Anyone here have any advice/success with dealing with anxiety?
I've been having really bad problems on and off for the past 8 weeks and I've pretty much hit the point where I've given up hope. I thought I was improving last week until Thursday. I took a nap and had a pretty disturbing half sleep paralysis, half nightmare and I haven't been able to shake the feeling. Last night I had probably one of the worst anxiety attacks of my life and I've been on edge all day.
Basically I feel as if the walls are always closing in on me and everything looks small and far away. It feels like reality is just something playing in front of my eyes.
I'm not prescribed any meds at the moment but I do have some xanax just in case it gets too unbearable, which it kind of is at the moment.
How long do these episodes last?
Also I got sick(not very sick) last Thursday as well, do you think that could be temporarily hindering any progress?
This basically all started after a month or so of drinking hard, not sleeping much, nor eating much.
>>17172860
i used to have a lot of anxiety
this might sound autistic (because i am autistic) is that i found and developed a mantra after reading some manga that i repeat to help calm myself down. my mantra is "clearly and objectively" since as a sperg burglar, i try to strive to think with a clear and objective mind and conscious.
>>17172890
Like you repeat it in your head when you're anxious?
I try to keep focused on the present moment but then I think of something and it provokes a certain unfamiliar feeling that in tern makes me freak out and focus on that feeling. Its seemingly like my brain is trying to recall something that didn't happen.
>>17172904
yeah i just go "clearly and objectively" when i feel stress or anxiety and if it doesn't help rid me of it completely it calms me down
>>17172860
Seriously im getting desperate here I don't know what to do.
Stop drinking and get on a good sleep schedule and get 15 minutes of sunlight a day.
>>17172890
>sperg burglar
fucking kek anon, I'm gonna use this.
>>17173120
Haven't drank in 3 weeks and even so I'd only drank 4 times in the first few weeks. Think it could be a vitamin d deficiency?
Wish I knew the answer. I've been dealing with chronic panic disorder for years. Benzos are a bad idea for long-term, I feel even worse when taking them. It's irritating and I just want to be normal instead of a forced shut-in
>>17173183
How did it start?
Also i just had another anxiety attack so i took like a sixteenth of a bar. Is that a lot?
Do you get these weird indescribable sensations or is it just feelings of dread?
>>17173186
Not sure what may have caused it. Back when I was 13, it started as being short of breath and the top of my head tingling. My parents were neglectful, abusive, and not very caring. They passed it off as me being a hypochondriac. My anxiety didn't and still doesn't seem to have any particular triggers. I would feel physically ill from any extended contact with people starting around my sophomore year of high school (I am now 22). Anyway. Certain parts of my body go numb yet have the pins and needles feeling. My chest may hurt or have uncomfortable tightness. I can feel my heart racing and I feel restless. I don't know what the panicking actually feels like. I've only known actual fear. Fear for my life. I don't feel that during the attacks. I just feel..off. Sometimes it'll end up with me hyperventilating, sobbing uncontrollably, and passing out.
The worst part is, it happens seemingly without reason and very randomly. The last time I had a full-blown panic attack where I ultimately passed out from hyperventilating was a couple of weeks ago. I was laying on the couch, looking up guides on Dark Souls 3. Then surprise! :')
>>17172860
I was exactly where you are now about a year ago.
And I don't want to take meds for it, so I won't/haven't. That said, I do also keep a bit of xanax around for if things get REALLY bad. but I rarely ever use that. Like once or twice a year, if that.
I can't say there are any big fixes or anything, but it does get easier.
Anxiety can make you feel physically ill, which is probably why you were sick. Nausea and other stomach problems are common, as well as headaches and hot clammy feelings.
Here is my advice:
Seeing a therapist can be really helpful.
The two things that have worked best for me are
>Learn to identify and correct distortions.
Say you're anxious about a test. You think you'll fail the test and that you'll have to retake the class and all of this bad stuff will happen to you. First, identify that as a distortion. You may do poorly on the test, but chances are, you'll be able to pass. And even if you do fail, that doesn't mean you'll fail the class.
>Learn to develop tolerance to anxiety
I still feel anxious pretty often but I'm able to ignore it. And when I ignore it long enough, it goes away. Instead of thinking, "I'm anxious right now, I'm going to have a panic attack, I can't do this" ext, I just think "This is the feeling of anxiety and it will pass." or I don't even acknowledge it at all.
Other things that have helped:
>4 7 8 breathing
>yoga
What are you anxious about? What triggers panic attacks for you?
Had my first full on "attack" at 22, thought I was dying because I had no idea what the cause was, I wasn't worried about anything and I live a fairly care-free life free of drugs. Went to ER and they said grats its a panic attack here is some lorezapam.
Had several more "episodes" over the next few years with decreasing frequency. Very frustrating cuz it would hit me seemingly at random and initially there seemed to be nothing I could do but find a quiet place and try to remove as many external stimuli as possible.
However, this would take the edge off but would lead to prolonged symptoms that wouldn't go away for weeks (vibrating legs/hands, chest tightness, etc).
Then one time I went out to a karaoke place and in the car on the way there it started up and I was like oh fuck here we go night ruined. as shit was really starting to get fucked I turned to a friend and said awkwardly "i don't think i can keep my shit together" and this was with them having no idea and i couldn't explain better as I was having trouble thinking/speaking. i just started running down the street.
i immediately felt better. like.. better than i had felt in a long time. i ran till i fucking collapsed and i felt great. eventually made my way back to the karaoke place everyone going wtf but i didn't care i finally felt semi-normal again.
from then on if i ever start to feel that shit coming on again, i either go for a quick walk or sprint some laps around whenever i'm at and that shit goes away almost immediately.
tldr; try running yourself into exhaustion.
>>17173212
It starts with me noticing i feel off. Progressively I start over analyzing how I'm feeling and start getting weird sensations and then it peaks with me feeling like the worlds spinning and the walls are closing in while I can't focus on anything but the sense of impending doom like I'm about to go psychotic.
>>17173208
Dude that sucks I didn't get it until i was 19 and had a bad trip.
I don't really like to bother my parents about it. My mom has been going through similar shit because of a cocaine addiction unfortunately.
Sorry for the late replies my internet fucked up.
Still can't believe its been two months and im still feeling this bad. I've gone through this before twice but usually by now I only have derealization to the point where I'm really uncomfortable.
I was feeling alright about three weeks in but i fucked it up by drinking too much after that week. Even last week i was doing good but then then that sleep paralysis thing fucked it all up. Haven't even been drinking.
>>17173218
Just on a hunch i kinda took your advice and went for a walk around the neighborhood. I know you're gone and probably once see this but it honestly really worked, at least for the moment.
Thanks anon.
