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Anxiety! ...I think
StrifeRaZoR
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Heyo H/A!
I've got a slight issue I'd like some advice on. I believe I am having anxiety attacks. It all started about 4 months ago. I noticed that my right foot was swollen pretty badly, but there was no pain. I was a bit confused by this. I could press my fingers into the skin and leave small "dips" lasting for a few moments. I did a bit of research on this and found out it was due to water retention and lack of exercise/blood circulation. Of course, the curiosity in me got the better of my searching as I continued looking into the causes and possible issues this might have. The one that struck me hardest is heart disease. My family has a history of heart problems, and my current health isn't doing anything to deter me from suffering the same fate as my grandparents (Who both suffered multiple heart attacks).
A bit of background about me and my health.
A quick side note: Before moving back to TX, a friend of mine (Who has anxiety problems) gave me a few anxiety pills to try. I believe the only pill I've taken on a regular basis is garlic oil supplements, so pills aren't something I'm very prone to using at all. I can't quite remember what the medicine was, but it was a small white pill with a notch on it. He told me to take 1 if I felt an anxiety attack (Which I'm not even sure that's what it was) coming on, and to take 2 if the anxiety hit me too fast to react. Well, just the thought that I may have anxiety issues kinda made me freak out...and well...have an anxiety attack. Funny how that works. I took 2 of the little pills he gave me and I can honestly say they worked...but not in the fashion that I was expecting. I basically went from 'holy crap I might die of a heart attack before 30' to 'to hell with everything, I don't care'. It was a drastic change and it scared me, but the pills didn't allow me to react.
So in conclusion: What can I do that doesn't involve pills to help me combat the panic and anxiety I feel when my brain convinces me that I could have a multitude of problems I read about on the super trustworthy internet? I will be seeing a doctor at some point in the future, but lack of funds are holding me back. Do any of you have any tips or methods to help me stop myself from freaking out? If I sleep on my arm wrong and wake up with a slight pain, my brain instantly goes into 'omg heart attack' mode and then I convince myself that I'm about to have one, which in turn makes me flip out.
PS. Yes, I know, doctor. I have to see one soon. I'm long overdue. I'd just like some personal advice on how to handle this in the interim, as this is something I've never dealt with before.
I've got a slight issue I'd like some advice on. I believe I am having anxiety attacks. It all started about 4 months ago. I noticed that my right foot was swollen pretty badly, but there was no pain. I was a bit confused by this. I could press my fingers into the skin and leave small "dips" lasting for a few moments. I did a bit of research on this and found out it was due to water retention and lack of exercise/blood circulation. Of course, the curiosity in me got the better of my searching as I continued looking into the causes and possible issues this might have. The one that struck me hardest is heart disease. My family has a history of heart problems, and my current health isn't doing anything to deter me from suffering the same fate as my grandparents (Who both suffered multiple heart attacks).
A bit of background about me and my health.
Until recently I have been fairly inactive and a bit sluggish. I've changed my diet (slightly) and the swelling has gone away completely for quite a while. I drink alcohol at least 2-3 times per week (something I should really work on cutting back, if not just for it killing my social life). I smoke. Although, I should state that after the shock of reading up on heart issues that I could suffer, my smoking habits have cut back drastically. I go through maybe a pack every week. I know, smoking in general is basically a death sentence, and I am slowly cutting it out of my life (Which I look forward to and welcome greatly). As for exercise, I'm not the most motivated person on the planet, that's for sure. I'm attempting to get a solid routine going where I do at least SOME exercise during the week. I do not have a job right now (Recently moved back to TX from SC) and most of my time is spent gaming at the PC. I can't remember the last time I visited a doctor (Which will definitely be the end result to this issue that I'm having, I understand).
A quick side note: Before moving back to TX, a friend of mine (Who has anxiety problems) gave me a few anxiety pills to try. I believe the only pill I've taken on a regular basis is garlic oil supplements, so pills aren't something I'm very prone to using at all. I can't quite remember what the medicine was, but it was a small white pill with a notch on it. He told me to take 1 if I felt an anxiety attack (Which I'm not even sure that's what it was) coming on, and to take 2 if the anxiety hit me too fast to react. Well, just the thought that I may have anxiety issues kinda made me freak out...and well...have an anxiety attack. Funny how that works. I took 2 of the little pills he gave me and I can honestly say they worked...but not in the fashion that I was expecting. I basically went from 'holy crap I might die of a heart attack before 30' to 'to hell with everything, I don't care'. It was a drastic change and it scared me, but the pills didn't allow me to react.
So in conclusion: What can I do that doesn't involve pills to help me combat the panic and anxiety I feel when my brain convinces me that I could have a multitude of problems I read about on the super trustworthy internet? I will be seeing a doctor at some point in the future, but lack of funds are holding me back. Do any of you have any tips or methods to help me stop myself from freaking out? If I sleep on my arm wrong and wake up with a slight pain, my brain instantly goes into 'omg heart attack' mode and then I convince myself that I'm about to have one, which in turn makes me flip out.
PS. Yes, I know, doctor. I have to see one soon. I'm long overdue. I'd just like some personal advice on how to handle this in the interim, as this is something I've never dealt with before.
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... This was me exactly (like, literally that problem). It might take some time, but if you focus on taking care of yourself, these feelings will go away. Maybe get a physical, though, and tell your doctor you're worried about heart attacks in particular: Getting a clean bill of health definitely helped me.
Anyway, some tips:
- Stop smoking. I know, I know, but as an occasional smoker, I can tell you that there is a noticeable uptick in my anxiety whenever I have more than one cigarette a day. (For me, I'll go weeks and weeks without any, get a pack with friends when I'm out one night, and then chip away at the extras for the next few days.) It sucks, but eliminating the cigs will probably do wonders for you: not just because of the literal benefits, but mentally, as well.
- Yeah, exercise. Also the no-brainer everyone recommends. My doctor suggests really hard workouts--you should feel completely drained (in a good way) once you're done. Of course, do what you can depending on your fitness level. I've found that exercise really does help, though.
- Try Melissa supplements and Omega-3 fish oil tablets. These ones are a little shakier as far as I'm concerned, at least in terms of immediate benefits, but my doctor recommended them as a way to help with anxiety. They're also pretty cheap. Here are the Melissa supplements: http://www.vitacost.com/natures-way-melissa-leaves
- Try breathing exercises. Again, dedicating myself to this on a consistent basis wasn't really my style, but my doctor swears by it. Download Respire-1 from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Respire-1/dp/B001OCE04A/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354886330&sr=301-1), listen to the introduction to get started, and then do the 25-minute "Bells" meditation one or two times a day. I hated the vocal instructive sequence and will say if you're not in a calm state of mind when you sit down to do it that it can elicit its own form of panic.
- Look into cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). I haven't tried it myself, but if you're wary of spending too much on traditional therapy, this style of treatment is intended to get results quickly, is my understanding.
I may drop in here again if I think of more tips throughout the day. Panic and anxiety are terrible, but they're very treatable. I went from being a total headcase (basically) to feeling 100% "normal" most of the time. The fact that you're thinking about finding ways to tackle them is a good sign!
And I agree 100%. A clean bill of health would probably take a massive load off of my mind so I can rest easy.
Otherwise, everything Zeromus said seems to apply pretty well to me. Good health! Start exercising, and lose the smoking, which it sounds like you're doing already. I knew someone who controlled their anxiety entirely through running. Granted, they were running something like 70 or 80 miles a week, but it seemed to work.
My anxiety issues are social anxiety, so it's a little different from yours, but here's what I've done so far (mostly the same stuff everyone else recommended):
- Exercise. In my case, weight lifting. Relieves stress better than just about everything else I've done. I started this on my own.
- Walking. This is different from exercising for me. You just walk for 30+ minutes, and try to think about nothing but your surroundings. I started walking because my psychiatrist recommended it.
- Breathing. This is something you have to work on pre-panic attack. Yet again, my psychiatrist recommended it. They just said "breath in for 4 seconds, hold it for one, breath out for 6".
- Medication. Celexa in my case. It's 4 dollars for a month supply, because there's generics. You don't even necessarily have to see a psychiatrist for this. Family doctors, even possibly walk-in clinics in some cases can prescribe them. Granted, psychiatrists will generally have better knowledge of what will work for you, know how to ease you onto it, and can help minimize side-effects.
I only took the 2, and that was about 5 months ago when I first started having this issue. Never again. Didn't like what it did to me. Probably going to try to avoid a therapist for now, but a doctor is definitely in the works. This is new to me, so a personal opinion would definitely help take the weight off my mind.
This is not appropriate grounds on which to write off medication as a whole if you are having serious panic attacks, and you won't do therapy either?
Do yourself a favor and don't base your future decisions on the fact that you decided to take medical advice that would affect your biochemistry from a friend who should probably be in jail right now if he is giving away prescribed medication.
I didn't say I was not going to try therapy. I said that I would see a doctor first, for a personal opinion. If therapy is recommended, then I shall seek therapy. If medication is recommended, then I shall take the medication suggested by a doctor. I did not write either of those scenarios off, and I agree that taking medication from a friend was not the best idea. It's hard to make a clear decision when you feel as though you're about to suffer a massive heart attack.
Thank you all, though, for the personal advice. I've heard many good things about weight lifting to reduce stress, which is something I can easily build up over a short time. As someone who has never been prescribed a medicine other than an antibiotic in their entire lives, how do anti-depressants and anxiety medicine usually effect people? I'm not a huge fan of medicine, but if it's going to make my life easier, then I'll take what's needed.
I'm on Lexapro and have also been prescribed Ativan for panic attacks (I've only had to use the latter on a couple of extreme occasions). When I started the Lexapro, I had to grapple with headaches, which I'm told is typical, but they eventually went away. Otherwise, I have more vivid dreams than before (which I've also heard is typical), but don't have any other negative side effects. Your mileage may vary. Some people have dulled sexual sensation, for example, but I haven't experienced that personally.
So: Anti-depressants and anxiety usually affect people by making them better, is what I would say. Still, it's important to look into other "treatments" (like my above recommendations) so that you have as healthy a lifestyle as possible.
I agree that it's a good idea to see a doctor if you haven't in a while, but I'm not sure what kind of personal opinion you're looking for.
Thanks a ton guys.
PS. Slight update on my recent 'anxiety' attack the other day. Stomach virus. It's gone, and I feel great, and I'm no longer freaking out over a fake heart attack. I took a walk after chugging some pepto bismol and felt fantastic.
I take a quarter of one xanax pill for my anxiety. Anxiety medication is super strong.