize it for what it is...ANXIETY. I say things like...This has never killed you. You are scared and this is simply your bodies way of dealing with being scared. More importantly I ask myself WHAT IS GOING ON IN MY PERSONEL LIFE RIGHT THIS VERY MOMENT THAT IS CAUSING ME TO HAVE THIS PANIC ATTACK. Not focusing on the symptoms but rather the cause and solution. I even at times say...Go ahead and kill me...Just go ahead and lets get this over with. All of these tactics take most or all the power away from the anxiety attack. One other peace of advice, work on your breathing. When you feel an anxiety attack arising breathe in for seven seconds and out for eleven. Repeat this three to four times if not more. Your body will have no other choice but to calm down. If you cannot do that then hold your breath for as long as you can. This will force your body to adjust back to a calmer state. If you believe in it and do it trust me it works. When you have an anxiety attack you think you are not getting enough air and are going to pass out...Completely opposite...You are actually getting too much air which is what your irrational way of thinking at the time wants you not to believe. You feel dizzy...You feel dizzy because your body has a way of saying you have had enough. The brain forces a chemical reaction in your body to force you to calm down. Truth be told it is very hard to panic when you feel like you can't even stand up...You must understand that you are not insane nor crazy...You have an illness and that illness is an irrational approach to anxiety. Your body is reacting no different then a scared deer about to be attacked by a lion. It's a natural occurance, you just have to discover that for yourself. I wish all of you the best of luck in your journey for peace and happiness. Stay strong, never give up, and re-discover yourself...Stay Blessed.

Thanks, Cancun007! My panic attacks are under control, but the body symptoms of anxiety still come around. I never had the dizziness before and I've been experiencing that which I thought was part of a sinus infection I was taking anti-biotics for. I was glad to be done with the medication because it was making me feel yucky and in irritable.

Anyway, its good to hear others tell their success stories. Paislee

Thanks for taking the time to write that. It is helpful to hear others who are or were going through the same things. I don't feel that panicky today, but when I stand, my gut starts to hurt and I get very short of breath. It sometimes gets to the point where I feel very faint and like passing out. I check my pulse and it seems fine, but I still have the hardest time dealing with the severe symptoms. Thanks for posting!

When you are nervous your blood is pumped out of your stomach and into the heart, arms, legs, etc. This is why you experience digestive issues. Your body is reacting exactly how it is suppose to under stress.