anxiety 24/7

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hi all just wanted to ask a quick question, i suffer from anxiety 24/7 it isnt what i would call a panic attack because it is always there, but lately i have had the sensation of not being able to breath and that it doesent seem i am taking in enough air, is this normal! it really worrys me, im 22yrs old and cant bear living my life like this anymore! plz give any advise possible thx

Hi danny_boy,

I'm also 22 so I know how you feel looking ahead at all these things you want to do in life and thinking 'how can I even begin when I feel like this?'! When you say you feel panic 24/7 do you mean like you wake up and there's almost a ball of it sitting on your chest? That's personally what I used to get, and when you wake up with it there's not much chance of getting rid of it as the day goes on! I used to sit there all day taking these huge deep breaths to try and ease the tension in my chest but it never went.

If you're not having actual panic attacks and you just want to ease the general panic feeling then maybe a herbal remedy might help? It might take the edge off enough that you can get past this yourself without prescribed medication. You could try something like St Johns Wort or Kalms but probably best to ask the chemist whats best for your symptoms, plus try some relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation and stuff. Of course only you know how you feel and how badly this is effecting you so dont take my word on the best course of action. If you feel like you need prescribed meds then of course go to your doctor. Plus remember that your GP is always there for advice, you dont have to go in with a very specific ailment and come out with a prescription :)

Hope you start feeling better soon x

yeah i wake up wit it and go to bed wit it, just feels like my throat is closing up, even tho i know its not, i cant stop the feeling of it! it stops me from doing anything i havent been out of the town were i live for a year and a half now just because im scared of what will happen!! sad and depressed! :(

Hi danny_boy

You have to remember that the physical sensations that you get - increased heart-rate, constriction of the throat, laboured breathing, confusion, etc - are normal biological reactions to fear that everyone gets and they will disappear if you can get on top of the anxiety. THEY ARE NOT A SIGN THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU.

The only difference is, you feel more anxious more of the time than the average person and part of the reason for this is that you have got into the 'habit' of being anxious. As bizarre as it might sound, you have got to the point where you only feel 'safe' when you are anxious.

From my own experience, it's not that you can't relax, it's that you daren't relax because you feel like you are not safe if you do. You feel like you have to be on your guard all the time and you feel like your heightened mental state is protecting you from something terrible happening. Of course it isn't. Every night when you go to sleep you let your defences down, you still wake up in the morning.

Of course, the more time you spend feeling anxious, the more you are reinforcing these unconscious beliefs and the more your focus will shift from the world around you into your own head - and the more anxious you will get. It's a vicious circle - I know, I've been there. The hard part is finding a small way that you can break the cycle. Something you can believe in and build on that's not negative.

Chris

rabid.badger@ntlworld.com

Chris, you just described what I always tell people that makes them look at me like I have 5 heads lol! I always say I dont want to relax or calm down because then I feel like whatever it is I'm scared of will actually happen, because I let my guard down. My mum always says to me 'but you want to get better and get a job and a flat and have friends again, dont you?' and sometimes I honestly dont. Sometimes I think maybe I can just get a tiny council flat and lock myself away without the hassle of trying to get better but I know that thats not the answer at all!

Anyway, just had to comment on that because as always its such a relief when someone says they've been thinking/feeling the same way you have! :)

Sarah x

Hi Sarah

I think part of the reason for this is that we know how bad panic attacks are and we are trying to brace ourselves for them.

For example. Imagine you measure your anxiety on a level of 1 - 10; 1 is very calm, 10 is very anxious. If you spend all your time at level 7, then it's no great shock to the system if you go up to level 8. If, on the other hand, you are strolling along happily at level 1 and you suddenly shoot up to level 8, it's devastating.

If you only stay on the first rung of the ladder, you'll never fall very far :)

Chris x