robp
09-02-2012, 04:26 PM
Hi all, although I am new to this community. I am not new to the world of anxiety, I thought I would share my first experience with anxiety and how I overcame it.
I was about twelve years ago, two years after my mom passed away (yes this does have some relevance). I was a few months into a new career path of computer support, when one day out of nowhere I started feeling an uncomfortable feeling my stomach, and my heart was starting to race. Of course these sensations would make anyone nervous but this was different as I had been having some stomach issues previously. Fortunately, it was the end my shift and I stopped at a local clinic as my regular doctor was gone for the day. The doctor there looked me over and did several tests for the heart racing and found nothing. He suspected I was just having acid reflux..gave me Prevacid and sent me on my way.
but this was only the beginning...
As I started getting obsessed with heart attacks and strokes. And having the largest resource available to me...the Internet (a hypochondriac's dream). With each anxiety attack episode I was feeling some of the symptoms of heart attack and strokes or so I believed. And of course numerous trips to the clinic and my doctor and again...nothing found. Once would think..with that proof..that would be it
No...this went on for awhile. And I actually started to isolate myself and just was disinterested in much of life. So I would go to work, come home and watch tv over and over again. This did not help me.
Until one day, i was visiting my father and brother. Of course one of those attacks came on, I was convinced in my early thirties I was having a stroke to the point that they took me to the ER. And after ruining a whole day waiting on a cat-scan on my head which came up clear by the way. By this point my doctor had me on very low dose Ativan and he told me what was happening.
Fortunately, my brother sent me a link to an anxiety-panic support site with a forum which was very helpful. I have found that talking and performing the breathing, meditation techniques were very helpful. But, just getting it out by talking was extremely helpful.Eventually, I found a therapist who after numerous sessions I had noticed that my anxiety-panic attacks were pretty much non-existent. The attacks were gone and I was able to identify when they would come and get some control over it by the meditation breathing I learned.
Granted between that time and now I've had times of high stress where the anxiety-panic attacks may show up here and there but I could still "hold them at bay".
Although I am having some anxiety of my own again, which I believe may be related to recent events and stress. I can give some suggestions for everyone that helped me out
* Talk it out...this is very effective especially in times when those "irrational thoughts" surface.
* Exercise...believe it or not..
* Find some activities instead of just watching tv.
* Interaction with others helps take away the opportunities for the "irrational thought" It also keeps one from being alone which can cause those "irrational thoughts" to fester which we don't want.
I was about twelve years ago, two years after my mom passed away (yes this does have some relevance). I was a few months into a new career path of computer support, when one day out of nowhere I started feeling an uncomfortable feeling my stomach, and my heart was starting to race. Of course these sensations would make anyone nervous but this was different as I had been having some stomach issues previously. Fortunately, it was the end my shift and I stopped at a local clinic as my regular doctor was gone for the day. The doctor there looked me over and did several tests for the heart racing and found nothing. He suspected I was just having acid reflux..gave me Prevacid and sent me on my way.
but this was only the beginning...
As I started getting obsessed with heart attacks and strokes. And having the largest resource available to me...the Internet (a hypochondriac's dream). With each anxiety attack episode I was feeling some of the symptoms of heart attack and strokes or so I believed. And of course numerous trips to the clinic and my doctor and again...nothing found. Once would think..with that proof..that would be it
No...this went on for awhile. And I actually started to isolate myself and just was disinterested in much of life. So I would go to work, come home and watch tv over and over again. This did not help me.
Until one day, i was visiting my father and brother. Of course one of those attacks came on, I was convinced in my early thirties I was having a stroke to the point that they took me to the ER. And after ruining a whole day waiting on a cat-scan on my head which came up clear by the way. By this point my doctor had me on very low dose Ativan and he told me what was happening.
Fortunately, my brother sent me a link to an anxiety-panic support site with a forum which was very helpful. I have found that talking and performing the breathing, meditation techniques were very helpful. But, just getting it out by talking was extremely helpful.Eventually, I found a therapist who after numerous sessions I had noticed that my anxiety-panic attacks were pretty much non-existent. The attacks were gone and I was able to identify when they would come and get some control over it by the meditation breathing I learned.
Granted between that time and now I've had times of high stress where the anxiety-panic attacks may show up here and there but I could still "hold them at bay".
Although I am having some anxiety of my own again, which I believe may be related to recent events and stress. I can give some suggestions for everyone that helped me out
* Talk it out...this is very effective especially in times when those "irrational thoughts" surface.
* Exercise...believe it or not..
* Find some activities instead of just watching tv.
* Interaction with others helps take away the opportunities for the "irrational thought" It also keeps one from being alone which can cause those "irrational thoughts" to fester which we don't want.