Anxiety
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You are currently reading a thread in /adv/ - Advice
You are currently reading a thread in /adv/ - Advice
Does anyone have any experience with the long fight with anxiety?
Almost in my 30s, been dealing with depression for a few years but only within these last several months have I been getting anxiety attacks. I typically have mild nausea/off stomach sensations throughout the day, very rarely does my stomach feel normal.
I've cut caffeine and alcohol, regularly take my SSRI medication, my work is somewhat active and I walk about an hour a day 5 days a week minimum. I've worked on understanding the 10 cognitive distortions and so on, and day to day it's been all right.
But when the panic attack does decide to hit, it's like my emergency benzodiazepines don't do anything to it even if I take one pre-emptively when I think I might get one. Ginger root/peppermint does nothing to ease my stomach's discomfort, and I usually end up throwing up.
It's frustrating because no matter how much I've put into this so far, nothing stops the panic attacks from randomly happening, and while I can tone down sensations of trembling/spasms, light-headedness, etc, I can't do anything to fix the nausea.
What have you guys done to improve your situation?
What are you usually doing when they happen?
I had mild shaking when more than 4 people would stare at me. The best way to combat it in my opinion is to not take meds and everytime you feel anxious about doing something, you have to do that thing.
Like, talk to a cashier, girl, do a presentation, ask someone for help, express feelings and fears openly to people etc.
That nervousness becomes a queue to conqeur whatever is making you nervous. Youll realize the nervousness has very little justification and a lot of small anxieties will go away woth your depression.
I reiterate, this is my opinion.
>>16950949
Strangely enough I'm usually out with my girlfriend, though rare times I can get them even when we're just relaxing together.
We used to go out on dates, see movies, go to restaurants, etc. As time went on I was getting really hit hard with nausea and for a long while we thought I was just getting sick off the food or something, until months later we discovered I was actually suffering from panic attacks.
It's particularly annoying because at times I'm not even thinking of anything that would be a cognitive distortion, or even negative in any means. Usually the first thing I get hit with is a hard wave of nausea that sends me to the bathroom, and it only gets worse from there.
I definitely try not to use the benzos very much due to their withdrawal symptoms, dependence factor, and their potential for abuse. I've only taken 9 pills in the last 3 months.
I guess it's mostly frustrating since a lot of the places I've got panic attacks are where nothing at all is concerning, much less things I haven't done before many times over in the past.
>>16951087
Just wild guessing, but could it be motion sickness from watching a screen or riding in a car? Is there any common factor in your panic attacks? It took me a long time to realize, but I get panic attacks from loud noises, like at restaurants. I wasn't even consciously aware that they were bothering me. Then one day I put in ear plugs and the panic went away. Maybe you have an inner ear problem or a hormone imbalance?
"Doc, is there a pill to fix the problems from the pills i'm taking" Why yes there is.
i'm told that serotonin receptors are close cousins of sleep receptors, wake-up receptors, hunger receptors, and not hungry receptors.
ssri can wreak havoc.
body cranks up stomach acid for no reason
suddenly tired all the time, but can't sleep enough
I learned tools to handle symptoms of anxiety and depression. I offer you the website ...recoveryinternational.org. There are online and real life meetings. You can get the book at libraries or online...Mental Health Through Will Training by Dr. Abraham A. Low. Feel better.
>>16950949
my friend had a fear of heights
got a really good job offer on the 30th floor
he was going to pass up a great career move
because of anxiety
I got him drunk and locked him on the roof like 60 floors up.
i was watching from the building across the street, with my camera in case he fell or something. he woke up not knowing where he was and he looked around. then he went to the edge and realized how high he was
he lost it. hadn't eaten so it was mostly liquid that came up.
he found the door, but couldn't open it. started crying, sat down, finally called me.
told him 30 floors is a piece of cake, after surviving 60. he laughed.
i let him go, and he didn't press charges
he took the job
>>16951087
I know you're looking for advice here but I was wondering if you could give me some advice?
What you just described it what boyfriend experiences and I don't know how to deal with it. It's really hard watching someone you love go through this. So, when this happens to you..how does your girlfriend act? How would you want her to act?
This thread is probably dead right now but I hope you see this and respond.
I hope you feel better anon
>>16949862
>What have you guys done to improve your situation?
Anon dont listen to anyone who suggests drugs, I'm 27 and beat my anxiety and apparent "ptsd" the only way to cure yourself is to force yourself into the situation that causes you anxiety. Anxiety is a learned reaction and at its core it is fear, it's a mental and physical reaction to stimuli, for example, if you were afraid of spiders and I locked you in a pitch black room full of thousands of spiders at first you would exhaust yourself trying to kick down the door screaming, after some hours you would become comfortable, after more hours you would become curious and you would begin to pull the spiders apart and mush them up in your hands until your curiosity leads to you becoming cured.
This is how you beat anxiety, right now you've become very comfortable with escapism. Eg, whenever you begin to get anxious you remove yourself from the situation thus making it worse in the end.
OP, drugs dont work, the only drugs that will fix anxiety happens to shut down all your adrenal receptors essentially stopping your mind and your body from having a reaction.
It wont be easy but you have to force yourself into situations that cause you anxiety, teaching your brain to react in a different way to the stimuli that usually causes you anxiety.
