To ask for your anxiety cures?

[LikeACowsOpinion]

I'm a big ball of anxiety today.

I'm reacting physically (diarrhoea, nausea, restlessness, heart palpitations, general nervous feeling in stomach) as well as mentally (overthinking, being snappy, feeling like I'm going to burst into tears, feeling like I've done something wrong, being scared that I've forgot what I've done wrong...)

I haven't had a really bad panic attack yet; but if I don't control the symptoms I'm having now and earth shattering one is on its way.

Please talk me down.
I've taken my meds (sertraline and propranolol), had a big glass of water and am working through some breathing but I cannot straighten my mind at the moment.
It's gotten to the point that I'm hearing my abusive ExPs car outside my house -it had a very distinctive engine- and in curtain twitching every few minutes; even though he's not there.
My finger is hovering above my panic alarm, which was installed because of him, but I can't trigger it purely for anxiety.
My body is terrified, yet there's nothing to be terrified of.
It's absolutely exhausting being scared of nothing.

Please, if you have any tips at all, please help me. I'm not even sure what's triggered this.

Oh lord, I hear you, you poor thing.

Not much help to you right now, but think about investing in a gravity blanket. It has helped me a lot with the physical symptoms.

For now, can you try some mindful walking? I find that most helpful when I'm like that. You start walking (even if it's marching on the spot if you can't go out) quickly, focusing solely on the physical sensations of walking (the movement of your joints, your breathing, the changing pressure on your feet, the pull of the muscles) and gradually slow it down - can be over 10 minutes or more until you are walking slowly enough to stop.

Focus on your breathing. Let thoughts come and go, you don't have to act on them or pay them any attention right now. They're just thoughts.

Oh OP I sympathise, I get the same symptoms with anxiety & used to get the most horrendous panic attack’s. If you’ve not tried yet perhaps try doing some puzzles (sudoku/scrabble on your phone if you’ve not got any) or colouring. I think the key is distraction as any attempt to control it usually makes it worse (for me anyway)

Also if you search hypnotherapy for anxiety o YouTube, a lot of results pop up, I’ve not tried any yet so can’t recommend but might be worth a try

Can you do some exercise in your living room? Maybe get up a routine on YouTube to focus your mind? It can help.

I put on sixties music and dance.

No sugar and low carbs keeps my anxiety down. Lots of decaf tea and soup. Hope you feel better soon.

Oh thank you for your quick replies.

I'm willing to try anything. I'll get my exercise video on the TV and try that.
I'd love to get out for a walk but the fear of my ExP being outside - even though I don't think he is - is enough to stop me from even venturing downstairs at the moment.
Colouring sounds like a good idea too.

God I hate bastard anxiety.

Have you tried meditation? I was really skeptical but it really helped me calm down and over time reduced my anxious feelings. The Headspace app has a free basic course you can try, the guy's voice is very soothing and he guides you through the meditation so you don't just zone out.

Put some loud cheerful music on and keep busy- use that anxious energy positively

I find writing lists, colouring or drawing, or puzzles like word searches helpful too.

Some deep breathing can be helpful.
Or go for a walk or run and get some fresh air and exercise.

I do sudoku when I can't switch my mind off. It gives my mind something meaningless to really focus on.

I've not tried meditation for anxiety, I have for pain but I can't seem to get my mind to stop thinking for long enough.

Especially now, my thoughts are running at 100mph. I don't think I'll ever manage to push them out

I'm just not strong enough to deal with this anymore

Music on loud and do the housework - keeps you busy and distracted and at the end of it you feel like as the house is together you have things together a little bit.

Sit down with a cup of whatever you find soothing afterwards and something nice to eat with it.

Tell yourself to think logically. Tell yourself it is just anxiety, figure out what is causing you anxiety (you might not know but little things might pop into your head that are contributing) and then tell yourself why it makes no sense to be worrying about those things.

Have a bath / shower with nice smelling products

Then if you can manage it, go for a walk in the fresh air, somewhere quiet if you can.

I find all of the above resets yourself so you can think a bit more clearly, if you can manage to do it in the first place which I know is hard when you are in the middle of it. Is there anyone who can guide you through? My partner knows those help and will encourage me through the steps pointing out it’s anxiety, I’m not in danger and so on. If you have a close friend who can do the same you might find it helpful and if not then I’m saying exactly the same thing to you now.

There is no danger, you are perfectly safe, distract yourself, think it through logically, then try to rest your brain

I suffer with severe anxiety, I know how you’re feeling right now. You are not alone. Have you tried phoning the Samaritans. They talked me down from a huge panic attack’s a few months ago. You don’t need to be suicidal to call them. I found them sympathetic, non judgmental and very helpful at a very low point.

Have you tried CBT op? I was very sceptical at first but it has helped me enormously. It’s not a quick fix, but it has worked very well for me.

My thoughts lead to my anxiety. I can’t push them away, j have to challenge them and label them. Then I visualise the thought drifting away. Unhealthy thoughts are as bad for you as smoking. They will eat you up. Challenge them, examine them, is this what is going to happen? What evidence do you have. Anxiety lies to you, remember that. I hope this is making sense.

I hate how quickly I lose my rational mind. Once it's gone I physically do not have the skills to pull myself back to reality.

Frustratingly, today is the day it's been horrendous and it's the only day I cannot get out to speak to anyone.
It's just me and DD, looking at her innocence then makes me want to burst in to tears. She deserves more than a mum who is scared by her own brain.

These are all very helpful tips, things I hadn't even thought of.
So my next step is to write every one of them down, hopefully by the time I've done that my head would've calmed down enough.

Oh op anxiety is awful and yours seems particularly bad so I really do feel for you. Do you think yours could be more like PTSD caused by your abusive relationship. Have you had any counselling at all?

It's your lizard brain, the amygdala, responding to a perceived threat. it bypasses your logical, conscious brain. If we stopped to think about every perceived threat that the lizard brain reacts to, we'd (evolutionarily speaking) have been eaten by bears or tigers by now. That's why the impulse is so strong - it's designed to keep you alive in times of actual danger.

However, your lizard brain doesn't know the difference between a present, physical danger and a perceived emotional threat - you get the same flood of nerve-jangling adrenaline and the fight-or-flight response regardless.

I do feel for you, anxiety is worse than depression ime.

I do feel for you, anxiety is worse than depression ime.
I don't think it's helpful to compare the two,especially when there are so many different levels of each illness.It's not a competition,both are bloody awful and both can kill.

*not a competition.

Tidy my wardrobe and re-fold all of my clothes while listening to loud rock music. Keeps me active and my hands busy and something to think about, and it's not stressful.

Watching ancient Disney films on VHS
Seriously - only thing that calms me down enough to sleep some nights.

I meant I've had anxiety AND depression, both severe, and my experience was that anxiety feels worse than depression to me. Not trying to compete.

Anxiety is not worse than depression. They are different things and equally challenging. And I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard of a person dying due to anxiety. Depression in the other hand is the cause of many suicides. Sorry you are going through this OP. Have you tried float therapy? Floating in a special pod with relaxing music and dimmed lights. So calming.

Something I do, which I’m not saying is easy, is to sit and expose myself to the anxious feelings rather than distracting myself from them.

I sit quietly and focus on the anxious feelings, reminding myself over and over that, no matter how bad it feels, it can’t harm me.

I don’t recommend this lightly, especially if you are in the house alone but it has really helped me and now I am able to make the anxiety dissipate relatively quickly most of the time.

I have this problem with a fear of who is outside. I can't play music or watch the TV because I have to hear every little noise, just in case. It's really damn hard to deal with. I find mobile phone games help - something that makes you think, like a crossword app, sudoku or picross. I knit too which helps take my mind of things but I can't concentrate on anything more than this.

I'd LOVE a gravity blanket. Apparently they're fantastic for panic but they're also extortionate. I can't even afford the bills so it's way out of budget unfortunately.