I don't know what to do..

[link_s]

Okay, I'm 15, and am generally a happy and positive person, but i've been having anxiety problems for a few months, feeling on edge ect. then just over a month ago i had a really bad panic attack, and since then i've been having them more and more frequently, untill it got to such a bad point that i went to the doctors about it.

She gave me a leaflet on it and put my name on a waiting list to go see a specialist, but the waits about 6 months. Using the leaflet & breathing techniques i've learned off the internet i've been able to stop myself having a major attack, but i have this constant anxiety and fear just driving me mad and making me feel bad and scared all the time, and while this has been getting worse its been making me have to stop myself having more and more panic attacks by doing the breathing technique.

Its quite hard to explain, but its especially bad at school and i'd be sitting in a lesson just willing myself not to have an attack, and its made it impossible for me to learn anything or even listen because all my focus is 99% of the time trying to stop myself. Its still getting worse, and i'm feeling anxious and slightly scared while i'm writing this, and i dont even know why. When my minds focused on something else its not so bad, i wont feel it, but say the adverts come on on a tv programme i'd just get the sick feeling wash over me, which would immidiately bring my mind back to 'panic attack'

Is there anything i can do to stop this constant anxiety? It sounds strange and pathetic reading it back, and i wish i could explain it better, but yeah, its feels like its taking over my life, and i dont know what i can do about it.

Cheers.. :oops:

[winry]

It sounds strange and pathetic reading it back, and i wish i could explain it better, but yeah, its feels like its taking over my life, and i dont know what i can do about it.

Don't worry, if it's the way you feel it's not pathetic. It seems to be causing a great deal of problems for you. I don't suffer from panic attacks as such, but I get constant anxiety and worry.
I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to *help*, but I can tell you that you are not alone. I also find it hard to explain to people exactly what the problem is, as it is really confusing, right? I'm also searching for a way to deal with my problem, and I hope you are successful as well :)

[tristanh1982]

I feel so bad for you that you have to go through this at such a young age, Anxietys and panic attacks are a terrible thing, i have suffered from them my whole life to im 25 years old now, um the best answer i can give about panic attacks is to not FEAR them and i know i know that sounds easy to say but for us people its so hard not to be afraid or think about panicing. So what you have to do is say to your anxiety, even if you have to say it out loud, tell your anxiety IM NOT FRAID YOU, YOU DONT RULE MY LIFE, I KNOW YOUR THERE AND TELL IT, I WELCOME YOU TO COME,EVEN SAY I WANT YOU TO COME BECAUSE IM NOT AFRAID OF YOU< YOU CANT HURT ME YOU HAVE NEVER HURT ME IN THE PAST SO COME GIVE ME YOUR WORSE, the key it not to fear it, and when one does come let it in and just watch it from the outside listen to it and after 15 or so min it will be gone, and keep repeating it when your in situations that you think you might be getting one, and slowly they will fade away....sounds crazy but it works.

[link_s]

Thanks for the replies :)

The thing is, its not the attacks, i can just about manage the attacks, its the constant anxiety and fear that i thought was the fear of an attack, but it cant be because i can control my attacks. So its like constant anxiety for no reason, and the fact that theres no reason for it brings on an attack.

But still, the attacks i can manage, its the never ending fear and scaredness that really gets me, because in the leaflet and on the internet it tells you how to deal with attacks but theres nothing that i can find on how to deal with constant anxiety.

Anyone have any ideas/knoledge?


I also find it hard to explain to people exactly what the problem is, as it is really confusing, right?
Yeah thats spot on

And i've tried that technique tristanh1982 and it works wonders for major attacks, but it doesent work at all for the constant stuff, just makes me feel stupid when i say it :(

[winry]

Ah right, well as I said, the constant anxiety/worry for no apparent reason is what I get. Having become familiar with it, I can give the same advice tristanh1982 gave in regard to the attacks - don't fear it. Obviously we have become to fear bad things that may happen. However, we are now fearing the *fear* that we have!
Therefore we just continue to cycle downwards due to the negative thoughts. What I am trying to do at the moment is to continually assess what I'm feeling - why am I feeling it; is there actually a rational reason why I should feel funny? What am I actually feeling funny about?! Often when I ask that last question to myself, I find that there is no actual reason, and just end up getting confused and >_<
But yeah, I get exactly the same thing as you do. Maybe just try and pause for a second when you think you are getting bad and ask these questions to yourself?

[winry]

Also, I explain my problem fully in the thread 'constant worry' (to which only one person replied >_>' xD hehe). I wonder if you feel the same things as I do?
I feel a lot better knowing that there are lots of other people on here that seem to have the same problem as myself. I hope it will also make you feel better :)

[Suzanne]

Hey Link_s,

Having been through pretty much every anxiety disorder, PTSD, OCD, panic attacks, agoraphobia etc. I am here to tell you that you will get past this. My suggestion to you is to read-up on Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and yes, I had that too!

GAD generally starts in the teens and is basically a state of constant worry (anxiety) punctuated with a panic attack here and there. There are lots of good sites if you search "google". If you are managing to cope with the panic attacks then you are half way there. Well done.

There is a technique known as "progressive muscle relaxation" that can really help if you commit to practicing about 20 minutes once or twice a day. I can't give you links because this board doesn't allow it but check out guidetopsychology dot com and use the menu to go to "progressive muscle relaxation".

This is part of something called Cognitive Behavior Therapy. My recommended read is what was recommended to me by my Psychiatrist a few years ago. It is called "mind over mood" and you can pick it up at any bookstore.

I could go on and on about different tips I've used successfully. Would need to know more about you to figure out if they would help. Feel free to pm me if I can be of any help. Just stay positive and keep moving forward one day at a time to conquer this because you can get rid of this once and for all. I'm living proof of that and out of all the problems I had to deal with, getting rid of GAD was the easiest.

Take care
Suzanne

[Robbed]

What needs to be remembered about this 'constant state of anxiety' is that it is simply the result of a high stress state. Basically, your mind has learned a new baseline level of anxiety. And it is trying to maintain it because it considers this state to be entirely normal. It is NOT the result of a disease of the brain. Also, since it is simply a result of a high stress state, IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE FIGURED OUT. You DON'T have to try to figure out what kinds of thoughts you are having to cause this 'free-floating' (ie non-thought provoked) anxiety. Doing so via TEA forms will only cause you additional stress and anxiety. Rather, what you need to do is learn to accept this constant anxiety as a temporary symptom which will eventually go away. Try to go about your life as best as you can, despite continuing symptoms. Also, try not to react to them with fear. Or, for that matter, try to pay them as little attention as you can while going about your life to the best of your abilities. If you do this, then with time, the symptoms will gradually go away. Just be sure to give them the time needed, as this could take quite a while (possibly from a few months up to a few years). Also, be prepared for setbacks, because they WILL happen. But most importantly, be patient.

[winry]

I totally agree with you post, Robbed, but don't you need to pay the problem some attention, to deal with it? For example, as I was saying earlier, just trying to break these thoughts down, to realise that they have no solid basis, and are just as a result of this high stress state. Obviously this means that they can't be figured out, and of course, I am not saying that you should dwell on them. I just feel that you can only get the knowledge that the thoughts are nothing to fear by addressing them. I guess it's fear of the unknown - get used to them and learn to recognise how it works each time and then it won't be the unknown any more!
Getting on with life - and as you say, acceptance - is the best way to prevent this problem taking over! At least, its helping me so far >_>'
Sorry if I'm spewing out crap, as I still don't really understand the problem myself >_<