I feel a holiday setback coming on!

Hello, my HW fellow panic and anxiety warriors! It's been a while since I have been on the forum but that was simply because I have been feeling pretty darn good for over a month now. I have had a few bad days here and there bit it seems like things are beginning to stabilize.

However, 2 days after Christmas I began feeling the old anxiety symptoms returning, jittery, chest pain, imbalance/dizziness, an impending sense of doom or that something bad was going to happen, and well just doubt, fear, worry, etc. You know the typical annoying feelings we all love.

I have been seeing a therapist for about a month now and she has been great help. I have discovered a lot about myself and my anxiety. I have such a new found respect for talk therapy since I met her. Im also on meds, I am taking 20 mg of Lexapro for the second time in my life and Klonopin 1mg 2x Day.

Anyway I feel like I have begun to understand my anxiety as in I understand some of the triggers and why I get it worse sometimes. I have a tendency to kind of go off the rails when I feel better. I start eating badly and not watching my diet like I usually do, I begin to mess with my sleep schedule, and I just kind of tend to forget my discipline.

I have realized the dealing with anxiety, at least for me, is all about discipline and routine. Proper diet, exercise, surrounding myself with friends and family, sleeping well, going to church, and well kind of being a bit of a boy scout, I guess. But with a 8 month year old son and bills to pay I feel this routine keeps me grounded and a lot less stressed.

However the holidays threw all of that into disarray and here I am again feeling scared, worried, anxious, etc...Thankfully my family (wife, mother in law, sister, father, mother) are all supportive and seem to understand my routine and what I go through. It doesn't make the anxiety suck less when I'm feeling it but they reassure me it will pass and that everyone gets stressed during the holidays. So I guess that's what it is.

I was actually offered a position in NYC, which was a big deal because they wanted to pay me a bit more than what I currently make. But I said to myself, if they want me to move to an expensive city like New York I should be earning more than what they were offering. We negotiated back and forth for a bit but I think they finally decided to go with another candidate because they couldnt pay me what I wanted. Maybe I overshot in how much I asked for but I had to think what was best for my family.

Anyway the day after they told me they were moving on to another candidate, my wife was offered a better position than the one she has now so in the end I think the NYC job was not meant to be. I believe everything happens for a reason and God has a plan...anyway, I hope you are doing well and surviving the holidays. Im managing, these last few days have been crap though but oh well, such is the life of the anxious mind sometimes. I hope you all have a very happy new year. Lets make 2016 an anxiety free year folks! Easier said then done I know but I know you guys will feel better soon!

Hi there - The holidays are definitely a harder time, it set me back further than I was ever expecting! It seems as though you've got a good plan for yourself and managing the anxiety set in motion. Keep that up and I bet you'll be feeling better again in no time.

Do you find the klonopin helpful? I am seeing a pdoc towards the end of January and am hoping they give me something along those lines for my onset anxiety/panic attacks.

Wishing you well!