Is pretending that there is no anxiety attack the best way to deal with it?!


Question: Is pretending that there is no anxiety attack the best way to deal with it!?
im a 21 year old male and for the past year i had anxiety!. i got everything checked out so i know it has to be it!. My legs go weak to the point where i think they wont hold me anymore, i get nausea, and dizyness!. it can last for days or just a few hours!. i went to the psyc he gave me medecine lexapro which i refuse to take after reading all the horror stories with it!. my quesiton is pretending like i am not having an anxiety attack the best way do to deal with it!. Keep doing what im doing even though i feel like i am going to faint!?Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
First, lexapro is an antidepressant!. I have 2 daughters taking it, without any side effects!. As for anxiety, there are medications you can take to calm you down, but the main side effect of these are sleepiness!. I know, because I get severe anxiety attacks!. You can't pretend you're not anxious, but you can try breathing exercises to slow down your breathing, try taking a walk, and talk to yourself that you are not going to die, though sometimes it feels like you are, I get chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, and remember, no one has ever died from an anxiety attack!. If you can, go somewhere that can distract your thinking, watch TV, read a book, call a friend, and if you really need to, ask your doctor for an anti-anxiety medication!. I am on Klonopin 3X a day, the last dosage to help me sleep!. There is nothing wrong with taking meds, if you really need them!. If you can control your anxiety without meds, that's great!. I, also, take 2 different kinds of anti depressants without any side effects, so maybe you should at least give lexapro a try, it might make you feel better, I take Paxil, and it can be used for anxiety, also, and have absolutely no side effects!. Good luck, you're a young man, and I know how anxiety can hold people back from having fun and relationships and friends!. I hope things go better for you!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

lexapro works great!. Perhaps an "instant relief" drug like a xanax may help!. Buspar is also help, it's an anxiety drug that takes a couple weeks to kick in like antidepressants!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

Personally I've learned that focusing on my breathing, and taking calming deep breaths help me with my panic attacks, I don't think ignoring them will help them any!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

Pretending!.!.!. yes in a way!. Let me explain:

I have suffered with anxiety for many years, was on the medications <Xanax, Valum, ect> and got addicted to them!. I had to find a way to deal with the "attacks" on my own, Dr's really don't understand HOW you feel during an attack!. So, I devised a method of "transporting" myself out of an attack, but it works best if you KNOW when an attack is going to hit you!. Think Outside The Box! Don't focus on yourself or allow fear to invade you, after all!.!.!.NO ONE had died from a panic attack! <suicide is a different issue>
I used to carry a small rock from the ocean in my pocket and would rub it and think about when I picked it up at the beach!.!.!.!. you need to find something that will assist your mind in "wondering away" from the anxiety and the symptoms!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

I think you already know the answer!. Pretending it's not there doesn't work!.!.!.or wouldn't you have been doing that all along!?

Here's what I think!.!.!.!.

You have to accept the anxiety, remind yourself it is only a feeling and it will pass!. Validate it to yourself instead of trying to deny it!.!.!.put words on it in your mind, such as "I am feeling anxious, my legs feel weak"!.

Learn some relaxation techniques, especially deep controlled breathing!. The breathing technique that I've found most useful is to breathe in through your nose to the count of 6, hold for 4, exhale slowly through your mouth to the count of 8 (I think people tend to forget to control the exhale a lot of the time)!. Doing this when the anxiety is really intense and causing physical distress actually sends the message to your brain (which controls everything we feel, think, and do) that everything is OK!.!.!.when the anxiety reaches that level, it is your brain kicking into "fight or flight" mode!.!.!.which is something biologically built in that allows us to survive in the world!. Useful if, say, you stumble upon a bear in the woods!.!.!.not so useful when you are just trying to go about your day!. So, if you calm yourself down and really concentrate on breathing, you can calm the fight or flight response (at least to some extent) which should help the physiological symptoms (nausea, dizziness, weakness) subside!. When your brain gets the message that everything is OK, it signals the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the anxiety attack) to chill out because there is no immenent danger!.

It would also be beneficial to make sure you are getting regular exercise!.!.!.perhaps something like pilates, yoga, tai chi, chi kung!.!.!.things that really focus on bringing your mind and body into harmony!.

As for continuing to do what you are doing even though you feel like fainting!.!.!.it kind of depends on the situation!. If it is something like driving, then pull over!.!.!.whatever it is!.!.!.once it is safe to do so!.!.!.work on helping yourself calm down!.

Another technique that might help is progressive relaxation!. There are different ways to do this, but an example is to start with tense and relax (on an exhale) your forhead, then your eyes, then your mouth, your neck, shoulders, etc!.!.!.!.it can be surprising how much tension we hold in our bodies!. Another idea is to close your eyes and imagine a safe, comforting place!. Try to visualize the details!.!.!.!.you can make it whatever you want it to be!.

And one last thing!.!.!.Lexapro isn't a horrible medication and it really could help with this if it continues to be a problem!. It is an SSRI antidepressant!.!.!.a class of meds often used to treat anxiety disorders as well!.
However, I completely respect the desire to avoid meds!. Personally, I have bipolar disorder and must take meds!.!.!.!.I've been on many of them, including Lexapro!.!.!.which didn't have any horrible side effects for me!. You have to take other people's stories as just that!.!.!.the individal's experience!. It does not mean you too will have the good or bad experience they describe!. I see it on here all the time, people saying XXXXX is horrible, never take it, blah blah blah!. What they probably should be saying is "I would never take XXXXX again because for me it was horrible!."Www@Answer-Health@Com

My therapist told me to let them happen!. I know that I'm not going to die from them, it will past!. I have panic attacks!. I've had less attacks since I've been meeting with my therapist every week!. Maybe you should seek therapy it might help!. All meds gave me terrible side effect!. It was best for me to take none!. I didn't want to feel like a zombie or like half of my brain was chopped off, which I felt!. What helps me with anxiety is a cold a/c blown in my face!. I then breathe in and out!. That helps me!. Good Luck :)Www@Answer-Health@Com





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