Anxiety tips. What do you do?

[Hellogoodbyehowdoyoudo]

What do you do when you find yourself in a period of anxiety that you just can't seem to snap out of.

I know of the breathing tips, lavender.

Does anyone else have any tips they have found works for them?

It does matter how silly they might sound. I'm open to anything.

I just want to get rid of this awful knot in my stomach, and the tight chest. My senses are in overdrive and I can't seem to bring them down to a manageable level.

Thankyou in advance.

Is proplananol addictive?

I'm reading all of these responses. I don't have the energy to reply to everyone but I've read them all and I really appreciate them. Thankyou.

No, it’s not addictive. I only take it when I feel the onset of a panic attack. I have a plentiful supply of 40mg, touch wood have probably only taken about 10 this entire year.

I can take it or leave it .. depends on my anxiety on the day .
Definitely not addictive or I wouldn't take it

I was also worried I’d become addicted to propranolol but it’s not at all! It’s amazing how helpful it is for racing heart etc.

Im going to ask for some from the GP.

Are they reluctant to prescribe it? I have a long medical history of anxiety.

Not in my experience, they’ll probably offer you a low dose (usually 10mg) to start with but if that has no effect, request 40mg.

I asked for it and got it ,but I had a lovely doctor at the time
The current one prefers to lecture me rather than listen

I'm reading online and I'm not sure if I can take it with citalopram

Going out for a walk, preferably in the countryside, even if it's raining. Walk briskly, notice what's around you, keep going... Guaranteed to make you feel better.

I find this helpful.

For me, it’s anything to get me ‘out of my own head’. I used to do a lot of step aerobics classes when I had a really stressful, anxiety making job…I had no choice but to concentrate on the class otherwise I would have gone arse about tit…so snapped me out of ruminating about work in my head.

nowadays I can’t afford the gym membership so I do things like watching a trashy tv show (something escapist like Traitors, MAFS, etc); walking the dog; doing some cooking etc. It’s hard to get started on these when you’re really anxious but I never regret doing something. Even just externalising the anxiety by telling my husband or a friend I feel really anxious can really help…it’s not just spinning round in my head then.

I take both Citalopram (low dose) and a daily slow release propranolol. It’s actually the propranolol that has had the biggest effect for me… as a pp said it stops most of the physical reaction to anxiety that feeds the mental aspect. It’s been life changing for me and I tolerate it really well.

propranolol here too. Saved my life actually.

It sounds really odd but I try and relieve the physical symptoms and plan ahead so when I’m feeling anxious it generally rears its head when I’m traveling or doing something out of my comfort zone and I get hot and flustered.

to counteract this I take a fan or a really cold bottle of water and take small sips to calm myself or just hold the cold bottle to my wrist and think about that instead. I also try and do stuff as much as possible so that the more I do it it’s not new anymore. So for example when my anxiety was flaring a few years ago I kept getting anxious about going to London on the train, being near others etc so I must have gone about 4/5 times in one month to get it out my system so to speak.

other times if I didn’t feel able to I would drive there so i knew I had a quick escape home and also travel with my ‘safe’ people (partner and best friend who both help calm my anxiety)

when I’m going through an anxious stage I prioritise self care, get myself little treats for small goals that I set for myself, talk it through with friends, distract myself as much as possible - reading, thinking about senses to focus on other things when I feel it building up etc.

I can't tolerate any antidepressants,so I was at the end of my tether when I asked to try propropanol..never expected it to work ,but am so glad it helps me

Another vote for propranolol.

Choose a worry and spend 2 minutes writing down the best case scenario.
You can help the brain to consider new more hopeful ways of thinking.

I'm currently very anxious about things I am worried about and stuff that hasn't even happened and I barely slept last night and today I've take very shaky as so anxious.

i started to listen to a pod cast about anxiety on my way to work and on the train and it really did comfort me so I wouid recommend something like that.

I forgot to mention,when I suggested propranolol
,I'm also having CBT through talking space ..I'm on my 3rd session.not sure if it's helping yet .
I'm pretty sure you can self refer through your doctors surgery on line

Try this as well;

can I ask which one you use. There seems to be alot of choice. Thanks

Im going back to go for slow release propanolol which I’ve had on and off for years as the 10mg isn’t lasting long enough and the anxiety is situational. I also know it will get better in a few weeks (purely September teaching madness)

but im also really tackling breathing work. I’ve been learning about Buteyko breathing in particular

apologies for the bold, I had to c and p the spelling!

I have awful anxiety.

I take propranolol twice a day as a regular medication to try and keep on top of it but I’m allowed to take a one-off dose whenever I need to of I feel my anxiety spiralling. I probably once do this once every couple of months though.

When I find an anxiety attack is creeping up on me I find distraction is the best thing that helps me so I either go on my phone and play a game that takes a lot of mental thought and attention (really hard sudokus for example), or I sit and down with my puzzle book and find a really challenging conundrum that needs solving as that also requires all my focus and attention.

Doing anything that still allows my mind to wander is pointless…. So things like going for a walk, reading, breathing exercises etc have absolutely no postitive effect.

When I first went to my GP about my anxiety he initially wanted to put me on antidepressants but I told him that I’m not depressed…. I have a job I love, a great husband, wonderful kids, lots of friends, I enjoy my life etc etc, it’s just that I get very anxious at times.

I only take a really small dose of Propanolol but it just takes the edge off, and being able to take an extra dose when needed really helps and always works.