What calms your anxiety, deep breathing or medication?

[JacknDiane]

Ive been learning about the power of deep breathing. I believe in it. But getting the time and space/peace to do it in a small house is difficult. I cant really relax and do it by myself and feel rhe benefit unless im alone and have time to do it properly. My therapist said I can do it anywhere, sitting on the toilet, on a train or a bus. But I dont find these areas relaxing and I can't zone everything out my head in these areas.
I need peace and quiet and time to do it.
Im meant to do it a few times a day. But I dont get much chance. I feel im failing at it and not helping myself. I just find it really hard to relax unless im alone somewhere peaceful and quiet.

Failing that its stick to the propanolol.

I wish I was a more relaxed person but im not.

I find doing puzzles on my phone quite helpful to down out the ‘noise’ - perhaps you don’t want to be on your phone that much but for me, it works.

It's good to visualise what you're doing so what a video like this a few times so you can go there in your head;

Also, don't wait to feel stressed before you do it; practice for (say) 3 minutes twice every hour and it will soon become second nature.

Running, every day. It’s far better for me than any medication.

I find distraction works better for me, especially nature such as looking out the window at the birds or next doors cat. People watching. Or failing that same as above, puzzles such as word search. It's about looking outwards, not inwards.

I am a total convert to the power of breathing, and cold exposure. Sometimes deep breathing makes you panic more. Short in breaths and looong out breaths are what you need to calm panic. I can't recommend the book Breath by James Nestor enough. It has honestly changed my life.

I have been crippled with anxiety and depression since my teens, and now with breathing techniques (Wim Hof is the most famous, but the book covers lots of other styles as well) and cold water swimming I am the most mentally healthy I've been in my life.

Breathing doesn’t work for me. Mindfulness doesn’t either. I think it’s probably because I have ADHD. In fact, it was when I was learning about meditation/ mindfulness/ breathing exercises as part of CBT about thirteen years ago that I first started to realise that my brain probably works differently to a lot of other people’s.

I have wondered before if I have ADHD.

@AndresyFiorella, im pleased for you. I love cold water swimming too, but am not near anywhere.

Have you tried cold showers? I do that every morning now as well

Neither - find exercise / gardening or just keeping busy much more helpful.

I don't think you're failing at all. Deep breathing isn't always easy when your mind is racing or your surroundings are stressful. For some people it really helps, and for others medication is an important part of the picture too. Be kind to yourself, you're clearly trying, and that counts for a lot.

Thank you @WajeehaKamran2

Sertraline 150mg and a bit of MN as a distraction from spiralling on to the anxiety rollercoaster and the 100mph thought patterns.