resurfacing anxiety

Hi Lou-lu and a very warm welcome to HW.  Travelling really makes my anxiety goes through the roof, you are not alone there! I find one technique that really calms me down is to sit down (obviously!!) place my palms on a flat surface next to me, take a huge deep breath and with my eyes shut roll them (my eyes) to the back of my head as I breath in and out - it feels a bit wierd but give it a try.  If you do it about ten times it really helps calm you down.  Rolling your eyes back into your head actually simulates a sleep state and so your body immediatley relaxes.  It has too!!

You can even do this one in public.  Just remeber to keep your eyes shut while you roll them back!!! Or you get some funny looks xx

Thanks Meg and Kitt for your advice and kind words.  I will try to track down the books that you have recommended asap kitt, as the last couple of days have been extremely hard and my panic is getting worse and lasting for really long periods of time.  I keep trying to tell myself that it's just panic and that it'll pass and i'll live to tell the tale which helps a little but sometimes it feels like someone's got a tight fist around my heart and I have to really talk myself out of calling emergency.   And when I finally feel like they're starting to subside, I'm so scared of having another one that it just starts up all over again.  I haven't seen or spoken to anyone in three days and the thought of being around people makes me nauseous...   

I'm going to start the search for a doctor on Monday and go back on meds... it's so frustrating when you think you've made this breakthrough and conquered, or at least found a way to control, your anxiety and then all of a sudden it just comes crashing down again.  Thanks for letting me unburden myself. 

Hello Lou,
It sounds like you've had a ton going on and I totally understand the anxiety that major change brings, even if you don't feel it until well after the fact.

Stick with the meds. The best advice I've recieved is that people with anxiety and depression issues have "abnormal" brain chemistry and that the meds allow us to function with "normal" brain chemistry. Scientifically, I don't know if this is necessarily true or not, but I've found alot of comfort in it because hey, it's obvious that I am a much happier person when my meds are working effiectivly. I'd rather think that that peace of mind comes with the "normalization" of my brain chemistry.

Challenge yourself everyday. Put yourself in a postiontion that might bring on panic even if just for a minute. Let the feelings have their way with you and then step away from the situation and realize that you are indeed still safe and sound. I've had to do this everyday for the last two months almost. It started with merely leaving the house by myself and progressed very slowly into more challenging feats. I had some minor attacks and tons of aanxiety and apprehension about the next big one. Even when a big one came, I knew that I was safe (benzo and paperbag easily accessable . Right now, I'm fucntioning almsot as well as I was before this most recent episode started back in October, but it's been a process and a daily challenge.


Also, if you can find a therapist that you are comfortable opeinging up to, that is very helpful is well.

Good luck.

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Good luck and I hope that you've been able to find some comfort in reading some of these posts as I have.