I've had anxiety since I was about 14 and I am 22 now. I have GAD, OCD, hypochondria, etc. I am hypersensitive to my body and every sensation throws me into a panic attack. I also have a fear of medication which puts me in even more of a depression. What are some things that have been useful in helping this other than the medications? I was prescribed Lexapro so feel free to give me any feedback on side effects and how much it actually helps also.
Hi Ana
yes there are other things that you can do to help manage your anxiety.
anxiety all starts in the brain. So the goal is to calm down the brain so you don't get symptoms.
I Love to listen to meditations on you tube. They totally calm me down. My symptoms often go away. Just search for Guided Meditations for Anxiety. Many to choose from!
I use earbuds and lay down to listen. I do it a couple times a day. Try several and choose the best ones for you.
For panic, search for Panic attack emergency.
Dont let fear take you over
Counseling has also helped me.
when you get a sensation, don't overreact to it. It will get worse.
Just calmly acknowledge it and go about your day.
Any symptom caused by anxiety cannot hurt you! They feel weird and scary but that's all!!
Many symptoms are caused by adrenaline, a hormone that your brain sends out when you are anxious.
So, Calm That Brain! 😃
Hi, Yes the advice given you is spot on. You can change the way you are. Youtube vids are fantastic - they make you feel so good. They are a must. Distraction is needed. Deep belly breathing for 5 mins several times a day - it is a major body detox. I have just bought a book on it and it really does the trick. Something so simple.
There are also ways to stop a panic attack like blowing on your thumb like it were a trumpet. This stimulates the vagus nerve in your throat that is responible for emotion. Another way to calm is through the thumb again - accupressure - and by holding your thumb firmly until the feelings of tension start to fade.
Another trick when feeling a panic coming on - keep a paper bag handy. Old tried and tested method. Overbreathing is halted by breathing in and out of a bag.
My friend has a daughter who is 14 and for the last few years she has been having panic attacks at school and her teacher takes her out of class and gives her a balloon to blow up!!!!!!!! Works for her every time. I have not found out where the teacher got this from and have not tried it myself, but needless to say I have a balloon in every handbag lol.
Good luck - you can kill this.
G.
I approached the treatment my anxiety and panic from many different sides.
First, I eliminated caffeine, nicotine and most of the excess sugar from my diet. I began to eat more fruits and vegetables, more reasonable portions of meat.
Second, I began exercising regularly. I now run for 30-60 minutes 3-4 times per week and do weight training 2 days per week. This helped me sleep better and have more energy during the day.
Third, I began counseling. CBT helped me identify the mental loops I was stuck in and the negative thought patterns that were reinforcing my anxiety and increasing the frequency of my panic
Through these three approaches, I saw a major improvement. I did also eventually add medication to the list to get me close to a full recovery. I started on 5 mg of Lexapro for 3 weeks. I then was upped to 10 mg, where I remain today. For the first 5 days at 5 mg and first 5 days at 10 mg, I felt minor side effects. I had feelings of fatigue, that I needed a nap all day. But, I wasnt really that tired. I was going to bed at normal hour, waking at normal hour, working all day and still exercising. I felt tired, but wasn't actually that tired. I also had very minor moments of nausea. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, I would feel like I am going to vomit. And as fast as it came, it was gone. I never actually vomited. The feelings might not have even lasted 3 seconds. Just a sudden surge and then nothing. My only lasting side effect is an increase in dream frequency. I probably have 2 dreams every night, and can recall them in considerable detail.
I think there is some good advice in the previous posts, the most effective intervention is CBT. Learning a relaxation/meditation technique is useful, but remember your learning how to do it, the more you practice the better. The biggest mistake people make is trying to learn or use the methods when very anxious. Always start by making a sort of ritual about practice, try for the same time, same place same length of time etc and do it reguardless of how you feel. Its when you get the skill established that you can start to alter things. You can get yourself so conditioned to the techniques that once you start with the breathing control it initiates a relaxation response. Because when you get very relaxed people become more aware of their bodies this means that people with panic can feel uncomfortable. If that was a problem you can try a more physical control technique like Tia Chi. Never stop taking the drugs all at once, this can make things worse, if you do manage your condition the drugs should be withdrawn slowly, your Dr can help with this. Good luck.
Reiki is good as a short term solution