Im telling myself im fine but its not working!!

[l1n7]

I've been feeling very weak and like I'm about to pass out for like the past 30 minutes and idk how to feel better even though I'm telling myself I'm fine, it's not working! How do you convince yourself to stop panicking? I'm so scared I'm about to lose it. Like I'm about to die or something. At the same time I'm feeling very depressed and an mad at myself. I'm 19 and am not having fun at this time in my life because of this anxiety. It's ruining my life. I feel so stuck if that makes sense. My doctor won't put me on anxiety medicine so I'm stuck with trying to fix this by diet and it's hard. I'm so sorry to vent, I just needed to get some of this out. Anyone have any tips? Thanks

[becki]

I'm sorry you're having a tough time. Those sensations of fainting can be very scary. Have you ever fainted before? What I tell myself is that I've never fainted before, I don't know what it feels like to faint and I can't predict the future and if I truly thout I was in danger I would call for help. Try as best as you can to busy yourself. Clean a room, go for a walk, take a shower, journal your feelings. Before you know it the anxiety will pass and you will see you weren't in any danger. We don't have to believe everything our kinds tell us.

[l1n7]

Of course telling yourself you are fine when you know damm well you are not is not working .

You need to tell yourself that you are not fine but that is ok and that if you work on things then it will get better .

Why will your doctor not look at drugs ?

What other options have they offered ??

He wants to use meds as a last option. The other options he suggested was going to church to get my mind off of things, writing in a journal, and to just have fun.

[l1n7]

I'm sorry you're having a tough time. Those sensations of fainting can be very scary. Have you ever fainted before? What I tell myself is that I've never fainted before, I don't know what it feels like to faint and I can't predict the future and if I truly thout I was in danger I would call for help. Try as best as you can to busy yourself. Clean a room, go for a walk, take a shower, journal your feelings. Before you know it the anxiety will pass and you will see you weren't in any danger. We don't have to believe everything our kinds tell us.

Thanks. I'm calming down right now. Yes I have passed out before but it wasn't even during a time when I was anxious lol

[Audrey00]

Hi I am very sorry to hear your having such a hard time ! My doctor will also not put me on meds !

[dazza]

It's easy to under estimate the power, strength, longevity & debilitating severity of anxiety disorder.
Unless a person has experienced it then their opinions on the subject are invalid.

Anxiety / panic, and in particular panic attacks are a horrifically unstable state to be in. I recall the countless times when, out of seemingly nowhere, I'd experience the following as an attack ensued:

i/ energy

Unusable energy that just builds and builds and builds within you... like an overcharged battery.
Pumping the heart at ~twice the normal rate, messing up your breathing & causing the most unusual physical symptoms / pains ever experienced.

ii/ fear

The worst fear imaginable - seemingly from nowhere and about both nothing & everything.

iii/ tunnel vision

Not anything to do with actual vision / eyes, but you don't notice anything around you as the activity within takes control

The result is an overly-energised, fearful, tunnel-visioned, quivvering & pained wreck of a human being.


At it's most mature & while you do not understand it - you cannot beat your anxiety simply by telling yourself "i'm ok".
Once an attack has started - you're locked in for the duration.

I'm near 100% convinced that the ONLY way to passify these early, newly-formed attacks is by strong, sedating medication.
(Having said that, I'm naturally weary and adverse to medication so this made things even worse for me)

There was NO WAY that belly breathing, splashing my face with water or anything else of that "natural" nature would have made an ounce of difference to me in these situations.
Unfortunately I just had to take it... many 10's of times.

Absolutely fucking horrible experience beyond our worst imaginations... I know... I've been there.

[courtndrap]

Two months after having my daughter in 2004, i had a weird experience of accelerated heart rate and feeling like passing out. I calmed down after lying down for a while. Since that attack started that day i have dealt with anxiety on and off for 8 yrs. after trying celexa and not working a stopped taking them and was fine for a while. After having my second child in 2010 here i am again with panic attacks so going to a different doctor he put me on Prozac for slight depression and anxiety and panic attack. After 1 year of being on them I recently weened off with doctor supervision.I believe to be the best drug for me to consume in leveling out the chemical in my brain.
Through counseling and talking about what you fear helped me in my state of mind of knowing I'm not going to die and everything will be fine. WhenI feel an attack coming on I get control of it before its spirals, I'm proud of myself for being able to take charge of my feelings. Mentally one has to be in a good place and supplementing with vitamins that boost up seretonin levels will increase mood and elevate panic attacks.

[l1n7]

Thanks everyone. It's just so frustrating and makes me cry sometimes because I feel like there's no hope. Like I'm stuck like this.

Dazza... Sorry, I'm a bit confused on something. Are you saying strong medicine is really the only way to help?

[dazza]

Dazza... Sorry, I'm a bit confused on something. Are you saying strong medicine is really the only way to help?

Let me put it another way: Diazepam was a GREAT help to me during the first 3 to 5 months. Without it, I would have struggled far worse than I already was.

However, being a cautious / medication averse type of person that I am... I didn't abuse it. I ONLY took it when I couldn't cope.

I recommend medication during the early phase where we don't understand what the <beep> is going on, but I also strongly advise to come off it as soon as possible.

[rainbow1]

I have to agree with Dazza .

I will tell you what i think .

I think that in the first moments when anxiety hits the best form of treatment is two things . First is a Beznos to get you into a better place and second is to find someone that will talk with you and teach and make you understand what is happening .

But in saying that this is what you must do . If you just take a benzo or a SSRI or any other drug and don't do the other work you are in for a load of heart ache in the future .

Benzos should play a huge part in recovery , but used correctly when and only when needed. Understanding is the key to recovery .

SSRI also have a place but because of the risk of side effects i think that they should be used for people that may have had anxiety for a while and need more long term help to change the habits that anxiety have bought about .

Anxiety is not rocket science . It is easy to understand when it is explained well. The problem is when anxiety hits it shuts the logical part of the brain down and turns on the primal part . The benzos returns this calm for long enough to get you to understand what is happening . Even just knowing that there is something there that can calm you in minutes is often enough . i carried one in my wallet for 18 months but never used it as i could calm myself before i needed it .

I have lived with the symptoms of high stress referred to as anxiety for 3 years and to this day , in fact till the day i die i will say that had someone calmed me down and explained what was happening to me in the first week then i would have handled it a lot better.

The fact was this did not happen , my brain was super anxious and it feed on itself . The fear caused more fear and as i went for months like this when i come out the other side the damage was done and what should have taken a few months to fix took alot longer. That process is very hard and very slow and bumpy but it can be done .

Never be scared of taking a benzo . It is the same as having a drink . You take too much and your in trouble , just as you would be if you drunk too much.

Sorry what is benzo?

[trinidiva]

Benzo is like xanax, alprazolam, etc. They are quick acting meds that immediately take away your anxiety.