Personal article about anxiety?

Have we ever had an article about what it's like to experience anxiety or even social anxiety? I have both, I've been treated for my anxiety but my social anxiety has never been discussed in great length.

It would be a personal account. I looked and saw that they was an article about the myths surrounding anxiety though.

If this hasn't been done I wouldn't be able to get to it right away, most likely. I have other articles I want to write first. But, I am super anxious right now and I feel like this would be a good article to have.

I could do one on anxiety in general and then one on social anxiety?

This sounds like a great idea, Jenna.

If you want anyone else's experience with anxiety or social anxiety, I'm here to share my part.

Here's the article about anxiety. I will post the one about social anxiety in a separate thread so people don't get confused. I don't know if I like the title but I can't come up with anything more creative (Titles are really hard for me). It doesn't have to be edited any time soon. I just had an anxiety/panic attack yesterday and so it was fresh on my mind. This s the first personal article I have written and I am not all that good about talking about myself. So, if something isn't conveyed right feel free to say something and hopefully I'll be able to fix it.

My personal experience with anxiety

Jenna(~Abibliophobe~)

I have dealt with anxiety for a number of years and I have been prescribed two different medications to deal with it. My anxiety ranges from panic attacks to a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. The common denominator for all my anxiety is excessive worry. It starts with a small thought and then progresses from there. I start making up worst case scenarios for that one thought that I have had and then it gets harder to concentrate on anything other than the negative thoughts. Eventually I am left with a feeling of complete dread. If the worrying doesn’t stop it can manifest into panic attacks in which I can’t breathe and I feel sick to my stomach.

The thing about anxiety, at least for me, is that it gets so bad and so unbearable that sometimes I feel like it would be better if I were dead. These thoughts only increase my anxiety because then I start thinking about how bad my mental health is and I start worrying about if I will ever be able to maintain employment. The thoughts end up repeating themselves over and over again.

The panic attacks that result make it hard to even see straight. Sometimes I have to take a step back and breath and other times all I can do is wait it out. For me, my anxiety is pretty severe and I deal with it pretty much every day of the week and it can last a few hours or the entire day. The panic attacks make me feel like my heart is going to pop out of its chest and sometimes I get so panic stricken that I throw up. I probably have a panic attack at least once a week and it’s usually more than that. I had a panic attack yesterday and was extremely uncomfortable. My heart was beating really fast, my mind was racing with nothing but worst case scenarios, I had a feeling of complete dread and I was sick to my stomach. When I get these panic attacks it feels as though my whole entire life is going to fall apart.

There are things that are supposed to help with anxiety but so far I haven’t found a whole lot other than medication and the medication doesn’t always work all that well. Reading is a tool that helps as long as I am not having a full blown panic attack. By the time the panic attack comes on it’s too late and I am unable to concentrate on the story. However, if I start reading when the thoughts are only bubbling up it usually calms me down. I believe the reason that reading helps is because I have to concentrate on the story and I don’t have time to think about my worries.

[hocus pocus]

I am going to come back and edit this shortly. In the meantime, I have a few suggestions for expanding it.

I think it can benefit from a little bit of an introduction. Maybe you can add something like when you developed anxiety or how it felt to you (did you know what it was when you first felt it?). This could be just how I read it, though.

You said you haven't found a lot to help, but maybe you can list things that have helped and go into more detail about them? For instance, you mentioned panic attacks. How do you deal with those? How do you cope when the anxious thoughts replay themselves? You wrote about reading; maybe you can encourage users to find a hobby that helps them through their anxiety. Expanding on what you do find helpful can help users learn how to cope with their anxiety in addition to learning they're not alone.

I think it might be worth adding a conclusion as it seems to end a little abruptly.

I can add an introduction. I haven't found anything all that helpful when I'm having anxiety attacks. I sit on my phone and look at different sites or distract myself with apps. There isn't a whole lot I've found helpful. Tried working on it in therapy but it wasn't all that helpful either.

Edit: I could talk a bit about some of the suggestions therapists have made to deal with my anxiety such as exercise and breathing exercises. I can say that they helped slightly and might be worth checking out because some people have had better results. That might add an extra few sentences or even a paragraph.

I'll try and get to this this weekend.

Here is the edited version:

My personal experience with anxiety

Jenna(~Abibliophobe~)

Anxiety is something I have dealt with for many years. I was officially diagnosed with it when I was seventeen and in a psychiatric hospital. I always knew what anxiety was because my dad suffers from it as well. So, the attacks I would have were familiar to me but it was difficult experiencing it myself. I have been prescribed two different medications to deal with it but they aren't always helpful. My anxiety ranges from panic attacks to a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. The common denominator for all my anxiety is excessive worry. It starts with a small thought and then progresses from there. I start making up worst case scenarios for that one thought that I have had and then it gets harder to concentrate on anything other than the negative thoughts. Eventually I am left with a feeling of complete dread. If the worrying doesn’t stop it can manifest into panic attacks in which I can’t breathe and I feel sick to my stomach.

The thing about anxiety, at least for me, is that it gets so bad and so unbearable that sometimes I feel like it would be better if I were dead. These thoughts only increase my anxiety because then I start thinking about how bad my mental health is and I start worrying about if I will ever be able to maintain employment. The thoughts end up repeating themselves over and over again. (Jenna: I feel like this should be expanded but I am unsure how to do so)

The panic attacks that result make it hard to even see straight. Sometimes I have to take a step back and breath and other times all I can do is wait it out. For me, my anxiety is pretty severe and I deal with it pretty much every day of the week and it can last a few hours or the entire day. The panic attacks make me feel like my heart is going to pop out of its chest and sometimes I get so panic stricken that I throw up. I probably have a panic attack at least once a week and it’s usually more than that. I had a panic attack yesterday and was extremely uncomfortable. My heart was beating really fast, my mind was racing with nothing but worst case scenarios, I had a feeling of complete dread and I was sick to my stomach. When I get these panic attacks it feels as though my whole entire life is going to fall apart.

I have found some things that have helped a tiny bit with my panic attacks such as going for a brisk, thirty minute walk, around my neighborhood. A therapist I was seeing suggested this and it does help from time to time but it is not something that works every time. I suppose walking at a brisk pace gets your blood flowing and I get to a place where I can only focus on taking my steps which helps the anxiety subside because I don't have time to think all my negative and worried thoughts. Another thing that has helped me a tad bit with my panic attacks is playing with apps on my phone. I think the reason this helps is I get consumed in the game and I don't have time to focus on my negative thoughts.

These things are supposed to help with anxiety but so far I haven’t found them to be exceptionally helpful but I also have talked to people that have found walking helpful. For me I have to rely on medication and the medication doesn’t always work all that well. Reading is a tool that helps as long as I am not having a full blown panic attack. By the time the panic attack comes on it’s too late and I am unable to concentrate on the story. However, if I start reading when the thoughts are only bubbling up it usually calms me down. I believe the reason that reading helps is because I have to concentrate on the story and I don’t have time to think about my worries. I think that something I would suggest to other people who have anxiety is to try and get involved in a hobby of some kind. For some people that hobby is playing games and for me it is reading. If you have something that takes up time and prevents you from thinking the anxious thoughts that you might find that your anxiety subsides a bit.

My life with anxiety has been really difficult. At this point in time I feel like my anxiety is the biggest mental health issue I am dealing with. It has become something that makes me miserable and I admit that it has gotten worse in the past couple of years. I think that relying on medications is something that people should try to avoid but I also know that sometimes medication is the only thing that helps. The biggest thing I can suggest to people that suffer from anxiety is get into therapy and discuss your anxious thoughts. A therapist will break them down for you and help you think in a more rational matter about those thoughts. Also, a therapist can help you find tools to deal with the anxiety.

[hocus pocus]

You did a great job expanding it. It looks awesome, just have a few more suggestions. I'm still thinking about a title for you.

My personal experience with anxiety

By Jenna (~Abibliophobe~)

Anxiety is something I have dealt with for many years. I was officially diagnosed with it when I was seventeen and in a psychiatric hospital. I always knew what anxiety was because my dad suffers from it as well. So, the attacks I would have were familiar to me but it was difficult experiencing it myself. I have been prescribed two different medications to deal with it but they aren't always helpful. My anxiety ranges from panic attacks to a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. The common denominator for all my anxiety is excessive worry. It starts with a small thought and then progresses from there. I start making up worst case scenarios for that one thought that I have had [Maybe reword to make it easier to follow? Something like "original thought"] and then it gets harder to concentrate on anything other than the negative thoughts. Eventually I am left with a feeling of complete dread. If the worrying doesn’t stop it can manifest into panic attacks in which I can’t breathe and I feel sick to my stomach.

The thing about anxiety, at least for me, is that it gets so bad and so unbearable that sometimes I feel like it would be better if I were dead. These thoughts only increase my anxiety because then I start thinking about how bad my mental health is and I start worrying about if whether or not I will ever be able to maintain employment. The thoughts end up repeating themselves over and over again. (Jenna: I feel like this should be expanded but I am unsure how to do so) [You can talk about what you do when the thoughts repeat yourself (e.g. you use affirmations). But, I do think it looks fine as is if you're worried about the length. Expand it if you'd like to though.]

The panic attacks that result make it hard to even see straight. Sometimes I have to take a step back and breath and other times all I can do is wait it out. For me, my anxiety is pretty severe and I deal with it pretty much every day of the week and it can last a few hours or the entire day. The panic attacks make me feel like my heart is going to pop out of its my chest and sometimes I get so panic stricken that I throw up. I probably have a panic attack at least once a week and it’s usually more than that. I had a panic attack yesterday and was extremely uncomfortable. My heart was beating really fast, my mind was racing with nothing but worst case scenarios, I had a feeling of complete dread and I was sick to my stomach. When I get these panic attacks it feels as though my whole entire life is going to fall apart.

I have found some things that have helped a tiny bit with my panic attacks such as going for a brisk, thirty minute walk, around my neighborhood. A therapist I was seeing suggested this and it does help from time to time but it is not something that works every time. I suppose walking at a brisk pace gets your blood flowing and I get to a place where I can only focus on taking my steps which helps the anxiety subside because I don't have time to think all my negative and worryingied thoughts. Another thing that has helped me a tad bit with my panic attacks is playing with apps on my phone. I think the reason this helps is I get consumed in the game and I don't have time to focus on my negative thoughts.

These things are supposed to help with anxiety but so far I haven’t found them to be exceptionally helpful, though but I also have talked to people that who have found walking helpful. For me I have to rely on medication and the medication doesn’t always work all that well. Reading is a tool that helps as long as I am not having a full blown panic attack. By the time the panic attack comes on it’s too late and I am unable to concentrate on the story. However, if I start reading when the thoughts are only bubbling up it usually calms me down. I believe the reason that reading helps is because I have to concentrate on the story and I don’t have time to think about my worries. [You did mention this with a few other things that help you. I think it can seem a little repetitive. You might want to consider putting why it helps you at the end of discussing the things that help you. "Reading, walking, and playing games on my phone keeps me occupied so I do not have to think about what is worrying me."] I think that something I would suggest to other people who have anxiety is to try and get involved in a hobby of some kind. For some people that hobby is playing games and for me it is reading. If you have something that takes up time and prevents you from thinking the anxious thoughts that you might find that your anxiety subsides a bit.

My life with anxiety has been really difficult. At this point in time I feel like my anxiety is the biggest mental health issue I am dealing with. It has become something that makes me miserable and I admit that it has gotten worse in the past couple of years. I think that relying on medications is something that people should try to avoid but I also know that sometimes medication is the only thing that helps. The biggest thing I can suggest to people that suffer from anxiety is get into therapy and discuss your anxious thoughts. A therapist will break them down for you and help you think in a more rational matter about those thoughts. Also, a therapist can help you find tools to deal with the anxiety. [Maybe put these two orange pieces together, and put the middle piece "My life with anxiety has been relaly difficult..." by itself before the last paragraph or after you talk about reading. Just to organize it a little more. Also maybe mention researching some self-help tools for anxiety if you can't see a therapist? And suggesting talking to someone you trust too.]

My personal experience with anxiety

By Jenna (~Abibliophobe~)

Anxiety is something I have dealt with for many years. I was officially diagnosed with it when I was seventeen and in a psychiatric hospital. I always knew what anxiety was because my dad suffers from it as well. So, the attacks I would have were familiar to me but it was difficult experiencing it myself. I have been prescribed two different medications to deal with it but they aren't always helpful. My anxiety ranges from panic attacks to a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. The common denominator for all my anxiety is excessive worry. It starts with a small thought and then progresses from there. I start making up worst case scenarios for the original thought and then it gets harder to concentrate on anything other than the negative thoughts. Eventually I am left with a feeling of complete dread. If the worrying doesn’t stop it can manifest into panic attacks in which I can’t breathe and I feel sick to my stomach.

The thing about anxiety, at least for me, is that it gets so bad and so unbearable that sometimes I feel like it would be better if I were dead. These thoughts only increase my anxiety because then I start thinking about how bad my mental health is and I start worrying about whether or not I will ever be able to maintain employment. The thoughts end up repeating themselves over and over again. When the thoughts repeat themselves sometimes I will sometimes remind myself that the thoughts I am having are not a fact and that it will be okay. If that doesn't work I sometimes try and change my thinking. So, if I am thinking that I will never maintain employment I change that thinking to "It might be a struggle but I'll be able to do it." [Does this look okay?]

The panic attacks that result make it hard to even see straight. Sometimes I have to take a step back and breath and other times all I can do is wait it out. For me, my anxiety is severe and I deal with it every day of the week and it can last a few hours or the entire day. The panic attacks make me feel like my heart is going to pop out of mychest and sometimes I get so panic stricken I throw up. I probably have a panic attack at least once a week and it’s usually more than that. I had a panic attack yesterday and was extremely uncomfortable. My heart was beating really fast, my mind was racing with nothing but worst case scenarios, I had a feeling of complete dread and I was sick to my stomach. When I get these panic attacks it feels as though my whole entire life is going to fall apart.

I have found some things that have helped a tiny bit with my panic attacks such as going for a briskthirty minute walk around my neighborhood. A therapist I was seeing suggested this and it does help from time to time but it is not something that works every time. I suppose walking at a brisk pace gets your blood flowing and I get to a place where I can only focus on taking my steps which helps the anxiety subside because I don't have time to think all my negative and worrying thoughts. Another thing that has helped me a tad bit with my panic attacks is playing with apps on my phone. I end up getting consumed in the game and the negative thoughts will sometimes subside or at least decrease in intensity.

These things are supposed to help with anxiety but so far I haven’t found them to be exceptionally helpful, thoughI have talked to people who have found walking helpful. For me I have to rely on medication and the medication doesn’t always work all that well. Reading is a tool that helps as long as I am not having a full blown panic attack. By the time the panic attack comes on it’s too late and I am unable to concentrate on the story. However, if I start reading when the thoughts are only bubbling up it usually calms me down. My life with anxiety has been really difficult. At this point in time I feel like my anxiety is the biggest mental health issue I am dealing with. It has become something that makes me miserable and I admit that it has gotten worse in the past couple of years. I think that relying on medications is something that people should try to avoid but I also know that sometimes medication is the only thing that helps.

I think that something I would suggest to other people who have anxiety is to try and get involved in a hobby of some kind. For some people that hobby is playing games and for me it is reading. If you have something that takes up time and prevents you from thinking the anxious thoughts that you might find that your anxiety subsides a bit. The biggest thing I can suggest to people that suffer from anxiety is get into therapy and discuss your anxious thoughts. A therapist will break them down for you and help you think in a more rational matter about those thoughts. Also, a therapist can help you find tools to deal with the anxiety. If you are unable to find a therapist then it might help to look up some self help tips online. I know I have used a search engine and found some helpful things to try. [Maybe put these two orange pieces together, and put the middle piece "My life with anxiety has been relaly difficult..." by itself before the last paragraph or after you talk about reading. Just to organize it a little more. Also maybe mention researching some self-help tools for anxiety if you can't see a therapist? And suggesting talking to someone you trust too.][ Jenna: Did I do this right? I am not sure if I understood it correctly?]

[hocus pocus]

It looks good to me. I don't think I have any further edits here.

My personal experience with anxiety

By Jenna (~Abibliophobe~)

Anxiety is something I have dealt with for many years. I was officially diagnosed with it when I was seventeen and in a psychiatric hospital. I always knew what anxiety was because my dad suffers from it as well. So, the attacks I would have were familiar to me but it was difficult experiencing it myself. I have been prescribed two different medications to deal with it but they aren't always helpful. My anxiety ranges from panic attacks to a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. The common denominator for all my anxiety is excessive worry. It starts with a small thought and then progresses from there. I start making up worst case scenarios for the original thought and then it gets harder to concentrate on anything other than the negative thoughts. Eventually I am left with a feeling of complete dread. If the worrying doesn’t stop it can manifest into panic attacks in which I can’t breathe and I feel sick to my stomach.

The thing about anxiety, at least for me, is that it gets so bad and so unbearable that sometimes I feel like it would be better if I were dead. These thoughts only increase my anxiety because then I start thinking about how bad my mental health is and I start worrying about whether or not I will ever be able to maintain employment. The thoughts end up repeating themselves over and over again. When the thoughts repeat themselves sometimes I will sometimes remind myself that the thoughts I am having are not a fact and that it will be okay. If that doesn't work I sometimes try and change my thinking. So, if I am thinking that I will never maintain employment I change that thinking to "It might be a struggle but I'll be able to do it."

The panic attacks that result make it hard to even see straight. Sometimes I have to take a step back and breath and other times all I can do is wait it out. For me, my anxiety is severe and I deal with it every day of the week and it can last a few hours or the entire day. The panic attacks make me feel like my heart is going to pop out of my chest and sometimes I get so panic stricken I throw up. I probably have a panic attack at least once a week and it’s usually more than that. I had a panic attack yesterday and was extremely uncomfortable. My heart was beating really fast, my mind was racing with nothing but worst case scenarios, I had a feeling of complete dread and I was sick to my stomach. When I get these panic attacks it feels as though my whole entire life is going to fall apart.

I have found some things that have helped a tiny bit with my panic attacks such as going for a brisk thirty minute walk around my neighborhood. A therapist I was seeing suggested this and it does help from time to time but it is not something that works every time. I suppose walking at a brisk pace gets your blood flowing and I get to a place where I can only focus on taking my steps which helps the anxiety subside because I don't have time to think all my negative and worrying thoughts. Another thing that has helped me a tad bit with my panic attacks is playing with apps on my phone. I end up getting consumed in the game and the negative thoughts will sometimes subside or at least decrease in intensity.

These things are supposed to help with anxiety but so far I haven’t found them to be exceptionally helpful, though I have talked to people who have found walking helpful. For me I have to rely on medication and the medication doesn’t always work all that well. Reading is a tool that helps as long as I am not having a full blown panic attack. By the time the panic attack comes on it’s too late and I am unable to concentrate on the story. However, if I start reading when the thoughts are only bubbling up it usually calms me down. My life with anxiety has been really difficult. At this point in time I feel like my anxiety is the biggest mental health issue I am dealing with. It has become something that makes me miserable and I admit that it has gotten worse in the past couple of years. I think that relying on medications is something that people should try to avoid but I also know that sometimes medication is the only thing that helps.

I think that something I would suggest to other people who have anxiety is to try and get involved in a hobby of some kind. For some people that hobby is playing games and for me it is reading. If you have something that takes up time and prevents you from thinking the anxious thoughts you might find that your anxiety subsides a bit. The biggest thing I can suggest to people that suffer from anxiety is get into therapy and discuss your anxious thoughts. A therapist will break them down for you and help you think in a more rational matter about those thoughts. Also, a therapist can help you find tools to deal with the anxiety. If you are unable to find a therapist then it might help to look up some self help tips online. I know I have used a search engine and found some helpful things to try.

[Halcyon]

My personal experience with anxiety
By Jenna (~Abibliophobe~)

Anxiety is something I have dealt with for many years. I was officially diagnosed with it when I was seventeen and in a psychiatric hospital. I always knew what anxiety was because my dad suffers from it as well. So, the attacks I would have were familiar to me but it was difficult experiencing it myself. I have been prescribed two different medications to deal with it but they aren't always helpful. My anxiety ranges from panic attacks to a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. The common denominator for all my anxiety is excessive worry. It starts with a small thought and then progresses from there. I start making up worst case scenarios for the original thought and then it gets harder to concentrate on anything other than the negative thoughts. Eventually I am left with a feeling of complete dread. If the worrying doesn’t stop it can manifest into panic attacks in which I can’t breathe and I feel sick to my stomach.

The thing about anxiety, at least for me, is that it gets so bad and so unbearable that sometimes I feel like it would be better if I were dead. These thoughts only increase my anxiety because then I start thinking about how bad my mental health is and I start worrying about whether or not I will ever be able to maintain employment. The thoughts end up repeating themselves over and over again. When the thoughts repeat themselves sometimes I will sometimes remind myself that the thoughts I am having are not a fact and that it will be okay. If that doesn't work I sometimes try and change my thinking. So, if I am thinking that I will never maintain employment I change that thinking to "It might be a struggle but I'll be able to do it."

The panic attacks that result make it hard to even see straight. Sometimes I have to take a step back and breathe and other times all I can do is wait it out. For me, my anxiety is severe and I deal with it every day of the week and it can last a few hours or the entire day. The panic attacks make me feel like my heart is going to pop out of my chest and sometimes I get so panic stricken I throw up. I probably have a panic attack at least once a week and it’s usually more than that. I had a panic attack yesterday and was extremely uncomfortable. My heart was beating really fast, my mind was racing with nothing but worst case scenarios, I had a feeling of complete dread and I was sick to my stomach. When I get these panic attacks it feels as though my whole entire life is going to fall apart. [Haley: Use either 'whole' or 'entire', as they both say the same thing.]

I have found some things [Haley: Coping techniques/strategies?] that have helped a tiny bit with my panic attacks such as going for a brisk thirty minute walk around my neighborhood. A therapist I was seeing suggested this and it does help from time to time but it is not something that works every time. I suppose walking at a brisk pace gets your blood flowing and I get to a place where I can only focus on taking my steps, which helps the anxiety subside because I don't have time to think all my negative and worrying thoughts. Another thing that has helped me a tad bit little with my panic attacks is playing with apps on my phone. I end up getting consumed in the game and the negative thoughts will sometimes subside or at least decrease in intensity.

These things are supposed to help with anxiety but so far I haven’t found them to be exceptionally helpful, though I have talked to people who have found walking helpful. For me, I have to rely on medication and the medication doesn’t always work all that well. Reading is a tool that helps as long as I am not having a full blown panic attack. By the time the panic attack comes on it’s too late and I am unable to concentrate on the story. However, if I start reading when the thoughts are only bubbling up it usually calms me down. My life with anxiety has been really difficult. At this point in time I feel like my anxiety is the biggest mental health issue I am dealing with. It has become something that makes me miserable and I admit that it has gotten worse in the past couple of years. I think that relying on medications is something that people should try to avoid but I also know that sometimes medication is the only thing that helps.

I think that something I would suggest to other people who have anxiety is to try and get involved in a hobby of some kind. For some people that hobby is playing games and for me it is reading. If you have something that takes up time and prevents you from thinking the anxious thoughts, you might find that your anxiety subsides a bit. The biggest thing I can suggest to people that suffer from anxiety is get into therapy and discuss your anxious thoughts. A therapist will break them down for you and help you think in a more rational matter manner about those thoughts. Also, a therapist can help you find tools to deal with the anxiety. If you are unable to find a therapist then it might help to look up some self help tips online. I know I have used a search engine and found some helpful things to try.

Can someone apply the edits to this? I'm not gonna have the time.

[Halcyon]

Edits applied.

My personal experience with anxiety
By Jenna (~Abibliophobe~)

Anxiety is something I have dealt with for many years. I was officially diagnosed with it when I was seventeen and in a psychiatric hospital. I always knew what anxiety was because my dad suffers from it as well. So, the attacks I would have were familiar to me but it was difficult experiencing it myself. I have been prescribed two different medications to deal with it but they aren't always helpful. My anxiety ranges from panic attacks to a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. The common denominator for all my anxiety is excessive worry. It starts with a small thought and then progresses from there. I start making up worst case scenarios for the original thought and then it gets harder to concentrate on anything other than the negative thoughts. Eventually I am left with a feeling of complete dread. If the worrying doesn’t stop it can manifest into panic attacks in which I can’t breathe and I feel sick to my stomach.

The thing about anxiety, at least for me, is that it gets so bad and so unbearable that sometimes I feel like it would be better if I were dead. These thoughts only increase my anxiety because then I start thinking about how bad my mental health is and I start worrying about whether or not I will ever be able to maintain employment. The thoughts end up repeating themselves over and over again. When the thoughts repeat themselves I will sometimes remind myself that the thoughts I am having are not a fact and that it will be okay. If that doesn't work I sometimes try and change my thinking. So, if I am thinking that I will never maintain employment I change that thinking to "It might be a struggle but I'll be able to do it."

The panic attacks that result make it hard to even see straight. Sometimes I have to take a step back and breathe and other times all I can do is wait it out. For me, my anxiety is severe and I deal with it every day of the week and it can last a few hours or the entire day. The panic attacks make me feel like my heart is going to pop out of my chest and sometimes I get so panic stricken I throw up. I probably have a panic attack at least once a week and it’s usually more than that. I had a panic attack yesterday and was extremely uncomfortable. My heart was beating really fast, my mind was racing with nothing but worst case scenarios, I had a feeling of complete dread and I was sick to my stomach. When I get these panic attacks it feels as though my entire life is going to fall apart.

I have found some coping strategies that have helped a tiny bit with my panic attacks such as going for a brisk thirty minute walk around my neighborhood. A therapist I was seeing suggested this and it does help from time to time but it is not something that works every time. I suppose walking at a brisk pace gets your blood flowing and I get to a place where I can only focus on taking my steps, which helps the anxiety subside because I don't have time to think all my negative and worrying thoughts. Another thing that has helped me a little with my panic attacks is playing with apps on my phone. I end up getting consumed in the game and the negative thoughts will sometimes subside or at least decrease in intensity.

These things are supposed to help with anxiety but so far I haven’t found them to be exceptionally helpful, though I have talked to people who have found walking helpful. For me, I have to rely on medication and the medication doesn’t always work all that well. Reading is a tool that helps as long as I am not having a full blown panic attack. By the time the panic attack comes on it’s too late and I am unable to concentrate on the story. However, if I start reading when the thoughts are only bubbling up it usually calms me down. My life with anxiety has been really difficult. At this point in time I feel like my anxiety is the biggest mental health issue I am dealing with. It has become something that makes me miserable and I admit that it has gotten worse in the past couple of years. I think that relying on medications is something that people should try to avoid but I also know that sometimes medication is the only thing that helps.

I think that something I would suggest to other people who have anxiety is to try and get involved in a hobby of some kind. For some people that hobby is playing games and for me it is reading. If you have something that takes up time and prevents you from thinking the anxious thoughts, you might find that your anxiety subsides a bit. The biggest thing I can suggest to people that suffer from anxiety is get into therapy and discuss your anxious thoughts. A therapist will break them down for you and help you think in a more rational manner about those thoughts. Also, a therapist can help you find tools to deal with the anxiety. If you are unable to find a therapist then it might help to look up some self help tips online. I know I have used a search engine and found some helpful things to try.

[hocus pocus]

This article has been published.