Do I suffer anxiety can u help

[Jen3535]

Hi
I think i am driving myself crazy.... I have this thing where i try to take a deep breath, and do this a lot everyday, and sometimes all day, and i dont feel like my lungs have taken enough air, i then start to worry and cause tingling in my face arms hands... its so bad that as soon as i leave the house it starts, i now dont want to leave the house, or be left alone, if i have to go on a long journey i worry i am going to start the deep breathing thing and that i am going to die, i even map out where every hospital is just incase.. i am worried about our family holiday coming up, what if i have an attack it a another country etc etc
what can this be

Jen

[Jay12345]

Hey there.. 'what can this be' well.. All i can say is that you've got youself into all sorts of negative thoughts, when infact.. your absolutely fine in terms of what your actually worried about. The reason why you are getting these sensations when you leave the house is because your worried its going to happen, and therefore it happens. Your associating 'leaving the house' with the tingling and the negative thoughts...

some adivse i would like to give you.

1: You have to leave the house.. you need to force yourself to go out and then in time you'll realise that everyone is fine, and the symtons will then decrease. This is known as Exposure....

The worst thing you can do is STAY AT HOME... all this will do is make things worse.. the negative thoughts will increase and therefore the anxiety will increase....

What you must understand and realise is that everything you are going through, all of the feelings have come on as a result of the thoughts.. I can bet you that there is absolutey nothing wrong with you! Your bringing it all on yourself!

I would recommend looking into CBT.. which will change your thought pattens and can help you get through this horrible cycle.. but please, YOU have to go out!

[Jen3535]

Thanks 4 your reply, yes i do have to go out and have done today, and on my own, i did have a few air hunger moments and then i was fine. I will try CBT when i find out what it is...lol
thanks

jen

[elathrop]

It is true getting into situations that bring on anxiety can help to overcome the fear of that particular situation. However, I have a problem with the word "Force."

Anxiety is a response to fight or flight. Forcing is a type a fighting which in many cases will just bring on more anxiety. Very often it is useful to think in the terms taught by Dr. Clair weeks who advocated floating out of the house and floating into a store, etc.

Try that the next time tension seems to be getting the better of you. This method worked wonders for me. Forcing anything brougt me to tears, floating was something I quickly learned to do.

Good luck, Jen3535, I'm with you in spirit.

[Jay12345]

Hey there elathrop.. I agree with what your saying 'force' i think i may have used the wrong word.. perhaps 'expose' would have been more appropiate.

I do believe that forcing can have a negative effect, but i also believe that forcing yourself to do things is also the most important way for recovery. You realise that it doesn't actually matter if you have anxiety, you can still live a normal life! and this is where acceptance comes into it which is when the recovery process begins.... The worst thing ANYONE can do is stay in and bottle it up... If you stay at home and do nothing, you aren't accepting the anxiety because the reason why your not going out is because of the anxiety or whatever your anxious over! And this is the only time i would ever use 'Force' with anxiety, anything eles is bad!


I literally went out every day for so long, holding my tiers back.. 4 years down the line, i'm perfect, and all i want to do is help people because i realise how difficult it is!... I went through hell! obivoulsy i had CBT to help me get through this... but now i just don't care! when i feel anxious, i just laugh 'it's just a thought' 'who gives a shit' and then it just goes :)

[Jen3535]

Morning all,

Today i started taking vitamin b compund stong, only because i read that vit B helps the nevous system, I also took a multi Vitamin as well, I will see how things go with these for a few days.