How to get rid of that anxious feeling - heart racing, tight stomach/chest...

[HighVoltageBun]

My personal life is in chaos at the moment but I don't have time to deal with the emotional upheaval of addressing it all properly as I have a DC with additional needs and lots of other committments over the next couple of weeks! I can hardly eat, everything just feels like cotton wool in my mouth, even when I slow my breathing down deliberately my heart still races, and I'm all shaky and twitchy.

Any tips for how to feel less physically anxious? I'm doing all the deep breathing and trying to do meditation and mindfulness but my mind races so much that it's not very successful.

Sympathies, I find epsom salt baths very good when I am tense. Good 20m soak.

Oh good idea thank you I do have some fancy scented epsom salts at the back of the bathroom cupboard!

I find laying off social media helps. Also as much fresh air as possible and have started colouring/reading at night instead of tv. Watching tv I watch escapist stuff. Also yes, breathing and just randomly closing my eyes. Can you deal with some of it and get help from a family member? Hugs op

Sorry you're feeling anxious, it's bloody horrible

Definitely keep going with the breathing exercises, try and make the exhale longer and slower than your inhale. Try to do this at regular intervals throughout the day as hyperventilating often creeps up on us e.g 1 or 2 extra breathes a minute which adds up over a few hours... Therefore it's more effective to keep on top of the breathing rate rather than resort to a breathing exercise in the moment of anxiety.

Another technique I find helpful when in that 'fight or flight mode' is to complete the cycle with exercise. Of course you have to be physically able for this but a brisk walk, run or even just doing some jumping jacks. When you're experiencing all those physical symptoms of anxiety your body is priming you to battle or flee, doing the 'flight' part through exercise can trick your mind/body if that makes sense.

Muscle relaxation techniques can be helpful too, if you Google you will find some guided ones online, but basically it's about tensing and relaxing the muscles in your body in series.

Hope things improve for you soon.

Unfortunately my family are not close either emotionally or geographically

Weirdly I find social media kind of helpful, it's my only link to friends and support at the moment.

Getting outdoors would be great but my DC is currently refusing to leave the house and doesn't go to school (long story) so not always easy!!

Just read your post again and another technique that might be helpful for the racing thoughts/worry is trying 'worry time'.

If you Google it you can find out more but it's basically about giving yourself an allotted slot of time in the day (20mins is good, and not too close to bedtime) where you worry and ruminate as much as you like. The rest of the day, you don't... when a thought of that nature pops up, you tell yourself you have to wait till worry time. You can even briefly jot the worries down throughout the day to save for worry time. Aware this one sounds pretty ridiculous on paper but it can be really useful and might be worth a try!

I combating this with a multipronged approach:

1. Learnt Yoga Nidra (you tube) - basically deep relaxation.
2. Acupuncture - deeply relaxing
3. Some form of cardio exercise.
4. Talking about it to lots of people.
5. Realising that when I felt panicking the worst thing that would happen is that I would feel panicky. Eventually my body gave up being panicky as there was no point!
6. Eating a low GI diet so my blood sugar remained calm.
7. Breathing exercises (again YouTube)
8. Headspace app

It worked really well and I never get anxious any more and when I do I up the above. Hope you feel better soon 💐

DC being at home all the time is part of what's causing the stress tbh. It holds me back from being able to work on my own problems which I know sounds selfish but it's true

Ask the gp to give you propranolol. It can really help.

I know a lot of people who use propranolol to relieve the physical symptoms of anxiety. My gp says it’s not suitable for me because I’ve got low blood pressure but it could be worth a visit to the doctor to ask about it?

Cross post with @Bumpsadaisie, slow typing!

Currently struggling with the same. What I am trying based on previous experience is;

1. Less caffeine.
2. No alcohol
3. Eat healthily
4. Time alone being quiet (may not be possible for you)
5. Some time outside in my garden or for a walk in the woods. Here I use a technique about being in the moment so breathe deeply and focus on what can you feel, what can you see, what can you smell etc.
6. Deep breathing and yoga if I can fit it in.
7. Acceptance that it may take a bit of time to fix and that's ok.

Propanol is great for short term relief and not addictive.

Agree with others about propranolol - it isn't addictive, it doesn't make you feel weird or spaced out, it just helps you with the anxiety so that your better placed to think and manage it.
The problem with the stress is that it makes it hard to think and then you're in a cycle!
The propranolol can help reset that cycle and ultimately help you manage it yourself.
I find I take it a few times and then I get in a better place and I don't need it.

I listen to Michael Sealey meditation - usually the 20 min seated one. If you do it every day you will find yourself calm at the end of it if you stick at it but I think you need to 'learn' how to meditate.
Try the book Dare by Barry McDonagh - instead of desperately trying to suppress the anxious feelings you accept them and dont' fight them. I think he has an online website.

Not what you want to hear, but you need to deal with your problems.

CBD oil is great for that sensation. Also ditch coffee. If you drink, limit it. I find that one glass of wine is fine, but a second will disrupt my sleep so the anxiety the next day is worse.

Can you work it off a bit with a run or lift some weights? I feel like that can disrupt the fearful sensation.

Let yourself become absorbed in something. A Duolingo session or a computer game or something. The feeling disappears when something takes its place.

I’m sorry you’re having this - it’s awful.

@lightand

Not what you want to hear, but you need to deal with your problems.

Yes thanks, would you like to come and take over 24/7 care of a child with additional needs for a few weeks so I can take the time I would need to start to process everything that's causing me stress?

@astoundedgoat

CBD oil is great for that sensation. Also ditch coffee. If you drink, limit it. I find that one glass of wine is fine, but a second will disrupt my sleep so the anxiety the next day is worse.

Can you work it off a bit with a run or lift some weights? I feel like that can disrupt the fearful sensation.

Let yourself become absorbed in something. A Duolingo session or a computer game or something. The feeling disappears when something takes its place.

I’m sorry you’re having this - it’s awful.

I'd forgotten about CBD! I found it helpful in the past so I'll order some now. Thanks!

If you can't get outside for a walk where there's some nature then try some form of exercise at home. Swap between your mindfulness and breathing strategies and doing something more physical. Also finding something mindless but productive to do can help like scrubbing a dirty bathroom or something.

DC refusing to go to school must be really stressful, what support are the school providing there?

I’d go and see the GP, and consider short term medication. This should take your anxiety down which will make it easier to get strategies in place for dealing with it. If you don’t want to consider meds then still see the gp because they can refer you for CBT which you should definitely do. Although if you can pay privately it will be quicker.

Other than that it’s all the stuff that’s easy to say but harder to do -

Enough sleep, exercise, connections with people, rest time, screens of at a certain time,

GP isn't an option atm as it's just too hard to get an appt!! I need to change surgery to one that has an online booking system instead of the insane "ring at 8am" one my current surgery uses.

I find this really helpful. Listen to it and do the fist squeezing exercise regularly. I've recommended a few times here but didn't get any feedback as to whether it helped anyone else. It's been good for me anyway!