Originally Posted by
Smophy
I am considering getting help, for this and other things. I just need some.....trick. Just to get me through the next week or two until i see someone. I wish there was just some magic wand that i could wave and for it all to go away. I want to socialise, i want to feel comfortable. I try to control my breathing when i get panicked anyway, if i didn't i think i would just collapse. Know any specific excercises that i could try?
ah, ok... thereofre we are in the same possition lol
square breathing is meant to be good. ie. breath in to 3, hold for 3, breath out for 3, hold for 3, repeat. It not only assures that your not hyperventelating but it's something to focus on.
also, try not to fight the symptoms, all that will do is make you tense and the whole thing worse... I know this sounds silly, as all you want to do when feeling anxious/having a panick attack iss make it go away... but fighting it/worrying about it will only make iit worse...
you could also try making an "axiety diary", I got made to do this by my old councillor... basically the first page has a list of "triggers" each one maked from 0-10 depending upon how sever the anxiety of them is (i.e. being alone - 8, going on a crowded bus alone - 10, etc...) the next page is for "safety behaviour" (like hiding, running away, avoiding eye contact...) the next one of "unpleasent symptoms" (e.g. shortness of breath, restlessness, disconnection with the world, etc.)
and the next 2 are a list of "common anxious thoughs" (like "going to faint", "something bad's coming", "need to escape", "going to embarass myself, etc) and the last is of "rationalising the thoughts" so for each of the anxious thoughts you write out a rational sort of counter... sort of like how it's unlikely to happen, or how in the same siturations before everything's been fine or whatewver...
the rest of it then becomes like a journal or diary.
not only can this be helpful (as writting often seems to be) but having the rational thoughts written out can be indispensable at times... also it's a useful tool to show the docotr/psych once you do go for help
talking seems to help too... sort of like once you've said it outloaud the thing doesn't seem as big... can't expalin...
then there is the scary one... apparently if you force yourself to do the things that make you anxious (rather than avoiding them as we want to do) then you sort of "Prove to yourself" that there is nothing to fear...
