LJ,
Hello
and welcome to HW. I have a 30 year history of anxiety and depression and here are some of the things that have worked for me.
Breathe. Take some deep breaths. Try it right now.
Take in a deep breath and hold it for the count of 3 Mississippi's. Say the
word "In" when you inhale. Now exhale for a 5 Mississippi count. Say
the word "Out" when you exhale. Repeat this over and over. Oxygen is
so important, as silly as this sounds, the more the better. During an anxiety
attack a person may start to pant or take in quick gulps of air or even forget
to breathe. Proper breathing will make all the difference.
Stay calm. Remind yourself that this is strictly in
your head. You are not dying. Sometimes self talk can help slow down the symptoms.
Recognizing that these feelings are only feelings and cannot harm you can help
keep you grounded.
Distract yourself. This may mean taking a hot shower
or perhaps going online. Try to avoid eating, as this might upset your stomach
and rarely solves the problem. Exercising is a great distraction if not many
physical symptoms are present. Exercise can sometimes counter-act the negative
neurotransmitters because it releases positive chemicals.
Wait it out. If you're choosing not to medicate
yourself then sometimes you have to wait out the attack. The important thing to
remember is that this will not last
forever. It may feel that way. Your mind will be obsessing through all
different types of doomsday thoughts, however, those thoughts are untrue. The
attack will eventually finish.
Coming here and posting your feelings is a good way to get out your feelings of anxiety. We know where your coming from and what you are going through so stick with us and we will do our best to support you.
Kindly,
Kitt