Help with anxiety?

Anyone able to suggest anything that has helped them with the really bad anxiety that goes with this condition? I've really been struggling for the last couple of hours and I know a lot of it is down to anxiety, but I have nothing to help ease the symptoms.

If I contact mental health staff they'll only tell me to take a perfumed bath or ty a walk (they have obviously never had to deal wth this stuff themselvs) but that doesn't work. I have nothing against simple homeopathic stuff, but I do have a problem if that's all that is offered in the way of proper help.

Has anyone else used anything else that has actually worked?
Juli.

Don't know if this is of any help Juli, but what I do is dare myself to go into situations. You see I have a fear of being in crowds of people or not being able to stay in any building unless I can see the doors, I take panic attacks and cant speak without stuttering, my heart beats twice as fast and I break out in a sweat!
So, I dare myself to go in a bit further, trying to beat the fear, and if I win, I give myself a treat. Sounds totally daft I know, but seeing as I am the only one who can go to the shops, (my wife is terminally ill and doesn't get out much at all) so I have no choice really?
The therapist I am attending says its a good thing, but I don't always win, sometimes I just have to leave?

Thanks Gadgie, what you've described is exactly how I feel. When the phone rings I even have to let it go to ansaphone so I know who's there first before I can answer. Oh the joy of PTSD.

Your reply has been helpful, and when I can pluck up the courage I'll try what you suggest. The problem I have though is that my anxiety wakes me up with my heart pounding and the tast of adrenalin in my mouth, (which is why I'm writing at this time of night) with my heart pounding and all the lovely stuff that goes with it, but at 3am there's nowhere to go, so I'm desperately trying to see if there's something else I can do.

Thanks for replying, take care,
Juli.

Hi Juli

This is very hard to deal with isn't it. I went through this for four years unable to switch off at night with too many thoughts going through my head creating anxiety to even begin to work on any relaxation techniques to address it. As you say there isn't much you can do like changing your environment during the night.

I find writing my thoughts down a great help, especially if I write an email to my psychologist but don't send it. At first i wrote I still have anxious nights, but they usually occur when i have nightmares. On the advice of my T I've increased my medication to reduce my daytime anxiety in the hope that it will help with my sleep. The other thing that helps is meditation, it's very hard work to start with & took me about three months to master but it gives you an opportunity to put your worries in a 'box' & clear your mind. If you do try it I would recommend taking a starter course. I went to a Buddhist one & they were very understanding about my symptoms & anxiety about being in a room full of people. I also find concentrating on my breathing when i wake helps get me back to sleep.

Are you having therapy, I do feel that my weekly therapy sessions & EMDR & daytime meds has been the best solution to my anxiety. I sleep better now that i'm not continually thinking about the smaller painful memories I had & I can concentrate on working through my trauma.

Good luck with finding a solution. Stay strong, it probably feels impossible at the moment but you will get there!
Rosie

Yea! I get all nervous as well when I answer the phone as I tend to stammer, and its even worse when I wake up after the nightmares I get, I am totally confused and shaking like a leaf, sweating yet cold?
I had a real bad attack on Friday, as I had gone to Morrison's for some shopping and forgot about the school dinner break! The place filled with school kids, and they were blocking the door ways inside and outside, right next to the self check outs where I was, so I had to stop and went right back up to the far end of the store, where it was quiet and stayed there for an hour until all the kids had gone.
Thankfully a member of staff was understanding about my situation, and helped me to cancel my self check out, to come back later.
Sounds daft I know but it was really embarrassing for me, so I will not make that mistake again, it took me ages to calm down from that?

Hi Rosie, nice to hear from you, hope all is going well with you.

Here's a good joke - I recently enrolled in a yoga class at my local college in the hope it would help with my anxiety, but because of my agoraphobia I haven't been able to go! That was a waste of £45 wasn't it?!

I suppose because the anxiety I get usually stems from waking up from horrendous nightmares, what I need is some way to stop the nightmares, which I suppose is therapy, but we come back to the old problem - I'm on the waiting list. I have been for a year now, and they tell me it will probably be next Spring before I get an appointment.

Gadgie I'm right there with you on that, been there, am there, got the t-shirt. My groceries are done either on line or in the middle of the night, or very first thing in the morning, but I have to park in the quietest part of the car park, then I scan around - how many people are around, is the entrance clear, can I get down the aisles without people coming close to me? The last time I got trapped in a crowd was in the chemists and I had a massive panic attack. You would think of all places that the staff there would have been a bit empathic, but the assistant was horrible, just ignored what was happening and kept trying to shove my change at me. That really made me feel better i don't think.

I suppose if there are no cures it's good to know that other people on here know what it feels like.

Take care all, Juli x

hi juli

I find relaxtion cds or meditation cds help a little, it takes a while to get into but it does help

bliss
x

I'm trying Bach's Rescue Remedy to see how that goes. will keep you posted.

The Bach Rescue remedy is useless. I'll give it to the dog, might help him.

(Bach - gettit?!!).

Juli.

I could not but agree with Rosie. Hypnosis and relaxation CD's have been a godsend to my husband, every time I see him revving up and about to go off the deep end he does a stress CD and it really relaxes him. He likes Paul McKenna's Stress Relief. I have another couple but one was a female and she has a squeeky whiney voice he says, and I think she could make him want to strangle the cat. However he does the Paul McKenna every day now and says it really helps. Many years ago I sufferred panic attacks. It was just after the death of my parents, and I don't know where they came from, but they just arrived. They lasted about two years, and this sounds stupid perhaps, but they came every time I was asked to sign my name, that was when they started. Hence, I'd be in the bank and start sweating and panic going big time. I felt so stupid, because my 'thinking mind' kept saying 'get a grip' and the unconsious kept saying 'run for the hills, get out of here'. I hadn't realised how often in life you need to sign your name till then. I passed out a couple of times in shops, and wet myself too, which wasn't thrilling. I found a hypnotherapist and saw him for quite a long time, and then gradually it faded, then again, my panic attacks were quite evidently grief related, and of course that passes in time, and everyone is different. I do remember that mindless panic that engulfed me and was like a box, and, thankfully, rarely, when under the weather or tired, can still feel a frisson of that cold sweaty feeling that preceeded them - always in a bank or supermarket. I do feel for you, there are so many out there trapped in their homes because of the horror of these faceless, friendless amphitheatres out there waiting to trip us up. Anyhow, try a CD, you can get them on line, or the library, they aren't expensive, and they might help, they don't do much for me - but they float my husband's boat - so they might be worth a try?
Best regards, Millie

gadgie wrote:Yea! I get all nervous as well when I answer the phone as I tend to stammer, and its even worse when I wake up after the nightmares I get, I am totally confused and shaking like a leaf, sweating yet cold?
I had a real bad attack on Friday, as I had gone to Morrison's for some shopping and forgot about the school dinner break! The place filled with school kids, and they were blocking the door ways inside and outside, right next to the self check outs where I was, so I had to stop and went right back up to the far end of the store, where it was quiet and stayed there for an hour until all the kids had gone.
Thankfully a member of staff was understanding about my situation, and helped me to cancel my self check out, to come back later.
Sounds daft I know but it was really embarrassing for me, so I will not make that mistake again, it took me ages to calm down from that?

It must be something about Morrisons self check outs Gadgie, they have the same effect on me!! I can't think & start getting flustered especially if i've been daft enough to go on a saturday morning. Thanks goodness for Sainsburys home delivery!

Annette

Yea! Rosie, we did try that home shopping on line thing with ASDA where they deliver your on line order right to your door, but we found that we missed out on special offers and it always had "very short use by dates"
So I am back to having to go there myself, but like you I now select a time when I know it will be quiet. It takes me a long time to recover from a panic attack, so I try my best not to put myself in a situation where I have them.

Hi
Thanks for the tip about the Paul Mckenna cd, I might just try it. I have one of his already, the "I can make you thin" cd (no you can't. I'm female, I eat chocolate") but I've got to be honest,his voice on that always makes me giggle, but I'm desperate for help so you never know, it might work. I'll let you know how it goes.

I used to get terrible panic attacks when I first returned to work after my breakdown. I'd get half way there then would be trapped at the side of the road for a couple of hours struggling to get my breath.Horrible. They forced me into a medical retirement 2 years ago and although I hate every minute of it, I didn't want to retire, at least my panic attacks seem to have stopped. Now I'm just left (just?) with the crippling anxiety.

You reminded me actually, I used to get really panicky when I went into any shop where I had to sign a cheque. I expected them to accuse me of forgery, so of course my panic levels would go right up so I couldn't sign properly and that made it even worse - I hadn't even done anything wrong!

I get my groceries either on line or I visit Asda in the middle of the night, but I didn't realise how many staff they have stocking up through the night. There are sometimes more staff charging about with huge trollies than there are customers in the middle of the day.
Take care,
Juli.

I had the 'I can make you thin', it couldn't because I'm female, getting to a 'certain age', hate chocolate, but can eat my own bodyweight in cheese of any shape or bloody variety! He also didn't 'Change my Life in Seven Days' as he promised. Maybe I'm just addicted to self-help manuals, I'm willing to change me! But I'm not sure what I can be changed for! (a couple of pounds of mature Wensleydale comes to mind?). I too find him a bit irritating, however, Tim likes him so I'm happy. Also, I just think there might be someone out there who does a relaxation CD that might work. I had one years ago, when I was having the panic attacks, and it was the man that plays Brian Aldridge from the Archers, he had me relaxed in seconds. If anyone knows of a nice hunk of a man or woman with a voice like golden treacle who wants to do a relaxation tape, please give it serious thought. Yes Juli, I really felt like people thought I was forging my signature, it still gives me shivers thinking about it - I wondered perhaps if it would be too simplistic to think that 'I didn't know who the hell I was, so maybe I didn't believe other people would know me too'. Transport got me too, a couple of times I had to jump off the tube and sit on a seat whilst trains went by and I remember thinking 'if I just start screaming now, somebody will have to help me' but of course I didn't scream, because of course nobody would have helped, so the trains went by and eventually I'd be able to get on one. Those days have thankfully passed and I hope I never return to that desolate time, it seems long ago, but is never too far away. The anticipation of it returning sometimes scares me, as I never want to be that vulnerable again, and the problems I've had just recently with my husband have really pulled the rug from under my feet and shaken all the confidence I thought was mine by right. I really hope that it starts to receed for you Juli, meanwhile, try anything! I'm not into perfumed baths or scented candles, but having seen the success that my other half has had with Paul Mackenna, I'm going to have a look on Amazon and see if I can find something that sounds a bit more 'me'. I agreed with Tim about the woman with a whinney voice - do you think that everybody who has a desire to help and imbue a sense of calm and make relaxation tapes has to have problems with their sinuses or is it just the ones I find?

Onwards and upwards - best of wishes - Millie