Anxiety?

[Saydrah]

I know a lot of other folks here have trouble with anxiety, and I need a little advice. I have my ways and methods of combating generalized anxiety, but there is one thing I just can't handle well. All of my rituals and routines that help me handle a general sense of foreboding that besets me at times don't seem to have an impact on one particular thing:

When I am about to open a letter, email, graded paper, make a phone call, or basically am anticipating anything that could potentially be bad news or involve someone being angry with me, I become light headed and my heart rate accelerates- basically a fight or flight response, before there is anything to fight about or flee from. I usually use counterconditioning with positive messages (telling myself, "It's fine, this will be an 'A' grade. If it is not an 'A' grade, then it does not mean I am stupid. It means I am a smart person who needs to work harder to grasp this material.")

Right now there is an email in my inbox that is from someone who is angry (rightly so, as I told him off thoroughly and deserverdly) with me. The details aren't important, but it is important that I do need to respond to him and find a way to work with him for the benefit of animals involved in the situation. I have no prior personal relationship with this fellow, and I don't like him.

How do I open this without having heart palpitations and shortness of breath? :cry:

[Evil Queen]

Tell yourself it's an apology letter? I write those pretty often... usually to moderators... :whistle:

[Saydrah]

You are psychic, EQ! It WAS an apology letter!

[BookstoreEscapee]

So, next time you should remember this and tell yourself that things aren't always as bad as you think they'll be. :D

[edible_hat]

More generally, here's what worked for my anxiety problems:

-I was on Zoloft for 6 months, a very small dose (even then the withdrawl when I stopped taking it was hell, beware of that if you are on meds or go on them in the future)
-That took the edge of the symptoms, so they were still there but at a bearable level. I found some breathing techniques that immediately (well within 5 minutes) work.
-After practicing that, I got off the meds and now I can beat the full-on symptoms quite easily.

As for preventing attacks in the first place:
-regular meditation helps settle your mind.
-get regular exercise (the endorphins your brain releases during exercise are great for lifting your general mood)
-eat seafood (the oils help your brain somehow)
-One major epiphany I had was when a close friend was joking around about it, and said "It's mind over matter, if you don't mind it doesn't matter" - with anxiety disorders that's actually true, a lot of attacks are brought on by worrying that you'll have an attack.

Also read the book "Power Over Panic" by Bronwyn Fox (I think - my copy got lost when I moved house).

And try to figure out the underlying cause of the anxiety - it's usually low self esteem, in my case bad parenting lead me to believe I didn't deserve anything good that happened.

[blas]

Controlled breathing works great. I don't have that much stress anymore, and I still practice it. Deep breaths trained me to naturally relax in stressfull situations.

[LewisLegion]

I wish I could help. I suffer from odd anxiety/panic attacks if I'm off my thyroid medication for too long, usually as I'm trying to fall asleep. I'll get the feeling someone is in the room with me and keep jolting awake, or suddenly feel like I'm falling. But as I'm only semi-conscious at most when these happen I have no techniques to 'talk myself' calm again...my only cure is to get back on the proper dose of medication.

Good luck sweetie. :)