I walked a mile for anxiety
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 81
I walked a mile for anxiety
Yesterday I asked God to take away my panic I cannot handle it anymore.
When I got to my parents house today I barely noticed that I was already worring about the drive home In the back of my mind. On my way home, the derealization and anxiety was enormous. I had that sensation like someone had tightened a rope around my head. I circled on different roads a few times wondering if i should go back to my parents house to calm down.
Finally I got pissed off and said F*** IT! I'M SICK OF THIS S**T!!
I started to drive home thinking "bring it on". I was in fight mode now.
With my heart racing, not because I was panicing but because I was so angry, I began telling myself the FACTS of anxiety I have been reading about.
*ANXIETY IS THE FEAR OF FEAR! IT IS FEARING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT HAPPENING!
*While the derealization my be scarey and uncomfortable it CANNOT hurt me.
*Chest pain during an anxiety attack is real not imagined. But, it's the pain in chest muscles because of the way i'm breathing not my heart.
I am not having a heart attack!
*I feel like I'm going to faint.
Fainting is cause by a sudden, significant drop in blood pressure. If the brain needs blood It puts itself where the blood is, at your feet.
While fainting can happen during a panic attack it is EXTREMELY rare and it has NEVER happened to me.
*I will go CRAZY or loose my mind! I probably had a 100 panic attacks in my life, hundreds maby even thousands of hours of derealization in my life(the vast majority due to alcohol) and not once did i go crazy or die!
*It doesnt matter how many anxiety attacks you had you dont accumulate enough credits to trade up to psychosis. You don't get promoted to schizophrenia. FACT! (my favorite)
*Sweaty palms, numbness in legs, toes, fingers, Visual disturbances, biting finger nails.....All sensations of fear. Understand the sensation tells you to be afraid. Accept it. You are not in danger It cannot hurt you.
The further I drove the more the anxiety and derealization dissipated.
When i got home I didnt want to stop I was still up for this fight and I would be the last one standing. I decided to go for a walk. (It was only 2 days ago when I would feel nervous walking around my apt. building, a distance of about 300 ft. Yes, It was that bad and I have been sitting around for weeks out of shape) I remember In the past when I used to excercise I would feel my heart rate increase and start to feel panic. I was relating the sensation in heart rate to a anxiety attack. Knowing this I decided to walk down the street as far as one of the telephone poles. Thinking of going further than that I felt a little nervous so I told myself to push through It. Worst case I would have a panic attack. I'm not going to lose my mind or die. I walked well beyond that pole down the street, up through a group of condos and back down to my apt.(approx. 1/2 mile) When I got there a little voice in my head said "do it again". So I did it all over again and never even noticed my heart rate. The derealization was there but I accepted it as discomfort, its not going to hurt me and It wont be here forever.
I didnt die, I didnt have a panic attack, I didnt lose my mind or go crazy, I didnt faint and I didnt have a heart attack. When I got back to my apartment I realized that " tightened a rope around my head" was GONE! I almost couldnt believe it. The derealization was there but reduced by 80%(guessing) and remaines at that level. I faced fear and beat It, Thank you God!
Anxiety is ********! Its nothing more than a trick. We get nervous experience discomfort and get fooled into thinking its danger.
I wrote this yesterday so I would never forget it. I decided to post It because I hope it can help someone else. Its not just fighting anxiety It really comes down to understanding it. Think about it.
7 days sober. Oh Yeah!
When I got to my parents house today I barely noticed that I was already worring about the drive home In the back of my mind. On my way home, the derealization and anxiety was enormous. I had that sensation like someone had tightened a rope around my head. I circled on different roads a few times wondering if i should go back to my parents house to calm down.
Finally I got pissed off and said F*** IT! I'M SICK OF THIS S**T!!
I started to drive home thinking "bring it on". I was in fight mode now.
With my heart racing, not because I was panicing but because I was so angry, I began telling myself the FACTS of anxiety I have been reading about.
*ANXIETY IS THE FEAR OF FEAR! IT IS FEARING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT HAPPENING!
*While the derealization my be scarey and uncomfortable it CANNOT hurt me.
*Chest pain during an anxiety attack is real not imagined. But, it's the pain in chest muscles because of the way i'm breathing not my heart.
I am not having a heart attack!
*I feel like I'm going to faint.
Fainting is cause by a sudden, significant drop in blood pressure. If the brain needs blood It puts itself where the blood is, at your feet.
While fainting can happen during a panic attack it is EXTREMELY rare and it has NEVER happened to me.
*I will go CRAZY or loose my mind! I probably had a 100 panic attacks in my life, hundreds maby even thousands of hours of derealization in my life(the vast majority due to alcohol) and not once did i go crazy or die!
*It doesnt matter how many anxiety attacks you had you dont accumulate enough credits to trade up to psychosis. You don't get promoted to schizophrenia. FACT! (my favorite)
*Sweaty palms, numbness in legs, toes, fingers, Visual disturbances, biting finger nails.....All sensations of fear. Understand the sensation tells you to be afraid. Accept it. You are not in danger It cannot hurt you.
The further I drove the more the anxiety and derealization dissipated.
When i got home I didnt want to stop I was still up for this fight and I would be the last one standing. I decided to go for a walk. (It was only 2 days ago when I would feel nervous walking around my apt. building, a distance of about 300 ft. Yes, It was that bad and I have been sitting around for weeks out of shape) I remember In the past when I used to excercise I would feel my heart rate increase and start to feel panic. I was relating the sensation in heart rate to a anxiety attack. Knowing this I decided to walk down the street as far as one of the telephone poles. Thinking of going further than that I felt a little nervous so I told myself to push through It. Worst case I would have a panic attack. I'm not going to lose my mind or die. I walked well beyond that pole down the street, up through a group of condos and back down to my apt.(approx. 1/2 mile) When I got there a little voice in my head said "do it again". So I did it all over again and never even noticed my heart rate. The derealization was there but I accepted it as discomfort, its not going to hurt me and It wont be here forever.
I didnt die, I didnt have a panic attack, I didnt lose my mind or go crazy, I didnt faint and I didnt have a heart attack. When I got back to my apartment I realized that " tightened a rope around my head" was GONE! I almost couldnt believe it. The derealization was there but reduced by 80%(guessing) and remaines at that level. I faced fear and beat It, Thank you God!
Anxiety is ********! Its nothing more than a trick. We get nervous experience discomfort and get fooled into thinking its danger.
I wrote this yesterday so I would never forget it. I decided to post It because I hope it can help someone else. Its not just fighting anxiety It really comes down to understanding it. Think about it.
7 days sober. Oh Yeah!
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Anxiety and panic attacks are not part of my medical history
either as a drinker or now as an AA recovered alcoholic.
However....I found your post interesting
.Congratulations on your sober time...
either as a drinker or now as an AA recovered alcoholic.
However....I found your post interesting
.Congratulations on your sober time...
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 5,678
Thanks for that Mits x
The day before my first AA meeting I walked 7 miles to distract myself and have those 'what's the worst thing which can happen' conversations in my head. Before I stopped drinking I wouldn't have even been able to do that because I always associated an elevated heart rate with an anxiety attack. It's great when we finally manage to overcome these things
The day before my first AA meeting I walked 7 miles to distract myself and have those 'what's the worst thing which can happen' conversations in my head. Before I stopped drinking I wouldn't have even been able to do that because I always associated an elevated heart rate with an anxiety attack. It's great when we finally manage to overcome these things
Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Oxnard (The Nard), CA, USA.
Posts: 13,900
Well done Mits! Thanks for sharing. Understand and practicing skills that help manage panic/anxiety is a great way to move through the obstacles anxiety presents in life. CBT, DBT and soberity skill building have aided me to do things that once I though were impossible.
member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,433
Good for you! Yeah, anxiety is fear of fear, imho the best way to beat it is by using CBT, like Zencat suggested. On a physical level:
Exercise, even something non exerting like walking, is a great way to control anxiety.
During my first few months, and at Anna's suggestion, I took to walking.. just for a few blocks at first. By month 2 I was walking 5 miles daily and loving it-
I feel for you regarding the derealisation, it's so incredibly scary. I managed to cure mine, so I'll give you a few tips:
Most people suffering from anxiety and panic don't breathe correctly: they take rapid shallow "chest" breaths. If you're doing this, you need to start taking deep "belly" breaths. Lay your hand flat against your navel; when you inhale, your tummy should inflate like a balloon; hold your breath for a second, then exhale completely. I learnt to breathe like this in CBT, it's hard at first, but with practice it becomes automatic, all day long.
Make sure that you're eating well. Dips in your blood sugar level might cause you to feel faint. A way to avoid this is to eat small healthy snacks throughout the day (check with your doc).
Last one, and it's yucky ;-) Make sure that your ears are clean. Wax buildup can potentially make you fill dizzy. If you have this problem, the best way to remove it is, again, by seeing a doc. If you want to do it yourself, google "ear wax removal by olive oil method". It's messy but incredibly effective. And don't scourge your ears with a screwdriver, LOL, or a Q-tip for that matter.
hope this helps!
Exercise, even something non exerting like walking, is a great way to control anxiety.
During my first few months, and at Anna's suggestion, I took to walking.. just for a few blocks at first. By month 2 I was walking 5 miles daily and loving it-
I feel for you regarding the derealisation, it's so incredibly scary. I managed to cure mine, so I'll give you a few tips:
Most people suffering from anxiety and panic don't breathe correctly: they take rapid shallow "chest" breaths. If you're doing this, you need to start taking deep "belly" breaths. Lay your hand flat against your navel; when you inhale, your tummy should inflate like a balloon; hold your breath for a second, then exhale completely. I learnt to breathe like this in CBT, it's hard at first, but with practice it becomes automatic, all day long.
Make sure that you're eating well. Dips in your blood sugar level might cause you to feel faint. A way to avoid this is to eat small healthy snacks throughout the day (check with your doc).
Last one, and it's yucky ;-) Make sure that your ears are clean. Wax buildup can potentially make you fill dizzy. If you have this problem, the best way to remove it is, again, by seeing a doc. If you want to do it yourself, google "ear wax removal by olive oil method". It's messy but incredibly effective. And don't scourge your ears with a screwdriver, LOL, or a Q-tip for that matter.
hope this helps!
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Sussex, England
Posts: 945
Thanks Mits... Im going to copy that into my SR words of wisdom file if thats OK.
I suffer terribly from anxiety and derealisation (causing agoraphobia)
My sensible head KNOWS its just fear of fear, but when it actually happens to you, its also a fear of it happening again! My doctor has referred me to therapy for this, so will have to see what happens.
Well done to you! It reminds me as well of the times I used to be disabled by hangovers at work... I used to get SO ANGRY at myself that they used to ease up a bit.
Well, at least I don't get the hangovers anymore!
I suffer terribly from anxiety and derealisation (causing agoraphobia)
My sensible head KNOWS its just fear of fear, but when it actually happens to you, its also a fear of it happening again! My doctor has referred me to therapy for this, so will have to see what happens.
Well done to you! It reminds me as well of the times I used to be disabled by hangovers at work... I used to get SO ANGRY at myself that they used to ease up a bit.
Well, at least I don't get the hangovers anymore!
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Between Meetings
Posts: 8,997
Originally Posted by Mits78 
Well, don't leave us hanging, What is it?
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 181
i get practically everything you mentioned, derealisation doesnt always happen to me but when it did i jumped out of my chair wondering what the hell was happening and i went into full blown panic and ended up phoning emergency services. 2 days ago i was at the doctors with chest and back pain crying my eyes out thinking i was dying and i was sent straight for an ecg which came back fine and i also feel like im going to pass out a lot of the time. its a horrendous thing to go through but im glad you wrote this as i feel a sense of relief. i used to go on an anxiety forum and i was laughing when someone said to me that the likes of us dont have to jump out of an aeroplane or ride on rollecoasters to get an adrenaline rush we just have to sit and watch the tv to get one lol
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