Anxiety

[MelMouse]

This is the first time I’ve experienced bad anxiety. It started over Christmas not sure what has triggered it.
It got to the point I find it hard to leave the house, I would have a panic attack whenever I tried to almost to the point of vomiting. It happens throughout the day whether or not I’m going out. Im finding it really hard to cope with.

My doctor signed me off work for 2 weeks which is nearly up and gave me propranolol to take (40mg once a day). It has help with the shaking, heart palpitations but not with the nausea. I thought/hoped it would make it easier to get back out and about however I still burst into tears when I try to do anything. Do I need to stick with the propranolol to give it more time to work?
Anyone have any advice please

What's happening is that you have become anxious about being anxious, which is what triggers the panic attacks.

Something - so insignificant that you can't remember was it was - caused you to feel anxious (have a look at to see what happens in your body when you encounter stress, either real or imagined)

Now what's happened is that you what to go out but the thought of it triggers an inappropriate anxiety response and your subconscious - which has no way of knowing if you are under attack or if it's just your imagination - goes into overdrive, producing the racing heart, nausea, etc.

When you feel these, you think "my body is reacting, there must be something to be scared of for me to behave like this" and bang! you're in the vicious cycle which paralyses your mind and body.

CBT or hypnosis would help but in the meantime there's a couple of things you could try;

1. When you feel scared or anxious, write down exactly what it is that you're scared of. Then write down the absolute worst thing that could happen (say, a stray meteor hitting you at the end of the street or being eaten by an escaped alligator). Then the best (say, George Clooney arriving at your office with a winning lottery ticket in your name). The write down the most likely thing to happen (say, you will go to work and come home again after an uneventful day). Which is most likely to happen?

1. When you imagine all the terrible things that may happen when you leave the house, realise that you are just imagining - or pretending, if you prefer. But you are pretending so well that you've forgotten you are pretending. Use the same imagination to pretend a completely different outcome - a good one or even a great one. Your mind has the ability to create any scenario, so make it positive.