[BalishBun]

I'm sure this type of thing has been posted before, but lets do it again. Post your insight of how you deal with your own anxiety attacks...... I remember someone had a really good one that had to do with holding your nostril and breathing alternating nostrils; I can't remember exactly how it went, but just concentrating on doing that excersize helped me a lot.

[Cyran0]

Mine is really basic since I don't have full blown panic attacks (I just have lots of anxiety all the time, weee!).

I close my eyes and breathe deeply in through my nose and out (slowly) through my mouth. I try to focus on my heartbeat and imagine it slowing to a soothing/calm rhythem. Finally I try to feel my muscles relaxing.

All that usually takes about 30 seconds.

It doesn't work that well but it's something.

Cyran0

[Perna]

I work on grounding myself, looking at what is "actually" taking place around me, how life is going on normally. I feel furniture fabrics, go outside and hug trees :-) and watch cars pass in the street, try to get all of my senses working in the here and now.

[misty324]

Breathing exercises have worked well for me. The breathing technique BalishBun mentioned is a great one. It's a form of yoga breathing. If you Google "alternate nostril breathing" you can find out more about it.

Diaphragmatic breathing is another great technique that is very calming.

I was in group therapy about 13 years ago and something they taught us was to wear a rubber band around your wrist (not tight, just like a bangle bracelet). When you feel an attack coming on, snap the band, not so it hurts but so you can feel a little sting. Sometimes you can trick your mind into focusing on that sting rather than the anxiety/panic.

[BalishBun]

the one i mentioned was a good one but i can't take credit, someone posted it on the board and it works really well i just cant remember who posted it

[jacq10]

In my mindfulness class, the instructor was getting us to focus on our breathing (which normally just makes me more anxious), but she said to pay attention to the "gap" in your breath. The transition point inbetween inhaling and exhaling. She said that it is at the gap where you are most at peace with yourself, and i found that SO much more calming. It didn't make my breathing seem so forced, and breathing was just an auxillary to the gap.

So now, if i'm anxious, i just look for that!

[Cyran0]

Jacq, I like that. Pay attention to the gaps. I'll have to try that.

Cyran0

[BalishBun]

Some people say taking a bottled water with them helps while driving, sometimes this works for me and sometimes not. But I found that if I take one of those huge florida oranges with me (peeled and ready of course) then if I start getting the panic feeling and pop a piece of orange into my mouth it helps, because its a sudden jolt of sweet citrus. Try it!

[Brian37]

Post deleted by _sabby_

[silver_moon]

like misty said.... breathing exercises are always great and yoga ones (yoga in general) i find a great help... it will take a few goes to get into but so does everything?

and doing yoga regularly has help calmed me down and made me more relaxed in general so it kind of helps prevent the attacks in a way i guess you could say... but yes, i would highly recommend yoga and breathing exercises... i close my eyes and take long deep breaths (short to start with till you calm down enough) and focus on the end of my nose, nothing else, try and think of your breath and the tip of our nose.. and believe me in time you can forget about the things around you when you do this

best wishes to you all
molly

[SerenitysWave]

Thanks for posting this thread, there are some great tips here... I will try the "gaps" and the orange slices...

Depending on the severity of the attack I am having... the sound of my husband's usually calms me.... just knowing taht I can get a hold of someone... I dont like to be alone when I having one esp. if its a hardcore one b/c I feel like I am dying... then its a trip to the hospital to make sure that isnt the case... stinks actually...

[BalishBun]

yes try the orange trick! I thought people were gonna think it was a little corny but guess not

[tsha]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
BalishBun said:
the one i mentioned was a good one but i can't take credit, someone posted it on the board and it works really well i just cant remember who posted it

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

It was probably me.... Its called alternate Nostril Breathing (in yoga it is referred to as Nadi Shodhana)

Start by sitting comfortably

Gently close your right nostril. Inhale through your left nostril, then gently close it. Open and exhale slowly through the right nostril.

Keep the right nostril open, inhale, then close it, and open and exhale slowly through the left. This is one cycle. Repeat 3 to 5 times, then return to normal breathing.

There is also Relaxation Breath:
Exhale fully

Inhale to a count of 4, hold for a count of 7 and exhale for a count of 8. If you feel ANY tension/anxiety holding your breath, just do it for as long as you can, but no longer than a count of 7.

Same for the exhale; if its too much to exhale to a count of 8, do as best you can. You may need to work up to this.

The idea is to work up to making your exhale longer than your inhale, in control. This will help calm you.

Also, while breathing anytime, notice where it is going. Is it just making it into your shoulders,? your chest? your belly? your lower abdomen?

Lie down comfortably, placing your hand on you abdomen, just below your navel. Breathe normally, but try to pull your breath down towards your hand. Rather than concentrating on inhaling, try to use your belly to pull the breath in.

Once you've done this a few times, put your other hand on your belly just below your ribs and pull your breath down below your navel and and up into your top hand just below your ribs.

Take both hands and place on both sides of your ribs; pull your breath in below your navel, up into your abdomen and then into your ribs. See if you can get your ribs to expand out to the sides. - comfortably!

Place your hands on your upper chest, pull your breath down into your navel, filling up your abdomen, ribs and then your upper chest.

Do this slowly and gently.

[Epiphany]

I just wanted to recommend a book called The Anxiety and Phobia workbook, got loads of great tips in there.

[jacq10]

Yeah actually i second that book... my T recommended I get it and there's all sorts of interesting information in it. It's not very expensive either...

[ceepei]

I have tried it all and it depends on how I feel at the time..mindfulness works great, yoga, excercise, vitamins especially vitamin c and a B Complex and relaxation music my favourite is the ocean sounds........but I stll get anxiety, oh I also do the Cognitive Therapy.....but I still get anxiety.

I just feel so helpless at times.....I guess I have alot of anxiety today..that's why I come here to read and I guess it makes me feel better because I am not alone

[BalishBun]

"tsha" Yes it was you! Glad you spoke up because I couldnt remember how do do it like you had posted. Thanks!

[CedarS]

A physical therapist gave me a great tip concerning anxiety which is to take a walk at a relaxed pace. This isn't something that will work for everyone but it was eye-opening for me personally. See, some of us don't do well with fast brisk exercise, it revs us up too much. We do best with relaxed moderate exercise.

A walk, when I'm able, gives me fresh air and a new perspective.

[tsha]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
BalishBun said:
"tsha" Yes it was you! Glad you spoke up because I couldnt remember how do do it like you had posted. Thanks!

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I'm glad it helped. Once I learned how to just breathe it made the anxiety attacks more manageable...most of the time. I practice yoga regularly and work privately with 2 of my teachers once a week where we just focus on restorative. Lots of breath work.

And I am trying to meditate. Every so often I get "there". but its hard to control the mind, as I'm sure you are familiar with.

Good luck. PM me if you need help with any of these breathing techniques or are interested in others.
Tsha

[Perna]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
SerenitysWave said:
the sound of my husband's usually calms me

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">
Good one! True for me too; he just keeps quietly and patiently repeating what he's trying to get across to me and eventually I "get it". I get so tangled up in myself and not listening outside myself.

breathing helps me.......closing my eyes and pretending I am at the beach

[Perna]

Don't let your wool get too wet, it gets heavy you know and the sand! Girl, you know how difficult that is to comb out!

http://www.pe2000.com/breathe_tips.htm