My nerves are playing up!!-how can I calm down?

[fio2]

need some advice. As I said in the title my nerves are playing me up and I dont seem to be able to relax or put things into perspective at times. Alot of the time I am fine but some days I get worked up about things and dont seem to be able to calm my nerves, it is usually to do with my dd's hospital appointments etc. I think I am a bit depressed but not extremely depressed or anything. I have had a couple of panic attacks aswell and I am frightened of this happening again

Does anyone know of any remedies I could take to help me calm down when I am anxious. I dont want to toddle off to the doctors just yet before trying anything else. Do Kalms work or any others is St Johns wort?

Thanks to anyone who helps me today if poss, Im having a bad day already

Try some Pliates breathing exercises. Place your hands on your ribs and breath in through the nose so that your ribs expand outwards. Imagine you have gills on your sides! Then breath ot through the mouth, collapsing your ribs right down. Do a few times (not too many). This will get some oxygen in and carbon dioxide out. Think about nothing except the breathing while you are doing it. Hope this helps you relax for a bit.

Thanks Cam I did used to have a pilates video but my video recorder broke. Have got a DVD player though maybe I should look into buying a DVD. I always used to find it really useful. Mind you the exercises are alot harder than they look

Fio2, I've found the Bach Flower Remedies are useful for calming down. The Rescue remedy is the one to use. It's just a few drops on the tongue and amazingly (I'm a bit of a cynic!) it works. I use it on my 7yr old when she gets a bit hyper, as well. It's available from chemists and some health food shops. Hth and that your day has improved by now.

fio try camomile tea

The calming tablets (like Kalms) are usually pretty good (have tried a few in the past!) but would you be able to find time to have an hour to yourself in the day, or even half an hour? If you can, spend half of it reading a really good book that you'll enjoy, then spend the other half lying quietly with your eyes closed doing meditation exercises (I'll post some if you want). Then when you're stressed in the rest of the day, just close your eyes for a few moments, do a meditation exercise again and remember how it felt the last time you had your 'me' time and felt really chilled.

HTH

Chamomile tea, and St John's Wort. Marvellous.

I would advise against St Johns Wort, it is great for depression but is a really pwerful natural remedy and can have adverse effects if not used for exactly the right 'ailment'. IMO you need to know what you are dealing with before you go with St Johns Wort as it can be as effective as Seroxat and the like.

Self prescribing SJW can be just as detrimental to your health as self prescribing Seroxat or Prozac.

Yes, that's true (sorry). I took it on the advice of a natural therapist I used to consult. If you can afford it, go and see one, they treat you holistically.

hi Fio2, i used to take St Johns Wort and they made me go really funny oneday while i was driving.i felt really out of myself and haven't taken them since. When it's the "time of the month" i take calms.they work for me. I don't know if it's just psyhcological but they do work! Hope you feel calmer soon...

Also SJW are very VERY bad if you're on the pill, they are very effective in stopping in working. Not sure if that's the same for implants, injection etc but you'd need to check it out.

Oh god I take st johns wort but didn't really think it was that strong...maybe I should stop taking it.

Rescue remedy. Or go and see a homeopath. DH says homeopathy really helped his stress attacks.

Meant to say that I bought a hypnotherapy tape which was quite weird at first but helped me to breathe properly and calm down. Also I had counselling from my hv which helped. And lots of sleep. I still occasionally get quite anxious but know what to do to calm down now - basically try to relax, get plenty of sleep and eat properly.

Sorry Enid, I'm sure if it has been prescribed by a professional (GP/Therapist etc) then you are fine. You may well be fine if you are self prescribing but there is no guarantee that it'll do you more good than harm Seek advice if self prescribing.

WSM, I really don't think SJW is as strong as Seroxat or Prozac, I have taken it in the past, stopped taking it suddenly and had no adverse side effects. Also they will sell it to you in France (at the pharmacy) quite happily without taking a full history. It is supposed to be a very gentle anti-depressant/anxiety remedy...isn't it??

In some people it has been shown to prooduce similar strength reactions as seroxat and prozac. I guess it must depend on your personal 'resistance' IYSWIM. Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you.

I think it is very effective for mild depression so I guess it must be quite strong, although from what I have read it works in a slightly different way to Seroxat/Prozac, it thins the 'fluid' that serotonin is carried by therefore making it easier for your brain to absorb it, whereas Seroxat/Prozac actually make you produce more serotonin (I think but am not medical in any way so do feel free to contradict me!).

I have a pilates DVD that I have never used, if you want to contact me I can send it to you. I have watched it a few times, but somehow that doesn't work! It was free with a magazine and is very good, its by the woman with the grey streak in her hair.

Sorry FIO2, first sending you a big cyber hug! Everyone has posted such great advice along with lilibet's office to post you here DVD! What nice friends you have fio2! I totally agree with Bach Flower Remedy - The rescue remedy is fantastic, also 5 flower tea if you can find it at the chinese grocery. I must say that cranio-osteo therapy is fantastic for stress and the relationship between the stress and your physical body. I really believe in it. I suffer with dysthymia which is low level depression all the time. Then I usually go into aggitated type depressions which keep me moving as oppossed to the ones that make you want to sleep all day. The aggitated one will come on as my stress levels increase or if I have several emotionally traumatic events (your body sometimes can't tell the different between a trivial event and a traumatic event when you are already overwhelmed). Tell me how you are doing.

Thank you everyone for your replies I am feeling a bit better now, been for a long walk. Its just I feel okay one minute and then something will happen and I will just immediately get anxious and shaky. I have always been such a positive person and this is the first time I have been unable to control my nerves.

I think I will try the Bach rescue remedy and the camomile tea to begin with. If things dont improve after that I will have to go the GP. Thanks for all the advice mumsnet is so useful

lillibet are sure you dont mind sending me that cd? I would send you a cheque for the postage if it is still ok with you

sunchowder I think you are right. I have had alot of traumatic events in a short space of time and um for as long as I can remember really. When I am really depressed I just want to sleep all the time but this is different.

As for me getting any time to myself, never

fio2, the thing is that when you are very sensitive to the people and events around you, you are almost not "shielded" from the stress, do you know what I mean? So many people are masters at filtering through the crap and applying feeling and focus in a more prioritized way then I seem to be able to do on a day-in, day-out basis. It is as if this is spontaneous to their nature or they have learned to do it to survive and I just must have missed that survival class, you know? Let's keep the thread going for a while if we can, I can totally relate to what you are going through.

I just feel like one minute Im being a hard faced cow and the next Im an emotional wreck. I dont seem to have much of the inbetween at the moment.

Fio2,I know just what you mean. I had to run out of my office for a while. Are you able to think of anything that would please you right now? (Ex. internet shopping, reading a chapter out of a new good book, chocolate, new box of crayons, good movie, delish take-away, looking at swans on the pond...) Sometimes I sit with no persective at all and try to be grateful for everyone and everything I have, etc. Breathing Fresh Air, thinking about the beach--anthing to try to be calm.