What is the best way to deal with anxiety.?

Question

I suffer from severe anxiety. I always think that I am dying and wake up in the night feeling scared. I am on medication but obviously it isnt working properly. Please help.

Answer 1

Just take some deep breaths and close your eyes. Everything will be ok.

Answer 2

Hi - I had my first panic attack last January 2006. I thought I was going to die - literally. I'm sure you know how that feels because you are experiencing it on a regular basis. It took a while for me to realize that no matter what I was going to be ok. When you're in the midst of an attack it seems that nothing anyone can say or do will make any difference at all.

The key is knowing that you hold the power inside of you. When you wake up feeling scared just remember that you are strong and capable. Take some slow deep breaths and look around you. Realize that there is no danger. Try getting back to sleep with a mediation CD or journal for a few minutes to get things off your mind.

Anxiety starts with a thought. How you think determins how you feel. Just remember that - you have the power to think differently which in essence gives you the power to feel good or bad.

Another thing you might want to take a look at - what is causing this anxiety. In my case it was not moving forward due to fear of success or fear of failure. When you push yourself to do the uncomfortable things you'll be amazed at how your self confidence and self-esteem will grow. Maybe if you resolve a specific issue your sleep patterns will dissipate. Just some thoughts.

Good luck to you - whatever you do DON'T give up! There is happiness on the other side. :)

Answer 3

I have anxiety too but it is not as bad as yours. I don't think I am dying or wake up at night, but I constantly worry about everything even though there is nothing that I can do about it. I am taking a low dose of Nortriptylene for my anxiety.

When my anxiety started, I was in the Navy and it started after my first wife told me that she didn't want me to come home.

A Navy Chief medical person told me that if I would keep my hands busy, I would not have time to think about my problems. It works to a point. I don't know how active you are doing things such as typing on your computer, but that and maybe working on a hobby will occupy your mind. I would also suggest maybe volunteering someplace and give some of your time to others such as reading to people in a nursing home or hospital, teaching people how to play a musical instrument or anything that takes your mind off your problem.

It sounds like you are seeing a therapist. If you aren't and just got medicine from your personal doctor, then you should see a therapist and if your present one is not helping you enough, see another. I don't see a therapist because my anxiety is not very severe.

Really, the best thing you can do is to pray to God for help because the Bible says to throw your burdens upon God and He, Himself will sustain you.

Answer 4

You are not alone. I feel the same, and so do millions of others in this world with this afflication. Slow, deep breaths can help, then talk to your fear as if it is an entity and very strongly tell it to go away. It worked for me. But do go see your doctor again and ask about changing medication. It is important, however, to be informed about treatments and medications available - an excellent source of information can be found in www.emotional.health.ivillage.com.
Check out the webcast bideo 'Overcoming Anxiety' - on this site:
www.emotioal.health.ivillage.com/anxietydisorders/panicattacks.cfm.

Answer 5

Just find something that makes you happy, Focuse only on it do not think of any thing else. Remember all the happiness that goes with it. Keep a small paper bag. And you when you feel that way place the brown bag over nose and mouth. You are breathing to much oxygen in and carbondixion out so if you have a bag you will let more carbon out and soon you will be able to get all the carbon out and you will be able to breath better

Answer 6

i had this problem big time ended up in the er and sometimes i got so scared i would cry .. there is a way to temporarly get rid of it and there is another way that is perminit. so listen..

1.) the tempoary fix- you need to get on some medician. dont take paxil its bad. See a psycologist they will put you on medican.if youare only having the problem sometimes tell them you want volume so you can take it once in a while only when you really have to so you dont get adicted thats what i do.

2) breathing exercises --inhale exhale slowly..
think of happy things funny things talk yourself out of it

3) The perminit fix-- what ever is going on in your life is really stressing you out and you feel that you are unable to change it or for some reason the same problem is happening over and over agin causing this problem. you have to solve it no matter what it will go away for ever until there is another problem you are not solving and its eating you up inside.

its fear face them

Answer 7

I suffer from anxiety & depression & the most beneficial treatment i received was when i was referred to anxiety management classes & was taught proper breathing tequniques.They helped me understand what happens to the body when your anxious.A key thing is not breathing properly.When you breath in your stomach should expand,when you breath out your stomach should flatten.Its amazing how many people dont breath properly,especialy when were anxious.Slowing down & controling your breathing removes the physical discomfort by slowing down your body systems & can prevent panic attacks.Ask your doctor if there are anxiety management classes you can attend or something similar.This is what i went to & it helped me understand what happens to the body when we are anxious.Aswell as teaching me what happens to the body during anxiety(have you ever heard of fight or flight?)& understanding why,they taught us various ways to cope with it.The most beneficial being the breathing exercises.I hope you can get referred to something like this as it really helped me & the other people I met there.This treatment was aswell as medication in a lot of cases but understanding what happens to the body & learning some simple coping strategies was really beneficial.

Answer 8

What kind of medication? It sounds as thought you need a benzodiazapine, which works on the central nervous system and calms you down and also helps with panic attacks(which it sounds like you also suffer from). Good pills (benzo's) are Xanax, Valium, Ativan & Librium. Talk to your Dr. about it.

Answer 9

I have read some litterature about panic attacks. But they allways seem to have a more scientific approach and that is nothing I need in my struggle to survive those horrible panic attacks. This is a "hand on" and very practical book. I felt it was written to me. I am sure that you are going to feel the same.

Joe Barry writes exactly how I think. The examples are perfectly described. And the method is genius. I recommend this book and thanks Joe Barry for writing it. It changes your life

Answer 10

Go back to your doctor. He/she should be a psychiatrist and help you with therapy as well as medication. It is obviously not working properly for you. This is not something you can overcome w/o medical help and any doctor that gave you medication w/o also requiring weekly therapy should not be practicing. Good luck to you.

Answer 11

Are you seeing a counselor and talking about how to handle your thoughts? If not, I suggest you get to one very soon. To be on meds and not be in counseling is just insane (on the part of the person who put you on those meds).

You need to begin to control your thoughts, by saying to yourself that these thoughts you have are not rational, that you are ok, that you are not dying. You need to keep talking to yourself like that and understand that these thoughts are not rational.

Your counselor needs to talk to you about what triggered these thoughts, what was happening, what people were present, etc. This is important to find our the root of this issue, that is how you solve the problem. It is not solved by popping a couple of pills. So, take control of your well-being and find a good counselor to help you. Remember, you do have control over you thoughts.

I also suggest you foster a good relationship with God, if you don't already have one. The Bible is very good about talking about controlling our thoughts to keep us happy and healthy.