Update on my anxiety problem.
Hey everyone. I was posting quite frequently not long ago.
I have severe anxiety issues and was having panic attacks daily up to several times per day.
I take no medication for my anxiety. I have taken them, but it was a long time ago.
Anyway...I've been doing well for the last few weeks. I had forgotten how it felt to wake up and not feel like the day was going to be terrible.
I'm able to wake up now and look forward to the day.
I don't think that I'm "cured"...I know that it will come back someday and that my life will likely never be the same, but at the moment I feel content with how things are as far as my symptoms go.
I don't feel dizzy or anything which was the main symptom for me.
I did a lot of cutting back and I worked hard to get to where I am right now.
I spent a lot of time on this forum and posted anytime I felt like I was going to have a panic attack.
I learned from and listened to the people here and took their advice and gave some of my own.
This forum was my minds home for quite a while and it made me feel like there were people out there...just like me who needed someone to be there for them too.
This place allowed for all of that to happen and I think that it ultimately resulted in me feeling better.
I kept track of some people on this forum and watched and replied to their posts.
Hearing their words of encouragement was amazing. :)
So, for now I am enjoying the moment of silence from my anxiety and I'm just living my life.
I don't feel like I'm in a haze anymore. I feel like I can think clearly. Its a great feeling and I hope you all feel this way too.
As of right now I'm sitting at home...just finished a couple of cups of coffee. I switched to decaf because a lot of caffeine can actually bring on panic attacks.
I've cut down on soda and tea as well and I think that I feel a lot better due to those changes. I don't feel like I'm missing out because if I want a soda...I have one.
I've also cut down on chocolate and sweets that have caffeine in them. Chocolate was hard to cut back on because honestly I enjoy having it often, but having it every once in a while makes it feel like a rare treat. :P
I cook most of my meals at home so I know exactly what goes into them.
There are many little things that I have to do to cut back on stress and anxiety. I think that my OCD has gotten stronger, but I feel more in control over my body and mind than I ever have, so its worth it.
I like knowing what goes into my body and knowing that everything can contribute to the issues that I've had with anxiety.
If you have not tried cutting back on caffeine...try it. There is no harm in trying and you might find that it works well for you.
A while back I had no idea that my intake of coffee, tea, and soda was contributing to my ongoing panic attacks.
After some research I found out that it could be a main cause, so I made some changes.
The nice thing is that I know that it works. My husband took me to get a cup of coffee the other day because I had been craving it. I bought regular coffee and drank all 20 ounces of it.
The effects that it had on me hit me about 30 minutes after it started circulating through my system. I started feeling jittery and I started getting really dizzy.
I had panic attacks that entire day and even part of the next day. Not a fun experience.
I just wanted to update everyone. Let those of you that I've spoken to frequently to know that I didn't forget about you all. I just don't check my email as often because I'm actually off of the computer enjoying the vacation from anxiety, so I don't realize that anyone replied or anything, lol.
I wish everyone luck and I hope that your anxiety problems resolve themselves or you're able to find something that works for you. I'll be back posting soon I'm sure. :)
