[THE16THDOCTOR]

So my depressive and manic symptoms are under control. However my anxiety is just so bad. It's like every other day I'm trembling anxious. And I'm not racing or thinking abt anything. I'm anxious thinking abt what the **** I'm anxious. It's ridiculous. It's frustrating me. If it was something like a work problem or money I can usually talk or breath my way down. But this is outrageous I get panicked for what seems to be no reason. I take klonipin as needed which helps a lot but I don't want to have to use it so frequently but the physical symptoms of tense muscles shaking restless shirt breath are hard to make go away without it. Does anyone have any coping skills they use or is the klonipin my only line of defense, which does work? Thanks all.

[Blue_Bird]

I have GAD and am on Klonopin as needed, I only take it in situations which may cause severe panic. What has helped me even more is therapy, learning different breathing exercises helps a lot too.

-Take care

[hamster-bamster]

I have an excellent coping strategy, but it costs money and right now I do not have it. Basically, hot temperatures. Sauna, steam baths, hot salt rooms in Korean spas - they work absolute wonders for both racing thoughts and anxiety. You are describing physiological anxiety - I get that, too, although the symptoms are the not identical, but it is physiological, and hot temperatures work wonders on that. Even more potent is temperature contrast, when you get from a hot sauna to an icy cold pool and back to the sauna. Again, these things, unfortunately, cost money.

Other skills that I have developed: try to drink a lot of fluids, because when I go get that physiological anxiety, it becomes hard for me to ingest food and drink fluids, and that from degydration I feel worse and it is a downward spiral, so I try to sort of drink fluids and have complex meals preventatitively. And habit I have developed to help myself is chewing gum and sucking on hard candy. It all stared with my getting advice on this forum to drink ginger tea to alleviate nausea and queasiness that I get with anxiety. Well, I though that when these symptoms flare up, I am not going to be able to brew tea, wait until it cools down, and sip it. So I bought ginger candy - no work, I have a jar sitting on my counter and little plastic bags with it in the car and in my purse.

Here is the product:
Ginger People Gin-Gins Hard Candy -- 3 oz - Vitacost

So their taste is pleasant and yes, they quell nausea, but I also noticed that the simple act of sucking alleviates anxiety, so I use then quite a bit, sometimes preventatively and sometimes to make things better once anxiety starts. I think the rhythm of sucking and that your jaw moves and the muscles of your mouth are busy doing something is what does the trick. Also, the pause seems to be doing the trick - when I put a ginger candy in my mouth, I sort of say that everything else pauses and needs to wait.

The same is true of gum chewing. I started off to prevent cavities - I get Xylitol-rich chewing gum - but then noticed that they help me transition from one activity to the next and yes, help keep anxiety at bay. So basically when I am unsure what to do next, I pop up and chew on it. And I am studying for exams and so far have been doing well, so it was a pleasant surprise to read, just recently, than chewing gum stimulates brain activity. Here is the product if you want to try it - you sample different tastes and then once you know what you like, buy a bug - it has 1000 pieces and should last a year. This gum is not harmful to your teeth - on the contrary, it is beneficial. As with candy, I have a jar full of gum sitting on my counter and I carry little plastic boxes with gum with me.

http://www.epicdental.com/p-88-xylitol-sampler-kit

If you do not want to try new products, just brushing your teeth and rinsing with a pleasant tasting mouthwash might do the trick.

[Justugh]

mine is little more old school

1 your jacket .....we all have a fav jacket the pockets are just right ...it feels good ...it like a kiddies blanket for adults ....sounds silly but it works when u are out keep it on until u feel comfy there .....if u never feel comfy then u never take it off
2 always drive yourself .......the simple fact that u have control of how long u stay or where u go (now always keep a spare key someplace hidden on the car u can get too this is your back up )
3 have a social acceptable excuse why to leave always on hand ..........this allows u to get out of there with out hurting feelings ..........smoking is a bad habbit but it gets me away from ppl when i need too ........u might think of getting a fake call program u check your phone for msgs and tap a icon in a set time the phone will ring and u answer it with no one on the line so u can excuse yourself to talk
4 learn combat skill ......the simple fact that i know i can handle myself in a fight makes it alot easier to walk around in public with a bunch of ppl (no am not saying kill skills..... combat skills disarm crippling grounding stunning and able to take a hit)
5 go into nature ..........get away from things and just walk around in the woods /by a rivier creek..........u want to get away from ppl and everything just trees plants wild animals and bugs .........have a lunch or something spend some time out there and then go back to normal life do this once a week
6 u need to keep doing things to lessen the effects when u feel u need to leave leave .....but try to stay and do it for as long as u can.......over time it gets easier

7 is the doctors pills but once u get on them they can be addicting and have side effects .......u can go talk to the doctor about that but when u come home always double check the info about the pills /treatment if anything on there sounds off limits to u go back and tell the doctor hell no i want something else .........short term use as in like 60 days side effects do not matter as much but the long term use of them is what really counts (hair was thinning by age 16 near bald now at 35 looks horrible)

[~Christina]

Breathing skills and self grounding are my go to fixes, Exercise, I prefer Yoga as its calming. Hot showers are wonderful also..

My breathing skill that drops my anxiety in minutes is... Focus on what the air "feels" like entering your lungs ,,, takes a bit of practice , but once your able to zero in on "feeling of the air going into your lungs" it works in minutes .. Mine "feels cool and minty. Wash rinse and repeat. Worth a try.

Hope your feeling better soon

[Crazy Hitch]

I think you've been given some pretty good advice so I'm not sure I can add much more than what has already been said.

I understand how you feel. I suffer from anxiety which can be extremely crippling and totally mess up my day to day functioning.

I hope you find the right coping techniques.

Be well.

[THE16THDOCTOR]

Thanks everyone for the support. The breathing def helps. Also I do have a bit of a security blanket I wear a Red Sox hat every wear. I pull it low though so you can barely see my face.
Thanks for all the help means a lot and nice to know others get it

There are some great tips on this thread.

I suffer from morning anxiety regardless of my mood state. Tapping helps me somewhat. Breathing exercises, balancing my chakras, relaxing morning routine all help me. If there is something on my mind I CBT it, but usually there is nothing causing the anxiety in the mornings that I can pinpoint.

[pink&grey]

One thing I have found helps sometimes is to lay down close to my dog and sync my breathing with hers. Then try and be as relaxed as she is. She gets so relaxed it's like she is dead weight. I envy her

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by Supanova

There are some great tips on this thread.

I suffer from morning anxiety regardless of my mood state. Tapping helps me somewhat. Breathing exercises, balancing my chakras, relaxing morning routine all help me. If there is something on my mind I CBT it, but usually there is nothing causing the anxiety in the mornings that I can pinpoint.

Do you get up because your alarm wakes you up? Or do you wake up on your own?

I am much more relaxed in the morning when I wake up on my own. I have read that being woken up by the sound of an alarm in general adds a lot of stress.

Some days by alarm, some days not. The anxiety doesnt seem to be attached to one or the other but I always expect it before work, when it doesnt happen I am pleasantly surprised haha.

[Darvula]

My coping skill is avoiding people. I don't get anxious when I am alone. It's the presence of other people that causes it. I've come to think that being bipolar just pretty much means being allergic to other people. Hope you feel less anxious soon.

Darvula

[Fuzzybear]