nitusharma: Bad anxiety - The Student Room

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Bad anxiety - The Student Room

I started getting this about a year ago and while it has pretty much subsided now aside from the odd 'attack' (touch wood), I know just how intense and intrusive the feeling is.

There are a few techniques which may help:

Breathing helps a lot and is completely underrated. Whenever you feel anxiety or panic coming on, hold your breath for 10 seconds (count Mississippi; this also helps detract your mind from the panic). Then breathe out for 3 seconds. Hold for 2 seconds. Breathe in for 3 seconds. Hold for 2 seconds. Repeat this 10 - 15 times or until you feel calm. I promise you, it's really helpful and you can do it in public places without drawing attention to yourself.

Always eat (a healthy and fulfilling) breakfast and get enough sleep. A body low on energy is a body low on defence. You're much more likely to be plagued by an anxiety attack if your body is weaker than usual.

Don't avoid situations that make you feel panicky or anxious. This is the absolute worst thing you can do. Sort of using the same logic as a vaccination to build up an immunity to potential threats; facing situations you would usually avoid for fear of them bringing on panic will mean your mind and body learn to stop associating these situations with the 'panic mechanism'.

Ensuring you take time to relax each day doing something you enjoy helps too.

Also, try and be as social as possible. Or at least, try and talk to someone close to you, or someone you trust, even if on the phone, everyday. Having friends makes your body something like 60% stronger.

Try avoiding loads of sugar and energy things aswell. Small amounts are fine, and caffeine can be good for keeping you alert, but don't overdo it. Crashing will make a panic attack more likely.

Lastly, don't turn to drugs or alcohol to help yourself calm down ! Even prescription things are unnecessary. So many of our body complaints are linked to simple things such as diet and so strive to be as healthy and well rested as possible. Engage in social activities, take regular exercise, face things that freak you out - whether that's being in a busy area, taking the tube, speaking in front of large audiences - all of this helps a lot.

If you ever want someone to speak to that knows how you feel then PM me anytime. I hope you feel better soon