I have pretty extreme anxiety, both generalized and social. Sometimes I am also very rigid and it makes me feel autistic or something. Anyway, I can't seem to calm down enough to function throughout the day. I have to give a presentation in a few days and experiencing extreme dread and panic. So, I ultimately have been reaching for my Xanax to to the edge off and be semi-functional. I am so depressed and disappointed that I must rely on these meds to get through simple tasks and the day in general. I am also having difficulty finding a dynamic counselor who can help undo the tangled mess in my head
Don't feel bad for using benzo's. But if you can try other strands to help combat anxiety I would suggest that you do and just have benzos for the really bad moments I have used benzos to get through difficult times - they have been really useful and the only med that really helps me. Other meds have improved background anxiety or GAD - have you tried any of these? And there are various therapies that can help you train your mind to manage stress and anxiety. Have you tried any of these or are you still searching for your first therapist? (*hug*)
Here's a few things to consider when you're having an anxiety attack. Drink warm-slightly hot water Loosen up e.g Skipping Deep breathes If its a clear sky stare into the sky ( The colour Blue is calming ) I've always thought about taking medication but, I don't want to rely on it.. Although I have took these pills a few times called Kalm, its made from plant extracts. If you want to talk about you're problems you can PM me I think the best way to solve it, is to share and break it down, to get to the source of you're anxiety.
Hmm... dealing with anxiety is hard. medications alone won't help entirely. There are different kinds of therapies and exercises you can do to reduce the symptoms. Depending on what type of anxiety you have there are plenty of resources out there that explain these types of therapies and exercises: and while you wont master it in a day (Most take practice) It could be helpful and take the edge off for your presentation. here are some techniques I know of: "Mindfulness" is a great way to tackle a lot of problems, anxiety being one of them. The basic concept is to live in the moment, or stay in the here and now. Before your presentation try focusing on everything in the room that's going on around you. observe colors, shapes, textures (if you can), smells- anything that will keep you in the present. The idea is to deter yourself away from your anxious feelings and thoughts. and keep you focused and in the moment. Here's a link that will better explain different mindfulness techniques: Mindfulness | Psychology Today "Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)" is another technique that might apply to you. Basically with CBT, assuming your anxiety is coming from your thoughts (which is true with most cases), is a way of identifying what you are feeling and connecting that feeling to a thought. Once you realize what thought is causing your discomfort you can then attempt to dispute your thought with questions like, "Should this really make me anxious?", "Is what I'm worrying about relevant to the situation?" and other questions like that. The idea here is to change the way you're thinking or the way you see something so that it might change your mood or at least improve it. Here is a link of the different and common types of thinking errors that CBT works with: http://iveronicawalsh.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/cbtafg_commonthinkingerrorstask.pdf Lastly, here are some others that might be of help that have been proven to work: 9 Ways to Reduce Anxiety Right Here, Right Now | Psych Central Hope that helps. Good luck on your presentation.
