Wishing for comfort

[katie22]

This is all new to me being on this board. I have been dealing with panic attacks for a very long time and just recently over the past 3 months the attacks have been persistent and terrible. I have been to the ER three times only for them to say I have anxiety. They treated me like I was gonna hurt myself and wanted to admit me to the psych floor in hospital all because of these feelings and emotions I have. The racing heart , the heart flutters when it feels like my heart skips a beat, the sweating and feeling like I am goin to pass out and the chest tightness , it is just all too much for me . My therapist put me on 60 mg of cymbalta and Xanax as needed. I really wish I didn't have to take the Xanax so much but I do . Please help me :(

[manz82]

Do you actually feel as though you might hurt yourself? If you do, you need to accept the help from the doctors as soon as possible. If you don't, you have to start taking positive, constructive steps to reduce your anxiety.
I'll briefly list some things that help me and you can research them and practice at your leisure - but you MUST try - even if you can only manage a little triumph a day (like taking a short walk) it is a step in the right direction.

1- practice correct breathing . You can google this and learn the technique.
2- Talk to a trusted friend or relative about the way you're feeling.
3- get fresh air every day, even if you feel you don't want to. Just DO IT
4- light exercise. Even twenty minutes of light workout a day really helps.
5- read a self help book. Dr Claire Weekes is a very good one.
6- keep a journal and plan your day constructively so you know what you're doing from one day to the next. This way your mind is occupied and you are less likely to dwell and inward think.

Good luck. Xx

[Derivative]

I find that planning my day and making to do lists defiantly helps distract me from my anxiety. It also gives a sense of accomplishment and boosts self esteem, knowing that I've accomplished something productive.

[missmello]

I've been struggling for about a month now.. started with heightened sense of smell, then loss of appetite and nausea.. now I find myself constantly checking my pulse, feel like my heart is beating too fast and hard sometimes, can't find a way to relax. It is difficult, but keep trying. You've been to the ER multiple times and there is nothing physically wrong with you.. remember that, try to accept it, and push forward. It is very difficult but believe that it will not last forever.

[jbevis]

I've been struggling for about a month now.. started with heightened sense of smell, then loss of appetite and nausea.. now I find myself constantly checking my pulse, feel like my heart is beating too fast and hard sometimes, can't find a way to relax. It is difficult, but keep trying. You've been to the ER multiple times and there is nothing physically wrong with you.. remember that, try to accept it, and push forward. It is very difficult but believe that it will not last forever.

That's just like what's going on with me. I am obsessive about checking my pulse and it's feeding my anxiety

[jknuckles]

This is all new to me being on this board. I have been dealing with panic attacks for a very long time and just recently over the past 3 months the attacks have been persistent and terrible. I have been to the ER three times only for them to say I have anxiety. They treated me like I was gonna hurt myself and wanted to admit me to the psych floor in hospital all because of these feelings and emotions I have. The racing heart , the heart flutters when it feels like my heart skips a beat, the sweating and feeling like I am goin to pass out and the chest tightness , it is just all too much for me . My therapist put me on 60 mg of cymbalta and Xanax as needed. I really wish I didn't have to take the Xanax so much but I do . Please help me :(

Hello Everyone,

I used to be an anxiety sufferer and now fully recovered. I suffered for more than 10 years before fully recovering. I would like to share some of the things I did that completely eliminated my anxiety:

1. Do not be anxious that you are feeling the way you are feeling. It just gives you another think to worry about. Anxiety is as powerful as the power you give it. Try and live life as if it does not exist. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

2. If you feel panic attacks, then instead of fighting the attack, acknowledge it and let it flow. It will end anyway. You might want to challenge the panic attack itself to give you all it has. Panic attack is just a feeling. It will not hurt you or do any damage. Look at yourself, did you get an injury or physical damage from an attach? Your body will adjust to normal anxiety levels (ie like non-sufferers) automatically once you learn to just let it flow. I know it sounds daunting but please trust me that this will work.

3. Try and be less dependent on medicines. Apply what I have suggested above. Please trust me on this. I have gone through all of these.

I now live a happy and purposeful life. I used to get suicidal and other scary/ irrational thoughts as 10 years of anxiety suffering was just too much. It is a dreadful place to be in but you can recover regardless of how bad you feel.

I wish you all the best

[locksey]

I went thru a stage ov constantly feelin my pulse in my wrist then feelin my chest

[gracejack]

Katie,
I'm sorry you are feeling like this. I know it is so scary and you must feel suffocated by it. At least I do. I have gone through periods of extreme anxiety over the past ten years. Every time my panic attacks take on different form. I am also in a very persistent stage too. It is torture and I cannot enjoy anything bc I am so obsessed w my symptoms and think there must be something more to this than anxiety. Just started meds again and klonopin on occasion has been helping. My thought is that the people that really needs those meds often resist them bc we re too scared of them too, but we are the type of people they are there for until we get this under control. I went though a palpitation phase too. I used to take my pulse and could feel the beats missed when i felt my wrist, which of course just freaked me out more. Let's hope this passes for all of us! But, you're not alone.

[Judie]

Ok Guys a fast pulse isn't going to hurt you and will slow down as soon as the anxiety stops. Instead of worrying about your pulse rate work at these techniques to challenge your self to slow down your pulse. Splash very cold water on your face, this sends a nerve message to the brain, deep breathe slowly, 4 seconds in through the nose, equal time 4 seconds out through the mouth....keep it slow deep and rhythmic that's the key. I promise if you focus and do this technique your pulse rate will slow over the course of about a half hour...from 100 to 92 to 87 etc...Use this opportunity to challenge your anxiety, don't run...control. You can do it, this happens to me often :) Remember techniques like this put you in control. The hardest thing for people with anxiety to accept is that they have control. I think people want an easy fix, sadly like anything worth achieving it takes time. Hang in there !