[Amanda_1981]

Lately, I've been really really anxious and been having anxiety attacks (not full blown panic attacks, but just really bad intense moments of severe anxiety and nervousness). All day I feel jittery and antsy and the weird thing is, I don't even know WHY i'm anxious. It's like I'm worried about being anxious. I anticipate about 'what if my anxiety gets real bad again and I start having bad ocd thoughts again' or 'what if I have a panic attack'... and I just am anxious about being anxious if that makes any sense. I've had anxiety pretty much all my life and started having severe panic attacks when I was 17. (Am now 28). From the age of 22-25, I had severe agoraphobia and have pretty much fully recovered. I had been doing so well.. going back to school and work and was anxiety free for so long but lately I am just so nervous all the time and anxious. I really hate to go back on benzos to help relax me (mainly because I am immune to them and I get addicted to them easily), but I really don't want to keep suffering from all this severe anxiety. I have considered trying the bach rescue remedy technique, but I still don't know much about it. Maybe it's just this time of year and the fact that I recently weaned off two medications because I was doing so well. I really don't want to go back on them because they caused a lot of weight gain.

ugh. I hate having anxiety. Anyone else have times where their anxiety is really good and then out of the blue it gets real bad again?

[gimmeice]

(((((((((((( Amanda )))))))))))))))))))

I have gone through times like that too where it just seems to come out of nowhere after a period of the anxiety not being bad at all. The best thing you can do is try to do some things that relaxes you, I know that can be hard especially this time of year. If the problem persists you can always let your pdoc know and maybe they can give you something other than benzos to help with the anxiety.

My therapist gave me a card with these tips to help me cope with anxiety and panic:

1. Remember, feelings of panic are just exaggerations of normal bodily stress reactions.

2. Sensations are neither harmful nor dangerous - just unpleasant. Nothing worse will happen.

3. Anxiety is temporary. Instead of fighting it, relax into it. Just let it be*.

4. Focus on facing the fear rather than trying to avoid it or escape from it.

5. Stop adding to the panic with frightening thoughts of where panic will lead.

6. Stay in the present. Be aware of what is happening to you rather than concern yourself with how much worse it might get.

7. Notice that when you stop adding to panic with frightening thoughts, the fear begins to fade.

8. Wait and give the fear time to pass.

9. Look around you. Plan what you will do next as the panic subsides.

10. When you are ready to go on, do so in an easy, relaxed manner. There is no hurry.

11. Think about the progress made so far, despite all the difficulties.

* Breathe.

[jerrymichele]

It could be from going off your other meds. Maybe your just stressed today. I hope that you don't get bad anxiety again either. In my case I need the meds, and I take a ssri. Hope you feel better.

[Shoe]

I came across this article this morning in case anyone would like to read it ~ Shoe

http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/12...iety/9985.html