Had an Anxiety attack and looking at how to cope...

[thestrangebrew1]

Anyone suffer from anxiety and have recommendations on how to cope? I had a pretty horrific experience Monday night that scared me straight to my bones and went and saw my Dr. about it. I explained the symptoms and he stated it def. sounds like an anxiety attack probably triggered by stress and lack of sleep. He didn't sound too concerned about it, but recommended that if it's a recurring theme, to let him know so we can find the best course of action.

I felt pretty well the day after it happened with the exception of being tired from lack of sleep. But some of the images I have in my head at the time of the anxiety pop up sporadically, and they are very violent in nature; my family is in these images. I was scared to death that I was going to somehow harm my family, and some of the images in my head were the same that I saw on a nightline/ 20/20 show about a week or two ago. Physically, I'm not a violent person, aside from killing flies and the like, I don't do harm to others. Work is stressful and not where I'd like to be, so I'm looking at different avenues, but the thought of the anxiety attack happening again, or worse, me doing something physical to my family has been lingering since it happened and I'm somewhat worried.

I've outlined a few goals that I'm going to try and accomplish as well as change my lifestyle a bit so I think I've got a good start. I guess seeing a Dr. immediately is also a very good start.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I have anxiety disorder that has been treated with lifestyle intervention (no pharmacological intervention).

A lot of the times, you sort of treat the anxiety in a roundabout way. First things first, you have to take good care of your body. That means, eat clean, sleep an appropriate amount (this isn't an option - you make the time for it or you will get more anxious), and exercise. For me, exercise is one of the most effective interventions. It brings my baseline stimulation level way down so I'm just not as prone to be anxious.

In addition, organization is a key thing. If you've got a stressful job, make it easier by taking time to put all your ducks in a row. Make to-do lists. Schedule an order of what you're going to do. Clock out when you've committed to clocking out. For me, the to-do lists was a big thing. Silly, right? I'd get anxious because I'd have all these floating thoughts in my head and it seemed like so much... but when I'd get it down on paper and start to check them off during my day, I felt a lot better.

Also, if you're anxious, no drugs - no drinking till you feel it during the week, no pot, no hard drugs. They tend to really mess with your neurotransmitters, which are responsible for regulating your mood. In addition, cutting back caffeine is typically suggested as taking in large amounts can cause the same problems as other stimulants (cocaine, amphetamines, etc).

Lastly, it might behoove you to see a psychologist. I saw one and it was important in that it got me to skew my perception a little bit. Just a slight change in how I viewed certain things made me have less anxiety in general. Sometimes you can do that on your own just by realizing when you're being unnecessarily negative, excited, down, etc. You can change your environment by changing your mindset. It's pretty amazing and worked well for me.

I thought I'd reply with a large array of options. If you have any questions about specifics, I'm more than happy to talk about it.

Also, if you continue to have panic/anxiety attacks, you should probably see a psychiatrist (MD with a specialization) that can give you some medication. Panic attacks, I know, can be very debilitating and, while you can reduce their rate and such with the above techniques, when you get one it's hard to stop it. Also, be sure to acknowledge that you're not going to die (it's just a sensation like that), you've had this before, and it is temporary. The feeling will subside. Acknowledge that and, while they aren't ever pleasant, they will be less scary.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Thanks for the response. I appreciate your input. Most of the things you mentioned I've already outlined in the goals I've set for myself with the exception of organizing things at work. I've already gone on a walk for my break at the office and plan to do so everyday. Exercising as well as more sleep are at the very top of my list.

It is weird though. At no time in my life had I ever felt anxious the way I felt Monday night, so just that fact alone freaked me out. Additionally the whole violence aspect is worrisome for me. I think if another attack comes along, I may be making an appt. with a psychiatrist, but like I said, right now I feel really good. Almost like some kind of weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Thanks for the response. I appreciate your input. Most of the things you mentioned I've already outlined in the goals I've set for myself with the exception of organizing things at work. I've already gone on a walk for my break at the office and plan to do so everyday. Exercising as well as more sleep are at the very top of my list.

It is weird though. At no time in my life had I ever felt anxious the way I felt Monday night, so just that fact alone freaked me out. Additionally the whole violence aspect is worrisome for me. I think if another attack comes along, I may be making an appt. with a psychiatrist, but like I said, right now I feel really good. Almost like some kind of weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Yeah. Physical wellbeing is completely entangled with mental wellbeing. Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest factors in anxiety and especially sudden anxiety (like your's). Good on you for being proactive about it.

Right. I believe the reason you felt violent may be physiologic in nature. When people have panic attacks, their sympathetic nervous system revs up very high (essentially the fight-or-flight system). Because of this, you get an insane boost in heart rate, blood pressure, you sweat, you feel fear, and as an instinctual connection, you can be perked up as if you want or need to fight. I think if you can control the physiology behind it, that sensation will reduce. In order to do that, you need to take deep breaths (preferably diaphragmatic breathing - google it), sit down, and think of peaceful things that calm you down. At least, that's what research on the sympathetic nervous system says.

The worst thing about panic attacks and anxiety is that you start to actually worry about it, which creates a positive feedback loop. You get more anxious about being anxious so you're more anxious. If you can cut that loop by taking action and controlling it, then that's the way to do it.

Interesting. I've bounced back like that only a couple times and it feels very strange to me. I hope things stay good for you, man. Anxiety is a hard thing to deal with (especially social anxiety - ugh). As long as you are proactive and make efforts to prevent it or stave it off, the you're good. It doesn't mean you won't be anxious from time to time, but it does mean it won't be debilitating.

I hope we hear back from others who have experienced anxiety disorder as well.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

It's kind of weird but I'm kind of excited to get back into exercising and maybe this episode will be the kick in the butt for finding a different career. I've been toying with getting my certs for the last few months and now, like I said, whole weight feels as if it has been lifted, so maybe I'll start looking into some of the material to get some certs.

I haven't always been lethargic. I had been a runner off and on for the last few years but it's been a significant amount of time since I've even just taken a walk on break. I trained and ran a half marathon almost exactly a year ago and maybe only put in a few miles running since. I'm diabetic as well, and my uncle passed away on Sunday, so I think just everything snowballed into some kind of anxiety attack that was stress induced. Now, I at least have an idea to work with. Thanks!

 

[Kaido]

Anyone suffer from anxiety and have recommendations on how to cope? I had a pretty horrific experience Monday night that scared me straight to my bones and went and saw my Dr. about it. I explained the symptoms and he stated it def. sounds like an anxiety attack probably triggered by stress and lack of sleep. He didn't sound too concerned about it, but recommended that if it's a recurring theme, to let him know so we can find the best course of action.

I suffered from anxiety and panic attacks when I was younger. Primarily due to undiagnosed food allergies. They were aggravated by lack of sleep 100% of the time - like really severely aggravated. Stress is manageable most of the time, but when you couple severe stress with a lack of sleep, that's when the weird stuff starts kicking in.

What's your sleep pattern been like lately?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

It's kind of weird but I'm kind of excited to get back into exercising and maybe this episode will be the kick in the butt for finding a different career. I've been toying with getting my certs for the last few months and now, like I said, whole weight feels as if it has been lifted, so maybe I'll start looking into some of the material to get some certs.

I haven't always been lethargic. I had been a runner off and on for the last few years but it's been a significant amount of time since I've even just taken a walk on break. I trained and ran a half marathon almost exactly a year ago and maybe only put in a few miles running since. I'm diabetic as well, and my uncle passed away on Sunday, so I think just everything snowballed into some kind of anxiety attack that was stress induced. Now, I at least have an idea to work with. Thanks!

Very cool - it may have actually been for the better. Coulda kicked you out of stagnation That's awesome, man. Get at it.

I'm sorry to hear about your uncle. Family tragedies are frequently triggers for stuff like that. There's no reason you can't get back into something like running. It would definitely help with your anxiety and diabetes. You don't have to start fast or long - you just gotta challenge yourself.

 

[Kaido]

I'm diabetic as well, and my uncle passed away on Sunday, so I think just everything snowballed into some kind of anxiety attack that was stress induced. Now, I at least have an idea to work with. Thanks!

Sorry to hear about your uncle...as far as diabetes go, I'm super hypoglycemic -also undiagnosed until recently - and found that managing that helped a ton. I carry around a large lunchbox with 5 or 6 small meals in plastic containers. High protein with complex carbs (tuna & broccoli, chicken & sweet potato, etc.). I make sure to eat every 3 hours or less throughout the day. That coupled with an early bedtime has helped stabilize how I feel tremendously.

In your situation, I would recommend trying out an early bedtime for a week, and try to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Also, if you don't already, try the small meals thing every 2-3 hours using lean protein & complex carbs. Those two things have done more than anything for helping me have high energy all day long & feel good. Otherwise I have a lot of trouble focusing and end up just feeling weird from not having stable blood sugar.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Sorry to hear about your uncle...as far as diabetes go, I'm super hypoglycemic -also undiagnosed until recently - and found that managing that helped a ton. I carry around a large lunchbox with 5 or 6 small meals in plastic containers. High protein with complex carbs (tuna & broccoli, chicken & sweet potato, etc.). I make sure to eat every 3 hours or less throughout the day. That coupled with an early bedtime has helped stabilize how I feel tremendously.

In your situation, I would recommend trying out an early bedtime for a week, and try to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Also, if you don't already, try the small meals thing every 2-3 hours using lean protein & complex carbs. Those two things have done more than anything for helping me have high energy all day long & feel good. Otherwise I have a lot of trouble focusing and end up just feeling weird from not having stable blood sugar.

Good ideas. I'll need to pack more of the good stuff and stop eating out etc. Do you find it challenging to eat with the family? I know when it's dinner time, my daughter and wife are super picky, so I never have fish for dinner, and there's almost always a rice or pasta component. It gets pretty difficult to get the family on board with some of the things I'll have to switch to, and not very easy on the wallet sometimes.

 

[iluvdeal]

Who is your health insurance provider? I'm surprised your GP would just send you home to cope with this yourself. Many providers will offer programs to treat exactly what you've just gone through. I wouldn't wait for another attack to happen to get treatment. With the way life goes, stress, family crises, etc, will happen sooner or later, but you don't need to respond to it with an anxiety or panic attack, you can learn skills to better cope with stress and anxiety inducing situations. The suggestions to improve your diet, exercise, and sleep more are great, but you need to work on your own mind as well as we create most of the stress in our lives.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Who is your health insurance provider? I'm surprised your GP would just send you home to cope with this yourself. Many providers will offer programs to treat exactly what you've just gone through. I wouldn't wait for another attack to happen to get treatment. With the way life goes, stress, family crises, etc, will happen sooner or later, but you don't need to respond to it with an anxiety or panic attack, you can learn skills to better cope with stress and anxiety inducing situations. The suggestions to improve your diet, exercise, and sleep more are great, but you need to work on your own mind as well as we create most of the stress in our lives.

I know many doctors who just shrug it off, considering there's not typically any physical harm or risk. It's not fair, but a lot of them consider it a shrink's problem.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

I've got good ins. through my employer. I'm going to start working on the goals I've put down for myself and see how that goes first. I'll add that I have no problems going to see a psychiatrist, I've been to one before, so I'm not trying to be macho or even naive in thinking I don't need the help. It's just that I'd like to see if I can handle this myself first. I appreciate your insight however.

 

[tedrodai]

You might have thought of it when SC mentioned no drugs, but if you take medication for anything, you might want to double check possible side effects. My wife began having panic attacks during college which turned out to be caused by the asthma inhaler she had switched to a couple of years before. The doctors she saw totally misdiagnosed the issue as well, but thankfully we figured it out. Anywho, that's just another possibility.

 

[tedrodai]

Not trying to bad mouth doctors or anything, but QFT:

I know many doctors who just shrug it off, considering there's not typically any physical harm or risk. It's not fair, but a lot of them consider it a shrink's problem.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

You might have thought of it when SC mentioned no drugs, but if you take medication for anything, you might want to double check possible side effects. My wife began having panic attacks during college which turned out to be caused by the asthma inhaler she had switched to a couple of years before. The doctors she saw totally misdiagnosed the issue as well, but thankfully we figured it out. Anywho, that's just another possibility.

Yea I forgot to mention I'm not currently on any meds, although I need to get back on my diabetes meds, and I'm not a big drinker or do any drugs for that matter. I did get hammered during my Fantasy Football draft, but that was on Labor Day lol.

What does QFT mean? Quote from thread?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

You might have thought of it when SC mentioned no drugs, but if you take medication for anything, you might want to double check possible side effects. My wife began having panic attacks during college which turned out to be caused by the asthma inhaler she had switched to a couple of years before. The doctors she saw totally misdiagnosed the issue as well, but thankfully we figured it out. Anywho, that's just another possibility.

Good call - yeah, asthma inhalers (like albuterol) are adrenergic compounds. Essentially, they bind to the adrenaline receptors and cause the same effects. Crazy how something meant for the lungs (relatively small dose) can affect someone's mental wellbeing.

 

[JumBie]

Anyone suffer from anxiety and have recommendations on how to cope? I had a pretty horrific experience Monday night that scared me straight to my bones and went and saw my Dr. about it. I explained the symptoms and he stated it def. sounds like an anxiety attack probably triggered by stress and lack of sleep. He didn't sound too concerned about it, but recommended that if it's a recurring theme, to let him know so we can find the best course of action.

I felt pretty well the day after it happened with the exception of being tired from lack of sleep. But some of the images I have in my head at the time of the anxiety pop up sporadically, and they are very violent in nature; my family is in these images. I was scared to death that I was going to somehow harm my family, and some of the images in my head were the same that I saw on a nightline/ 20/20 show about a week or two ago. Physically, I'm not a violent person, aside from killing flies and the like, I don't do harm to others. Work is stressful and not where I'd like to be, so I'm looking at different avenues, but the thought of the anxiety attack happening again, or worse, me doing something physical to my family has been lingering since it happened and I'm somewhat worried.

I've outlined a few goals that I'm going to try and accomplish as well as change my lifestyle a bit so I think I've got a good start. I guess seeing a Dr. immediately is also a very good start.

I feel your pain. I got my first panic attack about 6 years ago while smoking a joint. From that day forward I have had anxiety and panic attacks regularly, its a constant struggle, when I first had a panic attack I thought I was having a heart attack and dying. More recently I have had panic attacks and anxiety that have caused me to have thoughts of harming others quite possibly in the same way that you have had them. They were scary and alarming considering I am by no means a violent person, and what scared me the most was losing control of my self and carrying out some of the acts and images that were popping up in my head, that in its self caused me to become more anxious. What scared me the most was thinking I was going crazy, and that also made me more anxious so I had this never ending cycle of anxiety.

Now keeping your body healthy by eating plenty of greens, water, and exercise is key. Feeling healthy physically will create leaps and bounds in feeling healthy mentally. Some people have these anxiety attacks once in their live and never again, for others its a reoccurring struggle. Stress is a major factor in having a panic attack, sleep deprivation is another. And while those two factors may not even be the reason for your panic attack its best to lower your stress levels and get plenty of GOOD sleep.

I have found that the mental struggle of anxiety is the worst part because your mood can change almost instantaneously and all the effort your have put in and all the goals you have met may crumble in front of your face and make you feel like your back to step one. For me over the past few years I have realized that not worrying at all and not caring at all about the physical symptoms and mental symptoms of anxiety have allowed me to bypass the feelings completely. Telling my self I'm okay and going on with my life the way it was before I ever had anxiety. Keeping my mind busy and not letting it venture too far off from reality is also key in my struggle as I find letting my mind dwell on my issues causes my self to lose focus and makes me anxious.

I don't want to scare you, and this might just be an isolated case, so keep your body and mind healthy by eating right, exercising and getting proper sleep and hopefully it will all blow over.

 

[interchange]

Everyone is allowed one panic attack in their life before being diagnosed as panic disorder.

In a true panic attack, you have to believe you're in mortal danger. You can treat them with medicine or with therapy or with both. I'm not really aware of any evidence linking allergies to panic, but if it works it works. The important thing is not to ignore it and tell yourself you're fine. Embrace it. It's not a big deal. There is help for it.

 

[Kaido]

Good ideas. I'll need to pack more of the good stuff and stop eating out etc. Do you find it challenging to eat with the family? I know when it's dinner time, my daughter and wife are super picky, so I never have fish for dinner, and there's almost always a rice or pasta component. It gets pretty difficult to get the family on board with some of the things I'll have to switch to, and not very easy on the wallet sometimes.

Switch that to brown rice and whole-wheat pasta. Basically I've found that doing about a 40/60 split works for me - 40% protein, 60% complex carbs (almost half & half, but a little more veggies on the plate). Some example meals:

Egg Whites + Steel-cut Oatmeal
Salmon + Brown Rice
Turkey Burger + Broccoli
Shrimp + Peas
Chicken + Sweet Potato

I've also been starting out the day with a small protein hit...I usually just pan-fry a slider-sized ground beef burger and eat that as soon as I wake up. Then before bed, I eat a couple tablespoons of natural peanut butter (high-fat, high-protein). I hadn't really realized it before, but I would get nighttime hypoglycemia as well as daytime, which should have been obvious but I didn't really think about it until the symptoms got worse - I would wake up shaky and with blurry eyes and really low energy and a fuzzy brain. So food & sleep are HUGE for me.

 

[Kaido]

Oh and as far as logistics go - I use these plastic containers called Rubbermaid TakeAlong Twist & Seal containers:

http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?Prod_ID=RP091257

Most of the food I can make either by microwaving in a bowl of water (the veggies) or by using the George Foreman grill, so cooking is pretty easy. Then I pack 5 or 6 meals into the screw-on containers and microwave them at work, or just eat them cold if I'm busy. I have a family-sized picnic lunchbox with a few icepacks that I carry with me, as well as a large water bottle with a straw (one of those hard plastic fake fast-food ones).

The big thing is convenience. If the food is right in front of you and it's convenient to eat and tasty, you'll eat it. If you have to go make something, it gets a lot harder when your blood sugar drops and you don't have the energy to fix yourself anything other than cookies or pasta. I went for most of my life with undiagnosed hypoglycemia and undiagnosed food allergies, so I ended up feeling like crap all the time and had no idea why. Nowadays, I feel as good as I'm willing to let myself...if I do the work of preparing the food and get in bed at a reasonable hour, I do pretty well. Otherwise, I end up in marshmallow mode.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

I'll have to get some of those. I went grocery shopping last night and tried to focus on getting the good stuff ie fruits & veggies that I can snack on. I'm hesitant to actually keep a sort of itinerary for my daily activities. I've tried it before, keeping a schedule to work out, when to eat, what to eat etc. and I remember it being a chore just to keep to that schedule. And by chore, I just mean it felt like added stress trying to keep to a schedule. It's Thursday so I'll just stick to knowing that I'll be walking whenever I can take a break and snacking whenever I get the urge.

Just curious, but do any of you have nicotine habits? I used to smoke, now I chew. Been thinking about trying to quit, but I don't think I'm mentally ready, in light of my recent incidents.

 

[alkemyst]

I have worked with a lot of high earners and panic attacks go with that territory. Some were able to work it out through exercise and diet, but quite a few had to go to some meds.

I knew these people well and I can't say they really changed on the meds except not having melt-downs time to time. They also felt not much different either. They usually said they always felt 'normal' except when the random panic came on and then they felt totally crippled and scared. That feeling would linger for days.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

It's been a few days and I'm feeling a ton better. I've been going to sleep about 10pm and taking walks on break and at lunch. I cut back on my gaming, limited myself to an hr and make sure I'm off by 830pm so I can just relax and hang out with my daughter and wife. I don't mess with any electronics except maybe the tv after that and def. not before bed like I used to. I haven't decided about the wknds yet. Tonight is going to be a somewhat late night tomorrow night we have plans.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

It's been a few days and I'm feeling a ton better. I've been going to sleep about 10pm and taking walks on break and at lunch. I cut back on my gaming, limited myself to an hr and make sure I'm off by 830pm so I can just relax and hang out with my daughter and wife. I don't mess with any electronics except maybe the tv after that and def. not before bed like I used to. I haven't decided about the wknds yet. Tonight is going to be a somewhat late night tomorrow night we have plans.

Good on ya for getting serious and making the changes. The sleep thing is on of the hardest things to get around to ('cause everybody feels there's not enough hours in the day). Making that change will be one of the biggest ones so way to go. And the exercise thing is awesome too - it doesn't have to be 5mi or anything like that. Even walking helps improve mood, especially at lunch for me - it's when I can clear my head and just chill the eff out. I should take some notes from you about the computer stuff. When I get bored, all I do is drown myself in my electronics. I think next time I realize I'm so bored I'll do something more productive - maybe force myself to get outside for at least 10-15min and do something constructive. Honestly, this thread is helping me a lot as well and I thought I was perfect. I'm glad you posted it - it's given me some insight and some things to work on as well.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Good on ya for getting serious and making the changes. The sleep thing is on of the hardest things to get around to ('cause everybody feels there's not enough hours in the day). Making that change will be one of the biggest ones so way to go. And the exercise thing is awesome too - it doesn't have to be 5mi or anything like that. Even walking helps improve mood, especially at lunch for me - it's when I can clear my head and just chill the eff out. I should take some notes from you about the computer stuff. When I get bored, all I do is drown myself in my electronics. I think next time I realize I'm so bored I'll do something more productive - maybe force myself to get outside for at least 10-15min and do something constructive. Honestly, this thread is helping me a lot as well and I thought I was perfect. I'm glad you posted it - it's given me some insight and some things to work on as well.

I'm glad it's helping you out as well! This whole thing has been an eye opener for me and writing about it and getting input definitely helps.

As far as the electronics go, yea it's pretty much helped to fall asleep better cutting them off before bedtime. Before, I would play games on my pc till just before bedtime, then, as a nightcap, I'd hop on my phone in bed and check my email, surf and maybe play a game or two before dozing off (pretty literally). The last few nights I haven't done this, I'm finding it easier to physcially fall asleep, without much thought. It's like my mind is clear before I doze off, so there isn't really any tossing & turning. IMO I think for me at least, this is a good habit to get used to. I haven't started running yet. Mostly because when I get home, I have my 2.5 yr old and when my wife gets home, I'd rather the family go out rather than just me. But I think in the mornings starting this weekend I might put a few miles a week while everyone else is sleeping. Maybe I'll sign up for another 1/2 marathon and start training again lol