Anxiety while listening to Relaxation CD

Beth Marie · Post by **Beth Marie** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 12:16 am

Has anyone else had an anxiety attack while listening to the relaxation CD? It felt like I could not breathe. It makes me feel like such a freak

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 6:39 am

You're not a freak at all! This is normal. This is your brains way of retaliating - it knows you are trying to shake your anxiety (and congratulations for deciding to do so) and it is trying to get you to panic and stop.

Don't stop now, the CDs are fantastic and will ultimately help you, though it might seem scary at first! A lot of people report feeling increased anxiety before noticing a difference and I'd bet you that this is what happening.

No, worries! This is normal and just make sure you keep going at your own pace.

Love this Life

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 1:54 pm

I have found that relaxing is a job when you are stressed/anxious/depressed. Not making listening to the tapes A JOB within itself will help. BLANK OUT YOUR MIND ONCE YOU LIE DOWN.
I think of taking off of planet Earth, viewing my hometown as I leave flying off into the clouds and pass the moon.....off into space, the stars and just floating....breathing.....visualizing something pleasant right at the start will alleviate the panic. ANYTHING THAT YOU FOUND COMFORTING...even lying in your significant others arms, or playing with your kids....get a relaxing movie going in your head. creamcheese

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 9:23 pm

I think we've all gone through that one. With the anxiety its all about go go go...the thoughts are racing the heart is beating you feeling like you need to run or distract yourself from the anxiety. When we actually do the opposite it can be very scary as we are leaving ourselves open to these thoughts and not distracted. We are left to be with our thoughts...at least in the beginning. With this condition, our thoughts are scary so of course you will feel more anxious in the beginning. This is a very normal response.

With practice you'll eventually be able to clear your mind while using whatever guided meditation you plan to use and yes that includes those thoughts that create those feelings of doom!

Some of the thoughts i would have while doing the relaxation cd would be...I'm not clearing my mind good enough, i'm not focusing on it enough, it's not calming me down enough, I can't visualize, I don't want to do this, It's not going to help me, I can't stick with it...and a bunch of other things. That could also cause anxiety as well but keep in mind, this is not a test. You can only get better with practice and the most focus you can give in the moment is good enough for the relaxation cd to work for you. Think of it like a sail boat if you change the direction the boat is going by even 1 degree, eventually you will end up at a completely diffrent destination then you were headed.

Hope this helps,

Mike

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:48 am

Great comment, Mike! Letting go of being critical is hard to do on a new mental habit, and it really shows up on relaxation practices. I'm less than a week into this, but it's already shifting me a degree or so.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 10:34 am

Wow, i'm glad i'm not the only one who has felt that way

It does take work, it's kind of sad lol

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 4:21 pm

When I first started doing the relaxation cd, it felt wonderful. I relaxed really quickly and felt like I was making great progress. BUT...there is always a but (as I am a negative thinker), after I did it several days, I got used to it so it was harder to focus. My mind began to wander and I started dwelling on stressful and anxiety-causing topics. I'm still working on it. Trying to get myself to clear my mind. It sounds a lot easier than it is.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 5:00 pm

It is all scary at first but it does get better. I'm still learning but one thing I am seeing is that it all gets better as you go. I still get anxious with the relaxation CD as well and don't do it every day like I should. The odd thing is that is does make me relax and feel better, but I still get anxious thinking about doing it. One thing I am trying that is helping is when I wasn't brave enough to do the CD I would climb into bed and do the breathing, then the muscle relaxation on my own and repeat the words from the CD as best I could remember them. I think part of my problem is I don't want to think about anything to do with the anxiety. If I'm having a good day I think if I think about it I'll get anxious and if I'm having a bad day I don't want to think about it either, neither of which is good I know and that is what I am working through. I have made a big improvement on listening to the CD every other day or every 2 days which is much, much better than before. I was afraid to turn it on at first at all. Like they say at the beginning, if you have a problem listening to the CD do it sections at a time and work yourself into it. It is becoming easier for me and it will for you too. My mind does start to wander at times, but I just say stop and refocus on Lucinda's voice. Maybe try some of these tricks and you will find a way to ease yourself into it. You will start to calm down, when I first started it I got panicky also. It will get better just keep working with it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 10:33 am

Yesterday I had some overwhelming anxiety that I knew was going to bust out into a full-blown panic attack. I listened to the relaxation CD (I have it on my MP3 player for convenience and privacy) and at first it was tough to go along with it. The breathing portion was difficult as was the mind-clearing. I found I had to make a concerted effort to do both. Once I did, however, and got to the muscle relaxation portion, I avoided a panic attack and felt calm the rest of the evening! I was very happy and even a little surprised by this