Lived Experience Forum

[Jaz5]

Anyone have any suggestions on how to calm intense anxiety 

tembling lightheadness palpations tight knot in stomach slowly going away now but I need help on ways I can try and control it 

I’m going through abit of a hard time with my son who has hit teenage years I think I’m just serverly stressed out 

[outlander]

hello @Jaz5 and welcome

try to slow your breathing down. breathe in for 3 hol for 3 then release for 3. keep breathing until your heart settles. the lightheadedness comes from the hyperventilation so by slowing and getting more oxygen in it should help.

have you got any supports at all to help you with your struggles atm?
im not a parent so cant fully understand your troubles but @Teej @Faith-and-Hope @CheerBear may be able to help...

[CheerBear]

Hi @Jaz5 it's nice to 'meet' you (thanks for the tag @outlander ☺)

Sorry to hear you're struggling with intense anxiety. I find it can be really exhausting and the physical side of it difficult to manage sometimes. There's a thread here on coping strategies that may be helpful, with some exercises on the last couple of pages.

Having a teenager sounds like it could be pretty stressful! I haven't hit the teenage years with mine yet, though I'm getting hints of what's coming. I too am curious to know whether you have much support around you? I find parenting with mental health issues pretty challenging at times. It helps me to have supportive and understanding people to talk with about it.

[Jaz5]

Thanks for the suggestions it’s finally gone now that was horrible I do have help off my husband who is amazing but I think on top of my anxiety it stresses me out more than him 😢

[Jaz5]

I am a young mum of 3 boys my oldest being a teenager trying to juggle work, life, school I think it’s just getting to me I don’t feel like myself anymore. It’s happening to me everyday I get all these strange symptoms that come and go.

[outlander]

hi @Jaz5 if you put an @ symbol before the members name itll tag them for you

[TAB]

Might sound silly but learning how to breathe can help re yoga breaths etc ie Really deep breaths @Jaz5 anyway google it most people shallow breathe

[CheerBear]

Hi again @Jaz5. It's good to hear that the wave of anxiety you were experiencing passed last night. Over years I've become pretty familiar with the way anxiety works for me and sometimes holding on to the knowledge that intense hits of anxiety do pass, really helps me a lot. Anxiety can feel so scary in my body that I start being afraid of the anxiety itself, and then it becomes a cycle of fearing the feeling of fear! Not being as afraid of anxiety as I used to be has helped reduce the time I am stuck in anxious mode I think.

As others mentioned, breathing exercises can be really useful too. Practicing them when I am not really anxious helps me be able to use them more effectively when I am anxious.

Work, school and parenting would definitely take some juggling and not leave you with much time for you I imagine. I have three kids also and find it a juggle even without work or study anymore! It's great to hear you have the help of your husband. Are you able to talk with him about what you've been experiencing as far as the stress, anxiety and feeling like you're not yourself anymore?

There are so many of us here who live with anxiety and lots of life juggling and it's great to see you reaching out for support. Knowing that I am not alone with the way I feel and with what I experience, is another something that has helped a lot. I hope you find it helpful to be here.

[Jaz5]

Thank you everyone for trying help 

when it happens I feel very drained afterwards and all I want to do is sleep but I’m constantly waking up. 

I know it’s anxiety and I keep trying to tell myself that but it’s like can all these symptoms really be anxiety? 

I’m glad I can come here and I’m not alone 

i really need to get back into exercising again but everytime I want to my body stop me With weird symptoms

I hate it but as soon as I can accept it I think the better off I’ll be 

thanks again everyone 

[CheerBear]

I find it so draining @Jaz5! When I have a big hit of panic or anxiety and it gets out of control, I feel wrecked! Even trying to manage it and keep it from getting out of control, which is a daily thing for me, can be really tiring.

It's hard to know whether everything you're experiencing is anxiety related and I can see how you might be questioning it. Maybe it's worth speaking to a Dr to check that there's not something else going on for you?

I do know that anxiety does some pretty funky physical stuff for me. A while ago, before I really understood what was going on, I used to feel and be very sick every morning. I'd race to the bathroom feeling the need to be sick. It felt so much like morning sickness (so yuck!) that I questioned whether it was, even though I knew it really truly couldn't be. It went on like that for ages. The symptoms in my chest and throat (tightness, racing heart, palpitations, shakes etc) can feel like I imagine a heart attack may. It's such a physical experience for me.

Although I say often that anxiety is my friend as it gets stuff done, intense anxiety is something I really don't like too. It's a total pain sometimes but there are definitely ways to work towards managing it. Looking at what is driving the anxiety, which may be that stress you've mentioned (and/or other things), might help address it also.