Anxiety and Panic attacks

LegacyUser

I've been going through anxiety and having panic attacks for almost a year. I'm too embarrased to go to the doctor about it yet. I'm just beginning to accept that I have an anxiety disorder. It's horrible, I hate having the feeling of anxiety for no reason, panic attacks come with heart palpitations (have had it checked & been given the ok) I'm just fed up with going through with this.
Does anyone have any tips/links to videos for calming techniques or anything that would be helpful in over coming this?

spence101

From my experience anxiety disorders I would say that video calming techniques may not be the solution just yet. It may have an adverse effect if the techniques aren't supervised at first by a professional, it may lead to you stressing even further and maybe inducing a panic attack.

It is very common to feel embarrassed by an anxiety disorder, but let me assure you, it is extremely common from people aged 16 to 60 odd.

But I understand that you may feel embarrassed;
you don't have control over these panic attacks which in turn leads to further anxiety and complete lack of social confidence.
you feel that people may judge you or treat you differently because of the stigma attached to mental health issues. I have to tell you, we all face our own demons in our lives, its very rare that at some point in your life you wont face a mental health issue. I myself have struggled with depression and social anxiety and have been embarrassed, I sought help from the counciller at college if that is an option for you.

My best friend went through something very similar to what you described from the age of 16 and he is now 23, he was embarrassed and refused to believe that he had an anxiety disorder and had every heart test under the sun because he hoped it was a physical problem. He has been getting cognitive behavioural therapy for the past few months and has been very confident and, touch wood, hasnt had a panic attack since. It turned out the reason for his heart palpatations were that he was sick as a baby and its just an innate survival mechinizm.

My best advice would be to go to your gp, I know its not what you want to hear but this could be your chance to take control and take a positive step forward.

Unfortunately anxiety disorders wont just go away without assistance, but conversely, anxiety disorders have a fantastic recovery success when treated with the correct therapy.

Hope this helps you in someway, anything else on your mind that you may be having doubts about or nervous about I might be able to voice an opinion on them.

Lone Stone

this is my tip for anxiety disorder i myself have it , have it for years use to stop doing a lot of things but generally i bet your more anxious about having a anxiety attack or having one around people.

Well basicly once i copped on to the fact that no one notices if i am having one or care's whats going on inside my head at the time because they are busy with their own life or what ever I started to think oh this isnt so bad i dont freak out so much because its really not as bad as it feels im not going to die, i may throw up some where but no one will see because i always go to the bathroom to calm down, I still stuff my pockets with tissue if im going some where incase i have a panic attack i use to get very nauseous.

They dont last as long as they feel, no one ever notices when you have one and i use to have them very severly, so i mean no one can stop them for you, all i can say is you have to learn to live with them and then one day they just wont feel like such a life stopping issue.

i made a short film about it actually its called tissue pockets its on youtube