Reply #61: Been there

[cedahlia]

I'm sorry to hear you are going through this, as it sucks. I've experienced two very bad periods in my life of panic attacks and generalized anxiety. Had a few other more mild episodes as well. It used to be hell for me, but now that I know how best to deal with it, the prospect of going through all that again is not so scary.

So, here are my tips (what works for me...don't know if these will work for you, but I hope they may be of some help to you.)

1. Cut out caffeine completely if you can, and avoid sugar! I don't really do caffeine at all anymore, however, I am a sweet tooth and that can't be helped. :-) During the acute episodes of attacks, though, I don't do sugar.

2. Eat lots of veggies and fruits (yes, we should do this all the time anyway, but carrots and strawberries in particular are a couple examples of foods that may help combat anxiety.)

3. Drink a good amount of water.

4. Exercise...even if it's just a walk outside...getting the endorphins going really helps!!

5. Speaking of walks outside, my next tip is to get outside! Even if it's for a drive in the car. This always helps me...it takes the edge off as it reminds me that there's a whole big world out there to enjoy and take in (helps distract the mind from the physical effects of the anxiety, too.)

6. If you have insurance or can otherwise afford it, see a therapist. Talk therapy really helped me get through the bad patches.

7. Take the Xanax if you need it. I am very wary of taking any kind of meds, but I was prescribed Lorazepam (similar to Xanax) and as long as you only take it as needed it can be a real help. These drugs can be highly addictive though, so you need to be careful with them.

8. Now, this last one is a highly personal tip and I have no idea if it works for anyone else, but here it is: For really bad episodes of panic and anxiety, watching silly t.v. shows or listening to happy music (i.e. oldies like the Monkees or The Hermits Hermits, etc.) really helps to calm me down. Yes, "I Love Lucy" and "Three's Company" really helped get me through some rough times! :-)

Well, as I said, this is what has worked for me in the past, so I hope what I've shared here might be of some help to you and others. I know how horrible panic attacks and anxiety can feel, and I like to try to help others who might experience it if I can. I know the Internet was a Godsend to me when I was going through the worst of it, as was the library. Becoming really informed about panic and anxiety disorders really made it all not seem so scary.

I wish you the best of luck. O8)