Exactly Hugs! I loved how you used an analogy to help yourself fully grasp the concept. Very adaptive to know your learning style and apply it. Great work
Ncladyfromva, physical activity is the single best thing you can do for your health. It can help in so many ways. It can help with managing anxiety and maintianing a healthy mind and mood.
Sue, YES! You're post put a big smile on my face too (I'm serious). Those big smiles are what lifes all about And the great thing is we have a choice on how often we can have them.
ya its a lovely and helpful place here. ive read your message and my psychatrist told me two days ago, to go out and run, workout, and do all kinds of physical activies. Cause it reliefs stress and what is gone cant be used for anxiety later. And i am sure we all can relate to it? going for a run afterwards i always feel great and i dont have any negative thoughts. my boyfriend and i went to the mountains two weeks ago for a few days. And this was a big test for me! We wanted to get on the top of the highest mountain-the zugspitze, its 3000meters high. but to get up we had to get on a gondola to get up there. We walked in and i already started to get this uncomfortable feeling cause it was already in my head before that i will panic. my heart started beating, then more and more people came in till gondola was full. this lady was so tight right next to me it got me more going. my boyfriend realized it and he gave me the camera and told me to take pics. (he actually broke my cycle, i believe) of course back then i didnt know anything about the cycle, but he did the right thing for me! i pushed the lady a lil over, thankfully she moved:) and i started taking beautiful pictures and the panic went away, didnt bother me at all anymore!breaking the cycle is the key to get better!
Ashley and hugs4u you both wrote something very interesting i never looked at it that way. we are not our anxiety! I always thought its part of me, cause ive always have been a person that got scared fast.but then hugs4u pointed it out with an easy sentence...and it clicked in my head. I will definitely have to keep this thought in my head! Thank you!
ive had a situation yesterday, i felt extremely happy and i smiled till my cheeks started hurting! i have not had that in a long time, but then all of a sudden i got a lil anxious about it cause i thought its something wrong.... but then i sat back and thought about it for a second and i realized how stupid this thought is! and just enjoy your happiness tonight. And i did.
Ashley thank you for being so possitive and motivating! glad i can be contagious with my thoughts (only good thoughts of course)
Oh yes, by the way welcome Sue! I noticed after my post that you just joined. I am fairly new here also and love the support and discussions we have here.
I'm having to read through the section of the Panic Cycle many times to just "get it". I had an episode at work today where I went for my usual break to lie in the backseat of my car (I suffer from chronic pain of a failed back surgery from last year) and actually fell asleep. That's what happens when you mix 3 hrs. sleep the night before, then taking a Klonopin and lying in the back seat of your car during break ;) When I woke up, it startled me as I realized I was late getting back from my break knowing there was a meeting shortly. I immediately started feeing anxiety and had to lay there a bit longer to calm down just so I could come in. I missed the meeting as I was focusing on getting what needed done before leaving early for my doctor's appt. Was at my desk with my head hung down trying to calm down when co-workers came to check on me on why I was not at the meeting so I explained. Already had 2 episodes at work last month of paramedics coming to work with my panic attacks to I guess people are on the alert. I told them I was just sitting there trying not to focus what my wrist BP monitor reading said and I took 1/2 a Klonopin to calm down so I could eventually leave for my appt. While I apprcciated my one co-workers concern on the high BP reading, I explained to her that it was more than likely a result of the anxiety since my HR was high also. I ended up having a coupla of my co-workers drive me to my appt. since they did not want me driving while having an attack. Vitals taken at the doctor's office were fine.
Therpe was another section that talked about how our thoughts can make us think from the physical sensations we are having an attack when these sensations can be from other things that we don't even think anyting of it. Like having a fast heartbeat and immediately thinking we are having a panic attack, yet a fast heart rate can be the result of walking fast, running if we are in a hurry to get somewhere, any kind of exercise. I think of how extremely physically active I was prior to herniating my disc almost a year ago where I went to the gym 3 times a week and I mean I was putting in a hard workout each time (kickboxing on Tues.), hiked alot, worked out in my yard. I can't even imagine how high my HR was doing stuff like that, yet none of those things caused a panic attack nor did I even think of having one even with a past history of having panic attacks. I am wondering if the physical activity is one of the factors that kept them under control.
This may sound sort of cheesy but bare with me... Whenever I talk to people with anxiety I find it upsetting because many feel they are their anxiety. They think, "oh I am just a nervous or unsociable person". This is not true, you are not your anxiety. By overcoming anxiety you are letting your true self come out and shine. Just think if we were able to help all those people with anxiety reach their full potential!
There is no doubt in my mind that you will overcome this anxiety and reach your full potential in life. You deserve to shine Ok I'll end the cheese!
you know Ashley i want to beat this so bad!!! i always tell my friends i have a war going on with Anxiety:) and i am going to win! For some reason when i say it it makes me feel strong :) I am working hard on myself and i know i have a long way to go but with all the support i am getting now, i know i can do it just like anybody else dealing with it! Its a great feeling to know you are on the right track!
I´ve had to read about the panic cycle several times to finally start understanding. and it all makes sense! while reading it ive thought about how i get my cycle going and i can see it. I usually start with the thoughts and those lead to physical smyptoms... thoughts get worse and physical symptoms also and then i behave on it with avoidance or putting more and more thought into it until i feel i am losing control over it... so ya then i got the cycle going. so to break the cycle i need to stop putting more thought into, this i can do with the questions posted in session 2. Am i right with that? i can totally see that if i am able to break the cycle i can win the challenge against anxiety and get the power over it.
And the great thing is we have a choice on how often we can have them.
