HELP ME!!

Hi klarke18

I'm sorry you are feeling this right now. Just know headaches can be from anxiety. I know when I worry a lot and stress I get headaches. I also get the pressure on my chest that is also an anxiety sign. Try doing some mindfulness meditation. There are tons on youtube. If you need to talk I'm here

Hi

Sorry to hear you are having a tough time at the moment.

Bam's suggestion of Mindfulness is a good one we have some links in our resources thread which you will find on the main page first post. Anxiety can cause all sorts of symptoms both physical and mental but lots can be done to help.

hibee

Hi Scaredy cat, I'm much better today! But the Dr prescribed me xanax and vistaril .. I love the xanax and hate the vistaril . Only because the vistaril makes me feel like I'm sedated and sometimes I wake up through the night having an attack and the vistaril makes me feel like I'm not in control. My mom isn't comfortable with me taking xanax because its addictive so I'm currently not taking anything.

One of the main symptoms I get mid anxiety attack and for ages after is a headache. If I have to deal with a particularly anxiety provoking day it'll always end up with a headache by the evening. It's just all that internal tension mounts up and creates tension in your head with makes it hurt. It's like your brain and body telling you it can't cope with thinking things through so much or the constant on edge feeling we tend to experience with prolonged anxiety. That's my experience of anxiety. It's frightening when you start out with it but the more you understand it the easier it gets I promise you.

Try to find ways to help you to relax to relieve the tension. Either through particular relaxation exercises or just anything that makes you feel calm and switched off from the worry....just an activity you enjoy that can help you to escape the worry. Either leading up to something that your feeling anxious about or after a particularly anxious day.
My personal go to for distraction leading up to something is to bake... it gives me a purpose and keeps me busy. Otherwise I craft, read, take a bath or just switch off by crashing on the sofa in front of a film.

I can understand the fears people might have regarding getting addicted but I think the fact your aware of that and your keen to gain control yourself means you're strong and will use it wisely. With that in mind you can use it to your advantage without it becoming a risk to you. How about taking the mindset that it's a last resort?... I keep some as my backup plan. For instance, I try to do the thing that makes me anxious by using breathing techniques, breaking the activity down to smaller manageable chunks and look for ways to decide how I'd manage if something I fear does happen so at least I have an action plan rather than feeling lost if it doesn't quite go as I'd hoped. Then I carry my meds with me and if the anxiety gets too much to handle I reason it's probably better to take it and still do the activity and get through it rather than give up and go home. I've been trying to gain control of my anxiety for about 5 years and have found that sometime I get through the activity without meds and that feels good. If I need meds the first time I have found that each time I do that activity I manage more of it each time and can get through it without the meds. Sometimes I only need it the first time as once something becomes familiar it's less scary then. If your having trouble sleeping they could help you to relax and get a better nights sleep so that the next day your stronger to deal with your fears without them. Maybe try the meds one night to sleep well then the next try a relaxation tape. Alternate the meds with other strategies to try out different things but also give yourself some relief to reenergise so you can tackle things your way?
So, in many ways it then becomes a sort of a means to an end rather than your lifetime coping strategy.
Just sharing my personal experiences as I wish I'd realised some of this when I was 18! I hope you find what helps for you soon. Take care.