Does anyone know really effective teqniques to fight off anxiety?

Question

I went to the doctor and he said i have bad anxiety. My symptoms were having toruble breathing, closing in the throat, fatgiue in the body, twitcihness, tingliness, etc.. I got checked and i was 100% healthy. He told me to do deep breathing etc. but that doesnt laways work. Im on no medication and dont want any. I just want it to stop. Any ideas or personal experiences?

Answer 1

meditation or Yoga ...exercise.

Answer 2

I'm curious as to how your doctor diagnosed you? Was it a psychiatrist or a psychologist that you saw or just your family practitioner? If the latter what tests did he or she perform to rule out medical issues (if only a CBC w/Differential, this is inadequate and a neurological exam is warrented. Particularly if you have no family history, no prior history of anxiety, no obvious stressors or past traumas, and minimal anxious thoughts).

Anxiety is complex and involves the overactivation of the brains "flight-fight" system. Thus you end up with racing heart, sweaty hands, feeling shaky, etc. This is most common in a panic disorder. With generalized anxiety it tends to be the thinking that becomes very problematic (excessive worries, etc.). Depending on where you fall...if you have physical sensations of anxiety but are unaware of any thoughts you might have exercise, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, massage therapy can all be beneficial. If you are thinking lots of worrisome thoughts, then something known as "cognitive therapy" is important. This is a type of therapy that works at changing how you think and by doing reduces feelings of anxiety and behavioral manifestations of anxiety. There are some good self-help workbooks out there, but I would recommend you speak with a psychologist or social worker to help you reduce your symptoms. A psychiatrist is beneficial from a pharmocological perspective and typically warrented if the anxiety becomes so intrusive you can no longer function in your day-to-day life.

Nutritionally: Avoid caffeine. Research has consistently indicated that caffeine consumption can lead to anxiety, particularly in men. Recent animal model studies have suggested that Soy for women may actually reduce anxiety and depression, but increase these feelings for men. Omega-3 fatty acids have been consistently showing positive effect in reducing anxiety and depression, as well as numerous other mental health complaints. Finally, vitamin B-complex can help reduce anxiety (careful in how much you consume, too much and the reverse effect is possible). Valerian root, Kava Kava, and St. John's wort have been inconsistently linked with benefit for anxiety and seem to show greater benefit for low level anxiety and depression.

Katie MacDowell, M.Ed.
Masters, Counseling Psychology
Doctoral Candidate, Clinical Psychology

Answer 3

I suffer from anxiety too. Your right the breathing doesn't always work. What you described is how i feel when i am full blown in the anxiety but i notice now how i feel before it gets that bad. It is hard to explain the feeling right before the actual attack. I can only call it pre-anxiety. When that starts to happen I begin to talk myself out of it and i do try to control my breathing early on so it will work so the tingling in my hands won't happen from breathing too fast which causes me to hyperventilate. I have missed out on many a good time out of fear i will have anxiety but I have become more aware of what causes my anxiety and try to look at the situation in a more positive way instead of trying to avoid things that might cause it. I'll think things like, i know i always think a situation will be worse that it really is. I know i will be o.k.
Sort of my own personal pep talk.

Answer 4

need more info. What is it that gives you this anxiety? you need to do some real soul searching and find out what it is that scares you. Is it death, pain, embarrassment in front of peers etc...figure out what your deepest fears are then face them head on, one at at time if there are more than one. The key is to get to the root of the problem, don't just try to get rid of symptoms. Self confidence is key also! If you are ok with yourself then who cares about what others may think.
Good Luck

Answer 5

Look in to learning Emotional freedom Technique (EFT). It is easy to learn and is 80% to 97% effective in relieving all sorts of emotional distress including anxiety. Here are some really good websites that explains how to use EFT.
www.123eft.com
www.emofree.com
Good Luck

Answer 6

Execise helps. It makes calming endorphins kick in. Aromatherapy may help. You can learn to do a type of feedback that will calm you. Ask the Dr. for a reference to someone who teaches the technique.

Answer 7

don't start smoking.
Try exercise.