Trapped In An Anxiety Cycle.... How Do I Pull Myself Out?

[jadebear]

Monday I had the worst anxiety that I've had in alot of years. I really thought I would have to go to the hospital or that I would die.

Now, I can't stop thinking about how I felt...and I worry I will feel like that again....which causes major anxiety and I do end up feeling like that.....over and over.

What do I do? How do I pull myself out of this? I need to put the breaks on this ASAP before it gets worse.

 

[cherryblossom]

Search your 'toolbox' JB. How have you managed anxiety in the past? What has helped you in the past? If you have discussed anxiety with your T before, what has he said to you? What has he suggested to you?

Different things work for different people.... try to think what has helped you in the past? or maybe try something new.

Relaxation techniques - meditation, massage, yoga, deep breathing, aromatherapy, relaxing music

Support from others - your T, your hubby, your family. Talking to them, having them hold you so you feel safe, hugs, gentle, non-sexual touch.

Grounding - keep yourself in the present, look around you, use all your senses to keep you in 'the here and now'. Look around you, name objects, feel the ground under your feet, feel different textures, use a calming scent (perfume, or essential oil), listen to the sounds around you (name what you can hear - birds singing, cars passing)

Self nurture - a warm bath, cooking and eating something delicious (maybe a big fattening cake, or a super healthy stir fry, with loads of fresh veg and goodness), pampering (give yourself a manicure and pedicure, fake tan, waxing, hair cut, facial...)

Distraction - feel good film, your favourite TV show, dancing to your favourite music, exercise, shopping trip, coffee with a friend for a gossip, some other hobby...... (cleaning - only if really desperate! :p)

And also remember how far you've come.... setbacks are part of that, however crap we feel about it. Don't beat yourself up. I'm still cheering you on. This will get better, because you will find a way through it. Because you absolutely are worth it :love:

 

[jadebear]

Thanks CB, those are all good suggestions....it's easy to forget the basics when you're caught up in in the anxiety...thanks for the reminder.

I know it's just a setback. I recognize it, and I'm not beating myself up over it this time. I know I will get through it.

It's just this anxiety....it's SO horrible. It feels so awful and makes me so jumpy. I even got startled at work when someone laughed loud....it scared the crap out of me and made me jump and almost panic..

I think what is making me so anxious about this(the anxiety) is I worry that it will turn into panic attacks and then I will slowly end up housebound and non-functioning like I did like 6 years ago. But....I prob. shouldn't even worry about that, I have come a LONG way since those days.

I should just remember that I will be fine. It will pass.

 

[cherryblossom]

I understand the vicious cycle, of being anxious about anxiety, which makes things worse. And it's understandable, I think we've all panicked when things may appear to be sliding out of control, and we worry will return to our worst state.

I've been so jumpy lately too! Particularly at work. There must be something in the air :eek: And again it seems to be something that feeds off itself. Being that once startled, I remain even more 'jumpy', then even the smallest thing makes me jump and panic.

But yes, I think we sometimes need to 'go back to basics', and pull on coping skills we have learnt about and used before, but may have forgotten about, because things have been going better.

:hug:

 

[jadebear]

Being jumpy really sucks, hu? Every little movement has me on edge. I feel so paranoid and leery of everyone/everything.

It's hard when I wake up with anxiety, it makes the entire day rough. But, I'm happy to say, I didn't have it this morning as bad as it was before. So maybe it will get less and less each day.

My first instinct was to 'grab a bottle'....but, I didn't, so that's definitely a good thing. At least I'm learning to ride things out now.

 

[Ted Moen]

Anxiety involves the fear of losing control (again) and bad things happening (again). It involves our flight, fight or freeze response being triggered and our reduced ability (due to the severity ot past trauma) to generate the internal chemical response that calms non-traumatized people back down. As anxiety increases it makes us more susceptable to the cognitive distortions that generate inappropriate an/or self-defeating behaviors.

At the National Center for PTSD (inpatient) I learned to monitor my level of anxious apprehension on a 1-10 scale. I made a list of all my physical symptoms of anxiety along with behaviors I tend to do at different levels of anxiety and spread them out on the scale. I grouped the scale into low (1-3), medium (4-6), and high (7-10) ranges. It took a month to build my initial scale and another month to refine it into a really good tool. I recorded my estimate of my level of anxious apprehension every two hours initially.

Then I developed a plan for each level of anxiety. In the low range my primary tool is positive self-talk, reminding myself that this is nice and to give myself permission to enjoy my continuing participation in my current activities and relationships. In the mid range I make myself remain in my current situation doing what I would do if I weren't experiencing the anxiety symptoms, but use a range of tools (like those listed above) to bring my level of anxious apprehension down. In the high range I excuse myself from my current situation and get myself to a safe place to let the waves of anxiety pass (intrusive thoughts and feelings) until I am able to regain my focus and begin using and my tools to bring my level of anxious apprehension down.

For me, the feeling that I could monitor and manage the anxiety, that I had a plan for each level that would get me through the situation without losing control of my behavior gradually eroded my level of anxious apprehension until these days (10 years later) I seldom experience anxiety beyond the low range and when I do I know what to do.

Ted

 

[jadebear]

Wow Ted, you seem to have your anxiety pretty much under control.

Having a plan for each level sounds helpful. Thanks for the info.

 

[kimba]

Ted, That sounds like something that could help many people, including myself. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[jadebear]

I'm still having some major anxiety, but nothing like before. It comes and goes now instead of being nearly constant.

It helps to try and see it as just a 'symptom' rather than letting myself get so caught up in it.

 

[Nyx]

You are dealing with your issues so well, Jade! I like that you come here, ask what you need to ask, then process and get on with it. I think you are well on your way to becoming a striver.

 

[jadebear]

Thanks Nyx.

Sometimes l have a hard time asking others for help. I have this little voice in my head that tells me I'm weak/a failure if I can't do something on my own.

But....asking for help always turns out good, so I make myself do it.