All what Dana Dane's Fantasy said is really good advice that I use all the time. The deep breathing really helps a lot. Also steer clear of caffine and things with lots of sugar as much as you can. I've been taking Omega-3 fatty acid pills (I forget the name) which are all natural and it's found in fish and known to reduce anxiety and it's helped a lot. I take two a day one with breakfast and one with dinner.
The meds I lean both ways with. While I didn't like the idea of taking them the zoloft really worked for me with little to no side effects (biggest one is I had bad cotton mouth for like the first month of taking them.) After 3 years I decided to slowly stop them and I'd say my anxiety is about what it was when I took them which is a lot less then before I took them. Xanax isn't something I take everyday. I can sometimes take 3-4 on a week where I'm having bad anxiety and then sometimes go 2-3 months without taking any, it all depends.
While anxiety and panic attacks are a chemical imbalance that does happen in your brain I think it's 50% a disorder and 50% as people without it would say "it's all in your head." I say this because while we can't control when and if it happens when it does happen you wrap yourself in it with the out there thoughts and thinking "do I feel alright right now" type of thoughts. What might have just been a mild panic attack if you did deep breathing and distracted yourself turns into a full blown one because you get carried away with your thoughts/worries.
Also, another huge thing that helps a lot is prob. the easiest thing to do for it but the one people do the least...walk. Getting fresh air and walking for 20-30 minutes a day burns off the excess adrenaline that builds up in people who have anxiety problems.
Boredom can be a big trigger too because then you have time to think "how do I feel right now",etc,etc. So find something to do with your free time.
One last thing I then I have to be off to work. If you have a panic attack doing a certain thing (IE; driving, riding the bus, in a elevator) do not avoid doing those things from fear of having another one. It will only make it worse and you will eventually avoid doing those things at all costs. I've seen it happen to people.
The meds I lean both ways with. While I didn't like the idea of taking them the zoloft really worked for me with little to no side effects (biggest one is I had bad cotton mouth for like the first month of taking them.) After 3 years I decided to slowly stop them and I'd say my anxiety is about what it was when I took them which is a lot less then before I took them. Xanax isn't something I take everyday. I can sometimes take 3-4 on a week where I'm having bad anxiety and then sometimes go 2-3 months without taking any, it all depends.
While anxiety and panic attacks are a chemical imbalance that does happen in your brain I think it's 50% a disorder and 50% as people without it would say "it's all in your head." I say this because while we can't control when and if it happens when it does happen you wrap yourself in it with the out there thoughts and thinking "do I feel alright right now" type of thoughts. What might have just been a mild panic attack if you did deep breathing and distracted yourself turns into a full blown one because you get carried away with your thoughts/worries.
Also, another huge thing that helps a lot is prob. the easiest thing to do for it but the one people do the least...walk. Getting fresh air and walking for 20-30 minutes a day burns off the excess adrenaline that builds up in people who have anxiety problems.
Boredom can be a big trigger too because then you have time to think "how do I feel right now",etc,etc. So find something to do with your free time.
One last thing I then I have to be off to work. If you have a panic attack doing a certain thing (IE; driving, riding the bus, in a elevator) do not avoid doing those things from fear of having another one. It will only make it worse and you will eventually avoid doing those things at all costs. I've seen it happen to people.
