I used to have crippling anxiety and went to emergency to be told I too was fine. It’s hard to wrap your head around that when your body is screaming. I too found befriending my anxiety immensely helpful.
This is so incredibly helpful! I really needed to read this today—it felt like you were describing exactly my life from the past year and half. Like you, my best friend has dealt with it since high school, so she was a life saver when my panic started out of nowhere and I kept ending up at the E.R. You just made me feel hopeful that I can get to a good place with it. My therapist likes to say, “Nobody ever died from a panic attack.” But when you’re at the 13/10 version, as you said, it’s hard to remember that. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing this.
Yes! It’s a journey and you can’t just immediately shift your mindset. It takes work until you truly can FEEL it. Good luck on your journey. You got this!
Yes! Symptoms are critical information. We do far more harm to people by trying to get rid of the symptom without questioning why it is there in the first place. It is extremely important that we are able to feel what is happening in our bodies. Society (including large parts of the mental health system) has created dire consequences for humanity by suggesting that we keep over riding the signals that our body is sending to us.
Something that really helped me with my anxiety is learning that anxiety is not an emotion. It is your body trying to communicate with you. My job was to listen and to believe my body.
There was a time in my life that I was put in great danger and I was powerless to save myself. My body froze and shut down to do its best to keep me alive, but I was never given the help I needed to understand it. So my body held onto it.
The only way I know to disarm my anxious triggers is to learn the truth about what happened to me.
Hi Andy It looks to me you've got this 'Anxiety State' especially Panic Attacks sorted? I write all about this condition HERE on SS after suffering myself with it when I was younger. I loved reading your post and would very much like to stay connected with you HERE on SS.
I used to have crippling anxiety and went to emergency to be told I too was fine. It’s hard to wrap your head around that when your body is screaming. I too found befriending my anxiety immensely helpful.
Amazing! Yes, its a total mind f at first.
A change in perspective can definitely help.
This is so incredibly helpful! I really needed to read this today—it felt like you were describing exactly my life from the past year and half. Like you, my best friend has dealt with it since high school, so she was a life saver when my panic started out of nowhere and I kept ending up at the E.R. You just made me feel hopeful that I can get to a good place with it. My therapist likes to say, “Nobody ever died from a panic attack.” But when you’re at the 13/10 version, as you said, it’s hard to remember that. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing this.
Yes! It’s a journey and you can’t just immediately shift your mindset. It takes work until you truly can FEEL it. Good luck on your journey. You got this!
Yes! Symptoms are critical information. We do far more harm to people by trying to get rid of the symptom without questioning why it is there in the first place. It is extremely important that we are able to feel what is happening in our bodies. Society (including large parts of the mental health system) has created dire consequences for humanity by suggesting that we keep over riding the signals that our body is sending to us.
Yes, wonderful description, @Beverly M. Simmons, PhD, LCSW!
https://howardhertz.substack.com/p/anxiety-and-the-miscalibrated-mind?r=18ndhf
I still have panic attacks now! it's horrible. But I try to use the anxiety as fuel and excitement these days.
I’m sorry to hear that but it sounds like you have a better attitude around them than I’ve had in the past! I hope you continue to find relief.
Something that really helped me with my anxiety is learning that anxiety is not an emotion. It is your body trying to communicate with you. My job was to listen and to believe my body.
There was a time in my life that I was put in great danger and I was powerless to save myself. My body froze and shut down to do its best to keep me alive, but I was never given the help I needed to understand it. So my body held onto it.
The only way I know to disarm my anxious triggers is to learn the truth about what happened to me.
Listening is the first step! Thank you so much for your comment.
Hi Andy It looks to me you've got this 'Anxiety State' especially Panic Attacks sorted? I write all about this condition HERE on SS after suffering myself with it when I was younger. I loved reading your post and would very much like to stay connected with you HERE on SS.
Amazing. And thank you so much!
Hopefully, Together we can teach others our coping strategies that we learned over the years.