[gris212]

How do you deal with anxiety? What helps you? Even with medicine I feel I'm dealing with anxiety problems now on a daily basis. I feel tense, worried, and as if my heart is going to jump out of my chest.

Is there something that helps you battle anxiety?

[kaliope]

I have horrible anxiety constantly despite meds. I use mindfulness techniques to deal with it. ignore it. distract myself. when it is really bad, I imagine and anxiety meter in my head. it is usually registering an 8-10 so I turn the dial till the needle goes down to about a 4 to make it more manageable. breathe. I smoke which forces me to breathe deeply to inhale, though I wouldn't encourage taking that up. lol.

* Sex
* Completely cutting out processed sugars, white bread, junk food, caffeine
* Cutting myself off from Facebook, fashion and beauty magazines, Amazon.com (I tend to go on spending binges when anxious. Hypomania and anxiety are often related in my case).
* Drinking chamomile tea
* Deep breathing
* Sneaking in small doses of clonazepam throughout the day
* Figuring out if there is a concrete source of the anxiety
* Fresh air, and taking walks in secluded areas
* A long, nice, warm soak in a bathtub. Showers just don't cut it.
* Mild rose-scented lotion that I will rub into my hands and body because it reminds me of my grandmother (generally, I'm not a fan of floral scents).

This said, I still do suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. Still, every little bit helps. Good luck

[Curiosity77]

I have really bad anxiety at times, and a secondary diagnosis of GAD. Meds help, especially Saphris. Other than that, I talk to supportive friends and my therapist and pdoc about it, and that helps. Exercise helps me, and so does deep breathing and mindfulness. Sometimes I just feel terrible and there's nothing I can do, but usually I can calm myself down these days. It's much better than it was.

[robosuplex]

Exercise has been extremely helpful, I do dancing and yoga. YouTube is great for beginner yoga routines. It really helps bring you back down to normal when you breath deeply with guidance. And if you feel like your hearts beating too fast/on the verge of a panic attack, jumping jacks or running up and down stairs helps satisfy the fight or flight response we get when were anxious.

If I am anxious in public I go to the bathroom and practice my breathing or do jumping jacks.

If I am anxious about an upcoming event I think of the worst that could happen and how I would deal with it. Makes me feel prepared.

I write down pretty much everything nowadays. If I'm thinking about things constantly I write my thoughts. If I'm fretting over going to the store I'll make a list. Making lists really helps prioritize what you have to do so that load is off your brain. Plus you get to cross them off and that's really satisfying.

I make sure to eat balanced meals (especially breakfast) and get enough sleep. Sometimes you need a nap to get through the day without being on edge.

I am working on getting onto a solid schedule. This will help with eating, exercise and sleeping, but it also makes sure I take breaks from work to do something I enjoy. It's important to do that sometimes.

Listening to music with headphones is helpful. Try to make a playlist of calm instrumental music or sounds and then another one of your favorite songs you know all the words to. I've found listening to songs you know by heart and even singing them under your breath take up a lot of your attention so you can't worry as much.

Remind yourself that you're doing a good job. Celebrate the little victories. I try to acknowledge one thing I accomplished each day.

If you are just starting medication, the symptoms often get worse before they get better. But it will get better. We all struggle at times. The important thing is to do your best

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[Noodles_320]

Exercise for me...tends to burn away my energy.