Tips for easing anxiety?!
Question: and to prevent panick attacks when you feel them coming??
Answers: and to prevent panick attacks when you feel them coming??
If you're experiencing anxiety, you're not alone. In fact, the Anxiety Disorders Association of America says that anxiety is now the most commonly diagnosed mental illness in the country (Stukin, 2003). There are many reasons to feel anxious these days: the economy, unemployment, and global tensions are just a few.
Breath work is an effective alternative technique that can be used whether you are taking anti-anxiety medications or not. Most of us already know -- even if we don't realize it -- the importance of breathing when we feel anxious. We often advise a friend who's upset to stop for a moment and "take a couple of deep breaths."
One of the most interesting things about breathing is its dual nature: it's something that happens automatically, but at the same time, it's something that one can control. It is both helpful and useful to pay attention to your breath and how you breathe. Start slowly and simply. You don't want to increase your anxiety by worrying if you're doing a breath work exercise properly!
I find it helpful to take a time out before doing any breath work; I've found that if I "discharge" some of my anxious physical energy it's easier for me to focus on my breath. I've tried the following techniques:
Go to your bedroom and close the door. Pile a couple of pillows on the edge of the bed and then pound the pillows with your fists. You might want to yell while doing this, but only if yelling won't disturb or upset anyone else.
Do some jumping jacks, jump rope, or march in place for a few minutes.
Dance to music. NOTE: This works best when no one else is around. You can turn up the music a bit and you don't have to worry about what you might look like while dancing around your living room!
Scrub your bathtub and/or your kitchen floor. (This technique provides the added benefit of getting some housework done!)
Go for a walk around the block.
All of these activities will help release muscular tension; they also tend to lead naturally to deeper breathing - you need oxygen to do these things, and your breathing will deepen to draw in more oxygen.
Now you're ready to try some breath work. Here's a good place to start:
Find a place where it's quiet.
Sit in a straight back chair with both feet on the floor, hands on your thighs. Or lie down on the floor on your back with arms by your side, palms up, and your legs slightly separated and relaxed. Relax your jaw and gently close your eyes.
Take a couple of deep breaths. Sigh as you exhale. You might want to stretch your arms a couple of times as you inhale and exhale. Listen to the sound of your breath as you inhale and exhale. Notice your abdomen rising and falling as you breathe in and out.
Begin by doing this for a couple of minutes. Then gradually increase by adding a couple of minutes. No rush.
This practice is something you can do from time to time during the day, even while you're at work or standing in line at the bank. Pause for a moment, close your eyes, and listen to the sound of your breath.
What happens? Maybe you'll notice that you were holding your breath and you hadn't noticed that before. Maybe you'll notice, as you're listening to your breath and feeling your abdomen rising and falling, that your breath is gradually slowing down and deepening.
There's no need to push yourself or judge yourself. The idea is simply to be quiet and notice how you're breathing at that moment.
Deep breathing, acknowledging what is causing the panic attack and averting your attention away from the trigger (what causes it in the first place).
You're lucky to be able to sense one coming on, that's the first thing to being able to control them, not letting them control you.
Medicinal things could be xanax at a very low dosage if the panic attack extends over or for a long period of time.
Progressive muscle relaxation, done regularly, is a great way to calm and center yourself. Google it - there are a lot of great how-to sites. It's easy - you just tense up each of your individual muscle groups, one at a time, and hold the tension for a few seconds. You'll be amazed at how great and relaxed you feel afterwards!
BREATHE ! TAKE YOUR MEDS ! GO FOR A LONG WALK , LONG BATH . SING REALLY LOUD!!! PRAY ALOT!!!
Exercise is the best thing you can do.
sometimes if you name objects around you, that helps.
See a therapist.
See a doc for medication.
Practice meditation.
Join a support group.
Try the following exercise, perhaps saying the words slowly into a tape recorder, then closing your eyes and allowing your recorded voice to direct you.
Tell yourself to breathe slowly and deeply, tell yourself that this feeling is not going to harm you in any way, empty your mind. Fill it with blue sky and calm white clouds. Enjoy the peace and beauty. Now let the panic enter slowly invited on your terms. Let it enter the safe space you have created for it. Note its color, texture, size ... give it a name. Ask it whatever questions might come to mind. Listen carefully to the answers. Breathe deeply and slowly. Let the panic leave as gently as the sky and clouds have gone. enjoy the quiet of an empty mind. When you are ready, come back to the present relaxed and free.
im one to talk but try cut out coffee if you drink it. try take like a break, a sort of time out a break or you could talk to a proffesional if you feel that the anxiety is affecting your everyday life.
I have struggled with panic attacks for almost four years now and am now taking an anti depressant, Lexapro, which is also used for generalized anxiety disorder. Usually when I feel the panic attacks coming on, I try to tell myself this isn't even real, that I can control this and it's all in my head, outside air, sitting in front of a fan, breathing techniques, cold washcloth on the face and neck. Also to try and help prevent them, I try to avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. My are beginning to come under control, because I have dealt with them head on and am sick of being a prisoner in my own body! Medicine really does help but just be careful on what they give you because Klonopins made me feel and act a little crazy...another reason why I say don't use alcohol with these meds. But, the main way to me on handling the attacks is knowing that your not the only one that deals with it and you will not die from them, just feel like it sometimes. Hope I helped some.
I used to get panic attacks while driving, so I learned to spot them coming, and I'd pull over somewhere safe and quiet, and breathe for at least 5 minutes, very deeply into my stomach and with eyes closed.
Have you tried kava supplements? It's a Polynesian herb that people used to make into a drink, but now they sell it in capsules. You don't want to take it constantly because it can affect your liver in large doses, but one capsule a day can take the edge off for me, kind of like having a beer. Most health food stores have it.
These are some helps for permanent cure
Yoga, meditation, Pilate
Breathing exercises
Tapping technique and EFT
Affirmations and Self Hypnosis or Self Talk.
Reading good books like