quick update

Posting lately has been difficult, because I've been so busy with the spring semester starting!
Of course, with the new semester comes, TADA! New stress!
I've been feeling a little uptight and anxious lately, but I have managed to dodge a couple panic attacks, and ride them out before they manifest themselves outwardly.

I'm taking a course in abnormal psychology this semester, and sometime next week we will be covering phobias, agorophobia (which is associated with panic disorder *hint hint*), anxiety, and panic. You can bet I'll probably be posting more in depth around then, so stay tuned!

Sleep is Pretty Important

Besides all of the herbal supplements I take on a daily basis, I have found that some things that help me deal with my anxiety have been completely non-medicinal in nature. There are a lot of things you can do at home, by yourself, to help aid yourself in relaxing.

First and foremost, getting adequate sleep is a must. A lot of the time, when I wake up feeling anxious all ready, I will end up feeling pretty bad all day. Nine times of out ten, it's because I didn't get enough sleep. Getting myself in a pattern of sleep and overall making sure I got enough sleep has really helped me wake up feeling way better. I don't usually wake up anxious anymore, which is awesome. Also, your mind and body will feel better overall, in every part of your life if you get enough sleep. Depriving your body wears down on you over time, even if you don't realize it. Bottom line: SLEEP! you need it!

For those who have trouble sleeping, there are not only supplements that help you to relax, but there are "non-medicinal" things that can help you get to sleep.

- Relax before you go to bed. Doing physical exercises, or preoccupying your mind close to bed time may keep you up longer than you want to be. Try to get everything that makes you feel anxious (like school work) done earlier in the day. Getting things done ahead of time also helps. Then when its time for bed, your mind can relax and that always helps!
-Set up a pattern of things before bedtime. Try and do these things in the same order each night. For instance if you want to be in bed by ten, start your routine at nine. Do your leisure activity (like reading or watching tv), take your shower, have your snack, and hit the sack. (this is just an example, do what works for you)
-Don't eat anything heavy before bed. It's okay to have a light snack, like fruit or tea, but don't carb overload before bedtime! Certain digestive features will keep you up, and worst, keep you craving more food! Not to mention the fact that some heavier foods (like pasta or bread) can actually trigger anxiety!
-Try out relaxing oils/aroma therapy. Scents like lavender and chamomile are super calming and can help put you to rest.
-Better yet, try a tea based on things like lavender or chamomile (or something else relaxing)! Buying tea is pretty easy, and they are all clearly labeled. They even make specific teas for relaxation and sleep. My personal favorite are Yogi Teas (http://www.yogitea.com/) and they are available in tons of stores.

If you have trouble getting enough rest, I would encourage you to try some of these things. Sleep is super important, especially if you're dealing with anxiety on a daily basis. I'll be posting more things dealing with relaxation later!

Natural Supplements

One of the most difficult parts of coping with anxiety, I feel, is figuring out exactly what to do about it. There are so many options to choose from today! The thing is, not all remedies, treatments, and medications will be the right choice for every single person. Anxiety and Panic symtoms are very different across the board, so different solutions are needed for different circumstances.
After a lot of searching, I have found that a very helpful treatment for me is to turn to natural remedies and supplements. It has been a long journey finding these treatments for myself, and to get to this point was a bumpy, difficult road. Here is a list of some natural supplements that have helped me:

*Omega-3 Fish Oil supplement (http://fishoil4health.com/index.html)- Fish Oil helps with a lot of different health concerns, and along with that, it also can be beneficial to those with anxiety

*5-HTP-(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-HTP)- This helps with a lot of issues associated with anxiety and panic, from issues like insomnia to depression.

*Rhodiola Rosea-( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodiola_rosea) Another supplement which helps anxiety symptoms, like depression and fatigue

*B Vitamin Complex- (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B_complex) B vitamins are crucial for any person to take, but when paired with other supplements for anxiety, the results can be great.

*Gaba supplements(gamma-amino butyric acid)-(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_amino_butyric_acid) These types of supplements are relaxing and have anti-anxiety effects

*Bach flower solutions-(http://www.bachflower.com/)- A series of solutions created by Dr. Edward Bach. There are a ton of different solutions, derived from flowers and they all serve different purposes. The solutions for anxiety are really helpful.

These are just a few things that have helped me, and I'm sure there are many more. I got most of my supplements form my holistic health care provider, but many supplements can be found in a health food store. However, I wouldn't recommend diagnosing and treating without seeking professional medical help.

In my next post I will write a little about some natural at-home remedies for relaxation that have been beneficial to me!

Medical Attention!

In this post, I said I would start to talk about medication and treatments but something that I feel is more important came up in the the last few days!

Regarding the end of my last post, I still cannot stress enough how important it is to seek sound medical help if you have any type of panic or anxiety symptoms! I recently found out I am positive for lyme disease. I would never have known this if I didn't seek professional medical help from a doctor that I trust. Many of the symptoms of lyme(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease) are triggers, similar, or a cause of anxiety, panic attacks, and even depression!

It is important for any person going through any type of health problem to seek help from a doctor that you feel comfortable with and trust completely. I have been through a ton of bad experiences with doctors until I finally found the one that is right for me!

I find that especially with anxiety and panic, that this is really important. Some doctors don't take patients completely seriously if they feel that their symptoms aren't bad enough to warrant anything too serious! This is a false assumption of course, and you as a person need to learn to trust your own instincts. Your body gives you signs for a reason if something is wrong -whether it is mental or physical. If you feel something is wrong, no matter how big or small, you have a right as a human being to seek help! Don't let a doctor push you out their door without answering your questions. Remember: you are paying for their service, so get what you pay for!

The most important things to remember in your experiences with panic and anxiety are to trust your instincts and seek help that you can trust!

Living With Panic Disorder

So in my last post, I talked a lot about general anxiety disorder. Even though a lot of people suffer with just anxiety problems, I feel it's also important for me to address another common problem that is directly associated with anxiety - panic attacks.

Panic attacks are hard to describe to a person who doesn't deal with these types of issues. This can be very frustrating for both the person suffering, and the people around them. I've been dealing with my own panic attacks for about a year now, and it has been one of the toughest things I have ever been through!

My first panic attack happened in class, during my freshman year of college. It was like any normal day. I walked into class, sat down and the lecture began. Somewhere around a half hour into class, I started feeling dizzy. I told myself it's just warm in here, and drank some water. About five minutes later the warmness turned into completely feverish burning up. My dizziness overtook me, and my heart began to race. My thoughts were going a mile a minute, and I kept thinking to myself "Oh my god, I'm dying." I put my head down, tried to relax and within the next fifteen minutes, I had to leave the classroom. As soon as I got up and left, I felt better.

This particular incident was really frightening for me, both during the episode and afterwards. I had no idea what had happened- which scared me even more! Then, and to this day, I personally have no obvious and outward triggers for my panic attacks. For me, it can happen any day, any time, and for seemingly any reason.

With all types of anxiety and panic attacks, people have different symptoms and triggers. In my case, the trigger is still unknown. A lot of people I have spoken with will tell me that their triggers are things like school work, driving, and dealing with relationships. Whatever the case may be, they are one heck of an experience!

Usually with myself, I can tell when a panic attack is coming on. They usually start with feeling anxious for an extended amount of time, until finally, the panic errupts. My symptoms include an achey chest, sore arms and muscles, dizziness, hot flashes, sweating, tingling and numbess in my legs, and a feeling of impending doom.

For other people, they may experience these symptoms along with others. Panic attacks are usually really short, but they are very traumatic and tiring to the body and mind. Even though they may only last about five to ten minutes, in that short time, your body goes through the fight or flight response, releasing tons of adrenaline. A person may feel a variety of overwhelming symptoms and emotions.

According to wikipedia.org:

-Panic attacks are commonly linked to agoraphobia and the fear of not being able to escape a bad situation. Many who experience panic attacks feel trapped and unable to free themselves

"Sufferers of panic attacks often report a fear or sense of dying, "going crazy", or experiencing a heart attack or "flashing vision", feeling faint or nauseated, heavy breathing, or losing control of themselves. These feelings may provoke a strong urge to escape or flee the place where the attack began.
The most common symptoms may include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain (or chest tightness), hot flashes, cold flashes, burning sensations (particularly in the facial or neck area), sweating, nausea, dizziness (or slight vertigo), light-headedness, hyperventilation, paresthesias (tingling sensations), sensations of choking or smothering, and derealization. These physical symptoms are interpreted with alarm in people prone to panic attacks. This results in increased anxiety, and forms a positive feedback loop.
Often the onset of shortness of breath and chest pain are the predominant symptoms, the sufferer incorrectly appraises this as a sign or symptom of a heart attack. This can result in the person experiencing a panic attack seeking treatment in an emergency room."

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_attack for more...)


I feel that in general, the wikipedia site sums it all up well. What most people don't understand is that panic attacks generally trigger more anxiety, which then can trigger another panic attack. For me, panic attacks are usually short, terrifying, and come in cycles. I have gone through periods of two or three weeks experiencing a panic attack at least every single day. They are stessful on both the mind and body. As a result of having frequent panic attacks, I particularly started to feel like something was wrong with me. As the wikipedia page says, panic attacks can feel like a heart attack. I've had numerous emergency room visits while experiencing panic attacks that were completely out of control. I'm glad they weren't anything more serious, but still, they are unpleasant.

When experiencing panic attacks, it is always a good idea to see a doctor about it sooner than later. If you don't, you may continue to experience the symptoms, get them more frequently, and they may get worse. Attack symptoms, while they won't really hurt you physically, are very stressful on your mind. Along with that, many symptons of panic are also symptoms of things that are much more fatal. Self medication is not recommended ever, especially if a person is just starting to experience panic themselves.

In my next post, I will talk more about medication and treatment for anxiety and panic disorder.

Whats up with anxiety?

For a really long time, people labeled me as "moody" or a "worry-wort". Today all of that seems funny to me, because I know its true, but I also know something else about myself:
I have anxiety and panic disorder.

I feel fortunate because within my journey of discovering what makes me tick, I have had a ton of support from family and friends. I know that, unfortunetly, a lot of people don't have this. That is why i decided to start this blog.

Anxiety disorders and panic disorder are very common today. The sad thing is that most people that have it go undiagnosed, or worse, misdiagnosed. This is hard to understand for me, with an estimate of something like 40 million Americans actually having the problem. For people who have "been there", it surprises us that some people still can't get the info they need about what is going on with them.

The hardest thing for me was and still is understanding that there is nothing wrong with me. Despite the emotional stress I go through with my anxiety, what I experience is relatively normal and common. Over time, it becomes more apparent that there is a whole network of people out there willing to lend a hand and give support to people going through similar issues.

I keep talking about my "issues" and anxiety, but what exactly do I mean by all this? Anxiety is felt both physically and mentally. In my opinion, and the opinion of a few Dr's i've spoken with, it's sympoms are caused by your mental state, which has an effect on your physical state more than any person can really imagine. According to webmd.com, common symptoms of anxiety disorder are

"Trembling, twitching, or shaking.
Feeling of fullness in the throat or chest
Breathlessness or rapid heartbeat.
Lightheadedness or dizziness.
Sweating or cold, clammy hands.
Feeling jumpy.
Muscle tension, aches, or soreness (myalgias).
Extreme tiredness.
Sleep problems, such as the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, early waking, or restlessness."
(http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/tc/anxiety-topic-overview for more...)

Reading and reviewing this sounds all to familiar for me! Symptoms of anxiety can be completely different from person to person. Perhaps this is why most people go undiagnosed. In my case, my symptoms are extreme, and I also experience things like muscle aches and soreness, hot flashes, mood swings, constant worrying about the worst possible thing happening, and a deep ache in my chest that I can't seem to shake off. These symptoms are quite alarming and for me, and can trigger panic attacks, which are in fact, even more frightening than their best friend- anxiety. (I will write more about panic disorder in my next post!)

In writing, the symptoms and issue itself may sound simple, and to those without the problem, it is often brushed off as nothing. I'm tired of this notion, and I am here to say that I won't have that viewpoint pushed at me any longer! I know now that I am not simply an "overreacting type of person", a "moody" person, or a "basket case". There is way more to anxiety than anyone without the disorder can imagine, and for a long time I felt hopeless to a solution. Through this blog I hope to connect with other people who are going through what I've gone through, and to help bring a new light on the subject - or maybe turn the light on completely!