So I have what tons of other people have: anxiety! Isn't that just an awful word? And the feeling is SO much worse. Sometimes people are embarrassed to admit that they have anxiety, but I am not. Who cares what others think? Anxiety is a real thing. So with that out of the way, let me tell you my experiences with anxiety.
First of all, I had my first panic attack quite a few years ago. I was driving back to school after the weekend. All of a sudden I noticed that my hands were tingling. And then once I got onto the freeway, I started to pass out! I called my dad, did an illegal move to get off the freeway, and pulled into a gas station. I didn't know what was going on. What was happening to my body? I was shaking, my heart was pounding, I was hyperventilating (which is why I started to have tingling hands and then started to pass out), my chest hurt. I was so dizzy. It took us a little bit to figure out what was going on, but yes. It was a panic attack. In fact, it took us going to the ER to figure it out. Anxiety does a lot to you physically, even though it is a mental thing.
Well, after that the anxiety got really bad. I couldn't even leave the house because I was so scared of having another panic attack. It took me a little bit to be able to drive again without having my heart pound. I knew I couldn't live my life like that, constantly in fear. So..... I did something about it.
My aunt had given me this book titled "The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook". I have learned the techniques to conquer my anxiety! I haven't had a panic attack in several years. I just wanted to share with you a couple of the things I learned, and hopefully, it will help those of you out there who have this issue.
This is the first one and is my favorite because you can do it anytime, anywhere. It is basically breathing, but with a technique. First of all, breathe in slowly counting to five. Then hold your breath for five seconds, and then exhale slowly for five seconds. Then do two of your normal breathes. And then repeat! I like to call it the "Breathe for 5" technique. You will be amazed at how quickly your heart rate goes down and how fast the shaking hands stop.
The second one I wanted to tell you about takes a bit more time. It is called Progressive Muscle Relaxation, aka PMR. I like to lay down, turn on some relaxing music (nature sounds work for me) and then get started. Basically, you go through every muscle group in your body. You tighten the muscle group for 10 slow seconds, and then completely release any tension for 20 seconds. Be sure to on the release to let your whole body sink into the floor. After that, move on to the next muscle group. Here is the order that I like to go in: Hands, biceps, triceps, eyes, forehead, mouth, back of the neck, shoulder blades, shoulders, abdominals, butt, thighs, calves, and then feet. It takes about 15-20 minutes to do it all, but you feel amazing afterward.
If you want more details, you should check out the book. It has so many other techniques in there, those are just the two that I like the most. I am sure they have it at the library or just buy it! Click here to buy it off Amazon. It has helped me so much! Just like my dad has taught me, I can choose how my life goes, and I can overcome anything. My story has so much more to it, but this is the part I wanted to share. Good luck!
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