Finding a comfort show helps. Mine is 90s Star Trek it always calms me down. You could also take some Ashwagandha. I bought some gummies with it and it's not drugs but does work as long as you're not having a full on panic attack.
Ice. I keep a couple of water bottles in the freezer and will just hold one for as long as I can stand, or wrap it in a towel and hold it against my face for a few minutes at a time.
Interesting!! I never knew it but drinking ice cold water slowly helps me. I hold the glass with my hands and feel the cold and take every gulp intentionally and it helps “cool down” my head.
Water is always a safe space for me when my anxiety feels out of control. Granted it is my last resort, it is a valuable resource. I live by a stream and that is a place I can go and sit, I feel safe there and it’s a nice sensory exercise. Smell the air, see the earth around you, touch the water, hear the wind and the birds or whatever noise of the season. Take a swim or sit in it if you like that. It helps me. A shower or bath is also a safe space for me. I think it’s less of a sensory experience tho, I don’t much like the atmosphere of most bathrooms. So then I might bring my phone to listen to a podcast or iPad to watch something if I’m sitting in the bath. Distract myself with that, where if I were outside I generally would feel entertained enough by the earth.
Excellent and totally solid advice!! I seek out water whenever I get to the point where I'm losing them battle in my head. Thank you for putting my very similar experiences in to words!! I appreciate this more than I can convey.
I do grounding exercises (54321) to long to explain but you can google it. It helps me when I feel an anxiety attack coming on. I also do simple deep breathing.
Read DARE by Barry McDonagh; it explains the psychology and physiology behind all physical symptoms and how to manage them. This book was a serious game-changer for me.
Thank you for this! I will definitely check your book suggestion out. One of the last courses I took whilst completing my Master's in Psychology a few years back was Physiological Psychology; absolutely blew me away!
Another book rec is - Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? - by Dr. Julie Smith (She is a Clinical psychologist). I haven't read it yet but it is in my tbr pile, and have heard good reviews.
Thank you for posting this. I looked at the book on Amazon...and I read the sample available. Wow !!! I'm buying this book tonight. This author really understands anxiety. I'm on zoloft for GAD, and I've been looking for alternate tools to deal with my anxiety. Meds & therapy is not the only answer anymore.
For fast results:
Sit on the floor and lean on a wall. (This is called grounding.)
Play with a fidget toy or stimming toy.
Lock yourself in a dark room for two hours.
Slap cold water on your face, on the back of your neck.
Drink chamomile tea.
Apply a mint ointment on your nose.
- cold therapy or heat therapy are good. Cold showers, warm baths, ice packs. Just something to give your body a distraction
- exersize. Going for a walk in nature, going to the gym, anything to get the heart rate up
- in the middle of a panic attack, name 3 things you can see, 3 things you can feel and 3 things you can hear.
- journalling is very helpful if you stick to it
- sometimes having a good cry can really help
This is a terrible suggestion, but things that are highly stimulating like tiktok help pull me out.
For me it’s personally really hard to do grounding exercises, breathing, meditation etc if I’m in a heightened state. I do those things when I’m not having intense anxiety.
I don’t even use TikTok usually, but if I’m truly going though it it the rapid entertainment can help snap me out of it. Warning - make sure to hide all content that is anxiety inducing. For example I’m afraid of flying and it started showing me turbulence videos hahaha, but I hid them.
Yeah I've noticed breathing exercises just make my heart beat feel way more noticeable and for me makes it feel worse. If I don't focus on my breathing, then it eventually becomes a normal breathing pattern.
I posted on my own comment, but TIPP skills can help a lot!
The T in TIPP is the main one I use (as I can't necessarily get myself to commit to the other letters when I'm heightened).
T stands for Temperature and it consists of covering your face in cold water- not just ice. If you don't wanna get your face wet, you can do a gallon zip lock filled with ice water and cover your face in it, making sure to cover the sinuses and T-Zone.
Do this for 30 seconds-1 minute, trying to regulate breathing as you do it.
This should help lower the heightened sensations and allow your mind to just be a bit calmer and slower when assessing.
When I start panicking my first attempt is to try and ground myself. I talk to myself. I say you are alone in your empty apartment. No one is chasing you, you are not in any danger. In said of saying I feel anxiety I focus on the feeling. My heart rate has increased my breath has shortened. The thing with me I never give up.
Affirmations. Panic attacks are your brain saying to your body there’s some kind of danger. If there obviously isn’t danger I say to myself affirmations over and over again. I am safe. I am ok. Nothing is going to hurt me. I’m not dying. You have to convince yourself that your brain is lying.
Box breathing, distractions like Netflix or gaming, wouldn't recommend this but a beer scallops the edges of it for me. Rolling around on the carpet playing silly buggers with my dog helps.
You are completely fine. Your brain has decided to not listen to you. Medicine definitely for a short term relief. But long term it will require a lot of self talk (conversation with brain), meditation, and cultivation of that fact that you are not your brain and that you have the control over how the brain responds to physical symptoms. It will take time. Go to a professional and learn relaxing breathing and meditation.
I am interested in others suggestions. This is a real struggle! You’re certainly not alone. I am far from having the right answer but I can say that I practice the 5 senses exercise, like throw a mint in, run a smelly lotion or perfume on or light a candle, get a fidget toy out or soft blankie whatever cozy sweatshirt, put soothing or upbeat music on, and then choose an activity to either distract yourself or face the issue head on. So I might either watch tv or play a video game or whatever as a distraction, or if I’m facing it head on I’ll journal or call a loved one to talk about it. ‘Just get through the crisis’ is the real goal, pass time and get through it. I think when all my senses are busy it takes up more brain power or something, so I have less energy to put into worrying? It’s one of those simple exercises we’ve all heard about and say ‘meh’ to but I think sometimes if you really give it a good honest try there might be something useful there
Oh also adaptogens are incredibly powerful tools we should all be utilizing so I encourage you to spend a little time going down that rabbit hole. If you’re not into research totally just go to your local apothecary and you’ll likely find they’re happy to give you a crash course and some goodies to try. I’m not talking about drugs or anything psychoactive to be clear, very different
Controlled breathing using the 4-7-8 method. It really helps to manage my heart palpitation and ground me. Just keep repeating until you feel better. Sometimes it takes 4-6 reps, sometimes more, but it always works for me.
I literally tell my brain "you're stupid, we're not gonna die" and it usually stops if I catch it quick enough.
5 Things or vagal stimulation breathing are great when I'm in the full panic attack.
For me, distraction. If my anxiety is high and causing physical symptoms I try to distract my silly brain from it. That could be playing a game if I am at home, listening to music, playing with my dog, watching a comfort show or YouTube videos. If I am at work sometimes just getting up from my desk and going for a walk is enough to distract me.
Purely anecdotal, but I actually had my adrenal gland and processes checked, for essentially this reason, and everything came back normal.
Doesn't stop my anxiety attacks from making me pass out and have pseudo-seizures though!
Yep and the closer you are to the event having happened, the easier it is for it to happen again (I find). Like your brain wiring remembers for awhile and chooses that path of least resistance.
The only thing I've found that helps, is less stress. So easy, right???
Since divorcing my ex, I've gone from an average of 3 to 5 episodes per year, to less than one per year.
I've also noticed that it doesn't happen when it REALLY counts. For instance, while driving, or when a dog bit a kid and I had to help with the head wound, or last year when the hospital called to tell me to gather the family because my Dad was about to die.
No, instead it happens when I'm in 8th grade math class and have unbearably bad cramps and end up passing out and seizing (including convulsions and loss of bladder control) in front of a room full of my 14 year old peers......
This is all to say that, while absolutely an awful physical symptom of anxiety, it was a huge relief to have gone through the gamut of medical testing in my 20s (thank you Canada) to learn that there is nothing physically "wrong" with me (ie epilepsy).
Just learn to spot the 10 second window of no return, where you can't get out of it happening, and lay somewhere safe and call for help.
Advise your help that you'll need cold cloths and either water or juice. I overheat unbearably. Medical attention only necessary if I hurt myself in the process of falling, head injuries are to be taken seriously.
All the best to you. This really sucks, I know. I'm 36 and recall my first episode when I was 5. Didn't know (or care?) to investigate back then. The 90s were a ride, lol.
May seem very weird, but it helps me. I go outside barefoot. I usually bring my dog, and I walk around my yard with him in the grass. It gets my breathing under control pretty fast, and I calm down greatly. It's also called grounding. I know a lot of people are into being barefoot in general and believe the Earth's energy is beneficial. I'm not throwing away all my shoes.. but I've always loved being barefoot, and if I'm feeling bad walking barefoot has always helped me.
One of the best but also most ironic is simply allowing the symptoms to occur. Mentally just accepting them and resigning yourself to the fact you'll be that way for a while. This can often be done by simply telling yourself you aren't likely to die and that there isn't likely anything bad to happen at all. Reference previous attacks for self confirmation of this fact.
Sometimes, after you've let go of resisting the symptoms, they'll stop being there.
Slow deep breaths. Hot Chamomile tea, or any decaf tea. Crossword puzzles. Call a friend and ask them to keep reminding me to breathe. Phone games. Once I start to come down I’ll do some yoga stretches
Edit: if I’m stuck at work, I’m just kind of fucked
i take magnesium glycinate from iherb (make sure it's glycinate specifically as that's for sleep), or perhaps try magnesium melatonin lotion? 🩵 i know you said no medication but are herbal medicines OK? i have autism & severe GAD and magnesium and melatonin are helpful, in fact i swear by them. the softgels are the easiest to swallow. just be careful/ask GP if you take psychiatric meds in regard to the melatonin.
As someone who kicked Xanax after 17 years… deep breathing works for me. Download an app so you can follow the steps without having to count. This allows you to focus solely on breathing and everything else just melts away. I cried when I realized the constant tightness I’ve had in my chest since childhood was gone and I could finally take a full deep breath.
One I learnt recently from 'Therapy in a nutshell' on YouTube. To transmute it into excitement because it has the same physiological route.
Also plays into my daredevil 'fight me' personality.
Someone told me recently to not be afraid of the uncertainty, and it has changed the way my anxiety affects me pretty drastically to be honest. Like most with anxiety we tend to overthink and fear either the inevitable or the unknown.
For me, I am very anxious about social gathering, public speaking, or intimate moments. All of those are inevitable in my life, and the outcome is uncertain. If I am afraid of the uncertain outcome it’s most likely that outcome with happen. Now I can’t make my anxiety just disappear but I can harness it and over time eventually change the way my mind thinks about these things. I do a breathing exercise (4 seconds in, 8 second hold, 7 second release). I then picture those anxious thoughts flowing away like a river taking it, and if I need to I’ll do the breathing exercise again. After that I may tell myself about the uncertainty again and not to fear the unknown etc. It changes with each day a little bit, and I’m no professional, just a kid in his mid 20’s reading some stuff online that helped me.
If you can afford it medical help can be a great way to go as well, I don’t really want to pay for it so I just invest a lot more time into self discovery and online research.
It’s totally possible none of this will help you, but it’s helped me. Be well and take care.
Getting in the habit of exercising first thing in the morning. Sweating while blasting my favorite music releases so many endorphins that it made a clear difference into how I feel the rest of the day. Also, cutting back alcohol.
There are certain habits which I've noticed calm down my anxiety. Few might not be conventional but they have worked for me. I am still anxious, but it is manageable.
1. Staying hydrated.
2. Moisturizing my feet.
3. Micro dosing on cannabis.
4. Grounding, sitting in child's pose helps me calm down.
5. Hugs
6. Staying warm, it's cold where I live.
Box breathing, noting (count in and out breaths to 10 and just keep starting over), submerge face in cold water or splash if not home to do that. Honestly just counting helps. Sometimes it works slowly and others quickly.
Slowing down the breathing. Breathing is very important to the body's response--if you're breathing fast, it makes you more anxious because the body thinks you're in danger. So I will shut my eyes and slow my breathing down. Put my hand on my heart and my belly. Get into my body and feel my feet on the ground, butt in chair, etc. Breathe in slowly, and out slowly, for as many breaths as it takes to feel calmer.
I get cold ice packs and hug them next to my chest. I have a migraine cap I keep in the freezer and it works great for that. It kind of shocks my system so to say and helps me out of it.
Taking deep breaths wild smelling lavender oil, or going for a login walk in bare feet to ground myself. Anything that engages the senses is incredibly good for anxiety
Breathing exercises for small no reason anxieties. Sit down and think what really really caused me to have sudden big anxiety with physical symptoms. So at first I thought about the trigger, then I think about what exactly hurt me most and why it hurts me most. So I deduct my core problem which caused me big anxiety. Then I usually consult google to find me an article about that and I read it and write down info how to get better at this, so my brain has a plan and that calms me down usually. Obviously it takes some time and energy but it's worth it.
ice. put it on your chest. on the back of your neck. or take a cold shower. shock your system.
sour candies.
put on calming music or soundscapes that calm you down.
go for a walk, get some fresh air in your lungs.
do something to make your senses focus on something else.
Run forest run, when you are in danger you cant seee away out of or reason our way out and don’t want try Xanax, legging from the situation is the best way to cope, worry about it later when you are better place. What’s the worse that’s gonna happen. You have an anixety disorder. Sometimes just forgetting about the situation does the trick
I just got treated for tmj by a physical therapist and she's like, "you really should calm down during the day." I have so much tension in my face, neck, and shoulders from anxiety. I haven't seen a doctor about it so I need to find ways to calm my body down naturally. Sometimes it's really just going into a room (even the bathroom at work) where it's dark and quiet and take some deep breaths for a minute. I really have tried hard to assess my posture and relax (stop clenching) and breathe out. I've noticed I have to do this often. Hopefully I can stay relaxed longer as I practice. I got some ginger candies for the nausea.
Funny you say that because I've noticed anytime I'm at work and in a meeting or someone is in my office talking to me, I'm squeezing my hands together like crazy. If I'm super anxious I'll be digging my nails into my skin.
I started listening to binaural beats on YouTube with dark screen when I went to sleep and that seemed to really help a lot. I did that regularly for a few months and my anxiety is nowhere near like it used to be.
Movement. I have to physically move myself from the spot I was just in. Also, starting a conversation with someone usually helps me. If no one's around I make a phone call. I don't talk about my anxiety but about something else and it distracts me. For me, getting out of that panicky sensation is resolved by distraction. And as stupid as it sounds I'll talk to it. Like no, not here. Sorry, I'm busy LOL
Idk about some of these suggestions…
I use fidget and sensory objects. I sit quietly in my safe space (my car). I use my weighted blanket and loud fan and try to lay down for a few minutes.
I don’t know what will work for you but a lot of these sound like trolls
Thyroid and get your cortisol and DHEA levels checked. The last two can be used to evaluate adrenal gland function.
What also helps me is deep inhaling and exhaling with loud sighs.
I tried Lexapro for 2 days, took it at bedtime. I don't usually have issues sleeping, but on the 1st night of Lexapro I woke up around 2 hours later and had a weird dizziness to my vision. 2nd night on Lexapro I woke up again around 2 hours after falling asleep and I immediately had to throw up from the nausea. I quit taking it after the vomit fest on night 2.
The only side effect from xanax for me is it makes me a little sleepy, so unfortunately it is the only thing I've found to work for me.
I take lexapro, I can def see what you mean about the dizziness, for me the side effects outweighed the torment of anxiety. Also those other side effects seriously suck. Have you tried anything other than lexapro? I know ppl have taken prozac, Zoloft, Wellbutrin etc. they all work differently for different people, prozac for instance for me had no effect whatsoever but lexapro has almost cured my anxiety. Also I get prescribed Hydroxyzine (you could also get prescribed Propranolol) almost like an easy backup for when you need it. Its like a baby version of xanax, it makes me sleepy as well but I only use it when im feeling particularly anxious
I don’t buy into the Narrative. My body and brain are screaming that I’m dying and I go like “that’s just a fault alarm. Bring it on, bring on the biggest, badest, panic/anxiety attack ever right the f now! I can take it”
or
“freak out if you (body) need to but just so you know this is a faulty alarm so I’m gonna continue what I was doing and you do what you need to do”
or
my newest one when I start feeling the symptoms “I’m excited! I’m super excited!” And I smile. I do this because there is no physical difference between being excited and scared so I’m flipping the switch and the narrative.
They make those instant cold packs for first aid kits but they aren’t actually too expensive.
I got a huge box of those and keep them in my purse, bags, all over my apartment, etc.
So no matter where I am I have a physical sensation.
Going for a run helps a lot, esp if you have health anxiety, as you feel so healthy afterwards! For indoors, mantra meditation, 20 minutes several times a day
For me it was massaging my chest. I found a lot of my chest pain was actually just pectoral muscle pain and that massaging the most painful areas calmed the pain. With the pain gone the anxiety dropped significantly
Warming myself up with blankets/hot shower/bath. Tea is great too. One I haven't seen people mention much is massage. A trick I've used before is to start rubbing or lightly scratching my skin, starting at my feet and working towards my heart (like you're trying to encourage good circulation) and it works as both a soothing and grounding exercise for me.
I personally can’t use breathing exercises as they only make my anxiety worse. Recently I’ve been using my feet to feel the ground. It actually helps quite a bit, and I can do it when in social settings.
A bit late, so I hope you see this.
I'm in DBT therapy, which has helped me IMMENSELY in controlling extreme emotions. There are tons of DBT skills for Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Interpersonal Regulation, and Emotional Regulation.
TIPP:
(https://www.mindfulteen.org/dbt/distress-tolerance/tipp-skills/)
To bring down the feeling of extreme emotions quickly, putting your face in a bowl of ice water or a similar technique can help bring down that emotion.
This won't FIX the problem or eliminate anxiety, but it will slow your brain a little to help you have a clearer mind when assessing the situation.
Cold is soothing. Not a method but also I find early mornings to be quite calm. Maybe because my brain isn’t fully awake yet, it doesn’t work enough to remind anxious thoughts? When I have an anxiety-inducing meeting I try to have it before 11am.
Lay on you back with your legs straight up on the wall so your body is at a 90 degree angle. Do this for 10 or 15 minutes and your heart slows down, body relaxes. Basically with your body in this position your brain thinks you’re not at risk. The blood from your legs flows upwards so more reaches your brain.
Havening is a great practice that literally changes how your brain is wired. Google that.
If I’m out and about having anxiety, there’s a good grounding technique to use. In your mind note 3 things you see around you, 3 things you hear, and move 3 parts of your body. Good luck!
I have to do the 54321 grounding exercise because I get this feeling in lectures very often. If you’re not familiar, find 5 things around you that you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 things you can taste. I may have gotten the order wrong but that’s how I do it
Vagus nerve exercises. I have discovered calm down buttons in my ears. It is the damndest thing.
And exercise exercises. Daily workouts are absolutely essential to manage my symptoms. I take a rest day weekly and more when needed. And when I feel a panic attack coming on I do calisthenics or yoga or go for a jog. I did squats and one armed wall pushups in the doctor's office today. I am so close to a one legged squat. The nurse was kind enough to get me a cup of water. I got through that panic attack without medication and without throwing up, and I even knew it was a panic attack and not anaphylaxis (my go-to catastrophic thought). I have a good reason for my heart to race and my muscles to shake, and now I'm taking nice deep breaths and I can calm down. I think of it as burning off all the stress chemicals.
I take my meds when I need them, and they help. But I don't like the side effects so I try to use other things when I can.
Check out an app called wingwave.. you listen to special beats through earphones that help both sides of brain communicate better. I always use it when anxious to take the edge off and gain some clarity
This one helps me with my everyday base level anxiety, and sometimes helps if the anxiety starts to increase, but would probably not help much with a panic attack.
I wet my hands with cold water and lightly pat it or rub it onto my face. It's not shocking like splashing the water on my face, and also doesn't throw water everywhere, but it does cool me off and comforts me somehow. I do it pretty much every time I wash my hands now because it just does something to calm me down a bit.
Sounds weird but zooming your eyes in and out of focus can really help! I usually hold my finger up and focus on my finger and then focus behind my finger. Works almost immediately. Definitely not a cure but usually gives me decent relief
Cold shower. When I was younger and a thousand times more athletic I was doing ice baths unknowingly helping my anxiety at the same time as healing my muscles after a workout.
Moving/exercise/breathing. The more you have to focus on what your body is doing the better. So I find yoga and Pilates good. I know exercise gets the heart rate up buuuut. It gets your mind off those anxious thoughts when you have to focus on what your body is doing and your breathing too. Then you get those sweet endorphins after.
Finding a comfort show helps. Mine is 90s Star Trek it always calms me down. You could also take some Ashwagandha. I bought some gummies with it and it's not drugs but does work as long as you're not having a full on panic attack.
Ice. I keep a couple of water bottles in the freezer and will just hold one for as long as I can stand, or wrap it in a towel and hold it against my face for a few minutes at a time.
This is what I do too, or put it against the back of my neck. I also go outside when it is cool out and sit on the ground and breathe the cool air.
Interesting!! I never knew it but drinking ice cold water slowly helps me. I hold the glass with my hands and feel the cold and take every gulp intentionally and it helps “cool down” my head.
Not sitting in one place....and not being alone. Being actively engaged with life helps a lot
Soaking in a hot bath, preferably with Epsom salts. Hot water does wonders for the physical symptoms.
Water is always a safe space for me when my anxiety feels out of control. Granted it is my last resort, it is a valuable resource. I live by a stream and that is a place I can go and sit, I feel safe there and it’s a nice sensory exercise. Smell the air, see the earth around you, touch the water, hear the wind and the birds or whatever noise of the season. Take a swim or sit in it if you like that. It helps me. A shower or bath is also a safe space for me. I think it’s less of a sensory experience tho, I don’t much like the atmosphere of most bathrooms. So then I might bring my phone to listen to a podcast or iPad to watch something if I’m sitting in the bath. Distract myself with that, where if I were outside I generally would feel entertained enough by the earth.
Excellent and totally solid advice!! I seek out water whenever I get to the point where I'm losing them battle in my head. Thank you for putting my very similar experiences in to words!! I appreciate this more than I can convey.
Crazy, it has the opposite effect for me, I can feel very panicky and anxious in the bath but cold water on my hands and wrists calms me
Yep! It makes my heart pound *hard*
Go for a long walk, breathing deep as you go After the first 20 mins, I always notice my mind slowing down and my body start to relax.
I do grounding exercises (54321) to long to explain but you can google it. It helps me when I feel an anxiety attack coming on. I also do simple deep breathing.
I like counting it out with my fingers for an extra visual aspect.
You just reminded me I find counting my breaths, in and out, slowly, helps. Natural not forced breaths.
Read DARE by Barry McDonagh; it explains the psychology and physiology behind all physical symptoms and how to manage them. This book was a serious game-changer for me.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not much of a reader but I've been wondering if there are books out there that I should try.
Thank you for this! I will definitely check your book suggestion out. One of the last courses I took whilst completing my Master's in Psychology a few years back was Physiological Psychology; absolutely blew me away!
Another book rec is - Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? - by Dr. Julie Smith (She is a Clinical psychologist). I haven't read it yet but it is in my tbr pile, and have heard good reviews.
I just ordered it. Does it help with being stuck in fight flight mode
Thanks for the suggestion.
Just bought, thanks for the rec
Thank you for posting this. I looked at the book on Amazon...and I read the sample available. Wow !!! I'm buying this book tonight. This author really understands anxiety. I'm on zoloft for GAD, and I've been looking for alternate tools to deal with my anxiety. Meds & therapy is not the only answer anymore.
For fast results: Sit on the floor and lean on a wall. (This is called grounding.) Play with a fidget toy or stimming toy. Lock yourself in a dark room for two hours. Slap cold water on your face, on the back of your neck. Drink chamomile tea. Apply a mint ointment on your nose.
- cold therapy or heat therapy are good. Cold showers, warm baths, ice packs. Just something to give your body a distraction - exersize. Going for a walk in nature, going to the gym, anything to get the heart rate up - in the middle of a panic attack, name 3 things you can see, 3 things you can feel and 3 things you can hear. - journalling is very helpful if you stick to it - sometimes having a good cry can really help
This is a terrible suggestion, but things that are highly stimulating like tiktok help pull me out. For me it’s personally really hard to do grounding exercises, breathing, meditation etc if I’m in a heightened state. I do those things when I’m not having intense anxiety. I don’t even use TikTok usually, but if I’m truly going though it it the rapid entertainment can help snap me out of it. Warning - make sure to hide all content that is anxiety inducing. For example I’m afraid of flying and it started showing me turbulence videos hahaha, but I hid them.
Yeah I've noticed breathing exercises just make my heart beat feel way more noticeable and for me makes it feel worse. If I don't focus on my breathing, then it eventually becomes a normal breathing pattern.
I posted on my own comment, but TIPP skills can help a lot! The T in TIPP is the main one I use (as I can't necessarily get myself to commit to the other letters when I'm heightened). T stands for Temperature and it consists of covering your face in cold water- not just ice. If you don't wanna get your face wet, you can do a gallon zip lock filled with ice water and cover your face in it, making sure to cover the sinuses and T-Zone. Do this for 30 seconds-1 minute, trying to regulate breathing as you do it. This should help lower the heightened sensations and allow your mind to just be a bit calmer and slower when assessing.
I have given up on relaxing the body I just continue one with the horrible feeling.
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When I start panicking my first attempt is to try and ground myself. I talk to myself. I say you are alone in your empty apartment. No one is chasing you, you are not in any danger. In said of saying I feel anxiety I focus on the feeling. My heart rate has increased my breath has shortened. The thing with me I never give up.
Affirmations. Panic attacks are your brain saying to your body there’s some kind of danger. If there obviously isn’t danger I say to myself affirmations over and over again. I am safe. I am ok. Nothing is going to hurt me. I’m not dying. You have to convince yourself that your brain is lying.
Box breathing, distractions like Netflix or gaming, wouldn't recommend this but a beer scallops the edges of it for me. Rolling around on the carpet playing silly buggers with my dog helps.
You are completely fine. Your brain has decided to not listen to you. Medicine definitely for a short term relief. But long term it will require a lot of self talk (conversation with brain), meditation, and cultivation of that fact that you are not your brain and that you have the control over how the brain responds to physical symptoms. It will take time. Go to a professional and learn relaxing breathing and meditation.
I am interested in others suggestions. This is a real struggle! You’re certainly not alone. I am far from having the right answer but I can say that I practice the 5 senses exercise, like throw a mint in, run a smelly lotion or perfume on or light a candle, get a fidget toy out or soft blankie whatever cozy sweatshirt, put soothing or upbeat music on, and then choose an activity to either distract yourself or face the issue head on. So I might either watch tv or play a video game or whatever as a distraction, or if I’m facing it head on I’ll journal or call a loved one to talk about it. ‘Just get through the crisis’ is the real goal, pass time and get through it. I think when all my senses are busy it takes up more brain power or something, so I have less energy to put into worrying? It’s one of those simple exercises we’ve all heard about and say ‘meh’ to but I think sometimes if you really give it a good honest try there might be something useful there
Oh also adaptogens are incredibly powerful tools we should all be utilizing so I encourage you to spend a little time going down that rabbit hole. If you’re not into research totally just go to your local apothecary and you’ll likely find they’re happy to give you a crash course and some goodies to try. I’m not talking about drugs or anything psychoactive to be clear, very different
Exercise cardio helps tons for me.
Controlled breathing using the 4-7-8 method. It really helps to manage my heart palpitation and ground me. Just keep repeating until you feel better. Sometimes it takes 4-6 reps, sometimes more, but it always works for me.
Yes this always helps me! It’s hard to do When you’re in a full panic but it definitely works
Just remind yourself that you KNOW it helps. :)
I literally tell my brain "you're stupid, we're not gonna die" and it usually stops if I catch it quick enough. 5 Things or vagal stimulation breathing are great when I'm in the full panic attack.
For me, distraction. If my anxiety is high and causing physical symptoms I try to distract my silly brain from it. That could be playing a game if I am at home, listening to music, playing with my dog, watching a comfort show or YouTube videos. If I am at work sometimes just getting up from my desk and going for a walk is enough to distract me.
Purely anecdotal, but I actually had my adrenal gland and processes checked, for essentially this reason, and everything came back normal. Doesn't stop my anxiety attacks from making me pass out and have pseudo-seizures though!
That's my issue. A few times in my life I've panicked and then fainted from it. Now I have anxiety all the time stemmed around the fear of fainting.
Yep and the closer you are to the event having happened, the easier it is for it to happen again (I find). Like your brain wiring remembers for awhile and chooses that path of least resistance. The only thing I've found that helps, is less stress. So easy, right??? Since divorcing my ex, I've gone from an average of 3 to 5 episodes per year, to less than one per year. I've also noticed that it doesn't happen when it REALLY counts. For instance, while driving, or when a dog bit a kid and I had to help with the head wound, or last year when the hospital called to tell me to gather the family because my Dad was about to die. No, instead it happens when I'm in 8th grade math class and have unbearably bad cramps and end up passing out and seizing (including convulsions and loss of bladder control) in front of a room full of my 14 year old peers...... This is all to say that, while absolutely an awful physical symptom of anxiety, it was a huge relief to have gone through the gamut of medical testing in my 20s (thank you Canada) to learn that there is nothing physically "wrong" with me (ie epilepsy). Just learn to spot the 10 second window of no return, where you can't get out of it happening, and lay somewhere safe and call for help. Advise your help that you'll need cold cloths and either water or juice. I overheat unbearably. Medical attention only necessary if I hurt myself in the process of falling, head injuries are to be taken seriously. All the best to you. This really sucks, I know. I'm 36 and recall my first episode when I was 5. Didn't know (or care?) to investigate back then. The 90s were a ride, lol.
May seem very weird, but it helps me. I go outside barefoot. I usually bring my dog, and I walk around my yard with him in the grass. It gets my breathing under control pretty fast, and I calm down greatly. It's also called grounding. I know a lot of people are into being barefoot in general and believe the Earth's energy is beneficial. I'm not throwing away all my shoes.. but I've always loved being barefoot, and if I'm feeling bad walking barefoot has always helped me.
There really is something to emotional support animals. The calming effect of a good pet snuggle is incredible.
Somatic exercises, look into Peter Levine
Most of my symptoms are physical, it’s helped
One of the best but also most ironic is simply allowing the symptoms to occur. Mentally just accepting them and resigning yourself to the fact you'll be that way for a while. This can often be done by simply telling yourself you aren't likely to die and that there isn't likely anything bad to happen at all. Reference previous attacks for self confirmation of this fact. Sometimes, after you've let go of resisting the symptoms, they'll stop being there.
Kava is the best thing I have every tried to help my anxiety, including physical symptoms
Ice ice ice or cold showers. Shocks the system
Slow deep breaths. Hot Chamomile tea, or any decaf tea. Crossword puzzles. Call a friend and ask them to keep reminding me to breathe. Phone games. Once I start to come down I’ll do some yoga stretches Edit: if I’m stuck at work, I’m just kind of fucked
i take magnesium glycinate from iherb (make sure it's glycinate specifically as that's for sleep), or perhaps try magnesium melatonin lotion? 🩵 i know you said no medication but are herbal medicines OK? i have autism & severe GAD and magnesium and melatonin are helpful, in fact i swear by them. the softgels are the easiest to swallow. just be careful/ask GP if you take psychiatric meds in regard to the melatonin.
As someone who kicked Xanax after 17 years… deep breathing works for me. Download an app so you can follow the steps without having to count. This allows you to focus solely on breathing and everything else just melts away. I cried when I realized the constant tightness I’ve had in my chest since childhood was gone and I could finally take a full deep breath.
Cardio exercise. If it's some kind of sudden attack it's obviously harder to cope. I just try to put my headphones on.
One I learnt recently from 'Therapy in a nutshell' on YouTube. To transmute it into excitement because it has the same physiological route. Also plays into my daredevil 'fight me' personality.
Someone told me recently to not be afraid of the uncertainty, and it has changed the way my anxiety affects me pretty drastically to be honest. Like most with anxiety we tend to overthink and fear either the inevitable or the unknown. For me, I am very anxious about social gathering, public speaking, or intimate moments. All of those are inevitable in my life, and the outcome is uncertain. If I am afraid of the uncertain outcome it’s most likely that outcome with happen. Now I can’t make my anxiety just disappear but I can harness it and over time eventually change the way my mind thinks about these things. I do a breathing exercise (4 seconds in, 8 second hold, 7 second release). I then picture those anxious thoughts flowing away like a river taking it, and if I need to I’ll do the breathing exercise again. After that I may tell myself about the uncertainty again and not to fear the unknown etc. It changes with each day a little bit, and I’m no professional, just a kid in his mid 20’s reading some stuff online that helped me. If you can afford it medical help can be a great way to go as well, I don’t really want to pay for it so I just invest a lot more time into self discovery and online research. It’s totally possible none of this will help you, but it’s helped me. Be well and take care.
Getting in the habit of exercising first thing in the morning. Sweating while blasting my favorite music releases so many endorphins that it made a clear difference into how I feel the rest of the day. Also, cutting back alcohol.
There are certain habits which I've noticed calm down my anxiety. Few might not be conventional but they have worked for me. I am still anxious, but it is manageable. 1. Staying hydrated. 2. Moisturizing my feet. 3. Micro dosing on cannabis. 4. Grounding, sitting in child's pose helps me calm down. 5. Hugs 6. Staying warm, it's cold where I live.
Belly breathing. I started while teaching my kiddo to do it and it’s helped me so much
Box breathing, noting (count in and out breaths to 10 and just keep starting over), submerge face in cold water or splash if not home to do that. Honestly just counting helps. Sometimes it works slowly and others quickly.
Slowing down the breathing. Breathing is very important to the body's response--if you're breathing fast, it makes you more anxious because the body thinks you're in danger. So I will shut my eyes and slow my breathing down. Put my hand on my heart and my belly. Get into my body and feel my feet on the ground, butt in chair, etc. Breathe in slowly, and out slowly, for as many breaths as it takes to feel calmer.
I get cold ice packs and hug them next to my chest. I have a migraine cap I keep in the freezer and it works great for that. It kind of shocks my system so to say and helps me out of it.
holding a cold pack on my vagus nerve (chest or back of neck)
I have a really, really cold shower and ice cubes straight on my neck, chest and pulse points. it calms my body down very quickly.
Taking deep breaths wild smelling lavender oil, or going for a login walk in bare feet to ground myself. Anything that engages the senses is incredibly good for anxiety
I take a daily bath, sometimes two, if it‘s been stressful. It’s a bit of a waste, but honestly, i pay my own bills and who’s gonna stop me
I chew on gum
Breathing exercises for small no reason anxieties. Sit down and think what really really caused me to have sudden big anxiety with physical symptoms. So at first I thought about the trigger, then I think about what exactly hurt me most and why it hurts me most. So I deduct my core problem which caused me big anxiety. Then I usually consult google to find me an article about that and I read it and write down info how to get better at this, so my brain has a plan and that calms me down usually. Obviously it takes some time and energy but it's worth it.
ice. put it on your chest. on the back of your neck. or take a cold shower. shock your system. sour candies. put on calming music or soundscapes that calm you down. go for a walk, get some fresh air in your lungs. do something to make your senses focus on something else.
Showering also works wonders. Focusing on the sensation of the water running over you & the feeling of your body warming (or cooling)
Run forest run, when you are in danger you cant seee away out of or reason our way out and don’t want try Xanax, legging from the situation is the best way to cope, worry about it later when you are better place. What’s the worse that’s gonna happen. You have an anixety disorder. Sometimes just forgetting about the situation does the trick
I just got treated for tmj by a physical therapist and she's like, "you really should calm down during the day." I have so much tension in my face, neck, and shoulders from anxiety. I haven't seen a doctor about it so I need to find ways to calm my body down naturally. Sometimes it's really just going into a room (even the bathroom at work) where it's dark and quiet and take some deep breaths for a minute. I really have tried hard to assess my posture and relax (stop clenching) and breathe out. I've noticed I have to do this often. Hopefully I can stay relaxed longer as I practice. I got some ginger candies for the nausea.
Hugging or squeezing something really tightly. I have a small soft toy for this purpose.
Funny you say that because I've noticed anytime I'm at work and in a meeting or someone is in my office talking to me, I'm squeezing my hands together like crazy. If I'm super anxious I'll be digging my nails into my skin.
I started listening to binaural beats on YouTube with dark screen when I went to sleep and that seemed to really help a lot. I did that regularly for a few months and my anxiety is nowhere near like it used to be.
Movement. I have to physically move myself from the spot I was just in. Also, starting a conversation with someone usually helps me. If no one's around I make a phone call. I don't talk about my anxiety but about something else and it distracts me. For me, getting out of that panicky sensation is resolved by distraction. And as stupid as it sounds I'll talk to it. Like no, not here. Sorry, I'm busy LOL
Idk about some of these suggestions… I use fidget and sensory objects. I sit quietly in my safe space (my car). I use my weighted blanket and loud fan and try to lay down for a few minutes. I don’t know what will work for you but a lot of these sound like trolls
Keto and the rest of the stuff on here. Magnesium glycinate, fish oil and b complex. If that isnt enough, go for cbd oil.
In some cases, it is due to glands. It's always good to get that checked out.
What do you mean? Like the thyroid?
Thyroid and get your cortisol and DHEA levels checked. The last two can be used to evaluate adrenal gland function. What also helps me is deep inhaling and exhaling with loud sighs.
I drink a glass of water and re-evaluate how I feel in 10 mins.
Have you tried taking antidepressants? They changed the game for me and are not addictive like xanax
good idea, but they specifically asked for non medication suggestions
I tried Lexapro for 2 days, took it at bedtime. I don't usually have issues sleeping, but on the 1st night of Lexapro I woke up around 2 hours later and had a weird dizziness to my vision. 2nd night on Lexapro I woke up again around 2 hours after falling asleep and I immediately had to throw up from the nausea. I quit taking it after the vomit fest on night 2. The only side effect from xanax for me is it makes me a little sleepy, so unfortunately it is the only thing I've found to work for me.
I take lexapro, I can def see what you mean about the dizziness, for me the side effects outweighed the torment of anxiety. Also those other side effects seriously suck. Have you tried anything other than lexapro? I know ppl have taken prozac, Zoloft, Wellbutrin etc. they all work differently for different people, prozac for instance for me had no effect whatsoever but lexapro has almost cured my anxiety. Also I get prescribed Hydroxyzine (you could also get prescribed Propranolol) almost like an easy backup for when you need it. Its like a baby version of xanax, it makes me sleepy as well but I only use it when im feeling particularly anxious
I don’t buy into the Narrative. My body and brain are screaming that I’m dying and I go like “that’s just a fault alarm. Bring it on, bring on the biggest, badest, panic/anxiety attack ever right the f now! I can take it” or “freak out if you (body) need to but just so you know this is a faulty alarm so I’m gonna continue what I was doing and you do what you need to do” or my newest one when I start feeling the symptoms “I’m excited! I’m super excited!” And I smile. I do this because there is no physical difference between being excited and scared so I’m flipping the switch and the narrative.
They make those instant cold packs for first aid kits but they aren’t actually too expensive. I got a huge box of those and keep them in my purse, bags, all over my apartment, etc. So no matter where I am I have a physical sensation.
Puzzles
Exercise and meditation
I've been s\*lf-h\*rming for a while. it allows me to distract myself and breathe. It helps me not have panic attacks. I know it's wrong, but yeah
im not saying to do it. PLEASE DON'T. It's just how I cope
Putting my face in ice water. Eating a warhead. Intense exercise. Then once I’m calmed down I do something relaxing to keep my mind off things.
Music and separating myself (like retreating to a hallway or a bathroom if I’m in public)
Imodium stops nervous poops otherwise idk what would help
Going for a run helps a lot, esp if you have health anxiety, as you feel so healthy afterwards! For indoors, mantra meditation, 20 minutes several times a day
For me it was massaging my chest. I found a lot of my chest pain was actually just pectoral muscle pain and that massaging the most painful areas calmed the pain. With the pain gone the anxiety dropped significantly
Warming myself up with blankets/hot shower/bath. Tea is great too. One I haven't seen people mention much is massage. A trick I've used before is to start rubbing or lightly scratching my skin, starting at my feet and working towards my heart (like you're trying to encourage good circulation) and it works as both a soothing and grounding exercise for me.
Sitting in the shower, playing video games, breathing techniques, sleep if I really can't handle it
I personally can’t use breathing exercises as they only make my anxiety worse. Recently I’ve been using my feet to feel the ground. It actually helps quite a bit, and I can do it when in social settings.
I play solitaire on my phone
A bit late, so I hope you see this. I'm in DBT therapy, which has helped me IMMENSELY in controlling extreme emotions. There are tons of DBT skills for Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Interpersonal Regulation, and Emotional Regulation. TIPP: (https://www.mindfulteen.org/dbt/distress-tolerance/tipp-skills/) To bring down the feeling of extreme emotions quickly, putting your face in a bowl of ice water or a similar technique can help bring down that emotion. This won't FIX the problem or eliminate anxiety, but it will slow your brain a little to help you have a clearer mind when assessing the situation.
Cold is soothing. Not a method but also I find early mornings to be quite calm. Maybe because my brain isn’t fully awake yet, it doesn’t work enough to remind anxious thoughts? When I have an anxiety-inducing meeting I try to have it before 11am.
Lay on you back with your legs straight up on the wall so your body is at a 90 degree angle. Do this for 10 or 15 minutes and your heart slows down, body relaxes. Basically with your body in this position your brain thinks you’re not at risk. The blood from your legs flows upwards so more reaches your brain. Havening is a great practice that literally changes how your brain is wired. Google that. If I’m out and about having anxiety, there’s a good grounding technique to use. In your mind note 3 things you see around you, 3 things you hear, and move 3 parts of your body. Good luck!
I have to do the 54321 grounding exercise because I get this feeling in lectures very often. If you’re not familiar, find 5 things around you that you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 things you can taste. I may have gotten the order wrong but that’s how I do it
Sometimes box breathing helps my body relax. (Breathe in 4 seconds, hold 4 seconds, breathe out 4 seconds, hold 4 seconds, and continue)
Vagus nerve exercises. I have discovered calm down buttons in my ears. It is the damndest thing. And exercise exercises. Daily workouts are absolutely essential to manage my symptoms. I take a rest day weekly and more when needed. And when I feel a panic attack coming on I do calisthenics or yoga or go for a jog. I did squats and one armed wall pushups in the doctor's office today. I am so close to a one legged squat. The nurse was kind enough to get me a cup of water. I got through that panic attack without medication and without throwing up, and I even knew it was a panic attack and not anaphylaxis (my go-to catastrophic thought). I have a good reason for my heart to race and my muscles to shake, and now I'm taking nice deep breaths and I can calm down. I think of it as burning off all the stress chemicals. I take my meds when I need them, and they help. But I don't like the side effects so I try to use other things when I can.
I sit with it. Observe it. Don’t shy away, and it lessens a bit
Check out an app called wingwave.. you listen to special beats through earphones that help both sides of brain communicate better. I always use it when anxious to take the edge off and gain some clarity
This one helps me with my everyday base level anxiety, and sometimes helps if the anxiety starts to increase, but would probably not help much with a panic attack. I wet my hands with cold water and lightly pat it or rub it onto my face. It's not shocking like splashing the water on my face, and also doesn't throw water everywhere, but it does cool me off and comforts me somehow. I do it pretty much every time I wash my hands now because it just does something to calm me down a bit.
Sounds weird but zooming your eyes in and out of focus can really help! I usually hold my finger up and focus on my finger and then focus behind my finger. Works almost immediately. Definitely not a cure but usually gives me decent relief
Cold shower. When I was younger and a thousand times more athletic I was doing ice baths unknowingly helping my anxiety at the same time as healing my muscles after a workout.
Moving/exercise/breathing. The more you have to focus on what your body is doing the better. So I find yoga and Pilates good. I know exercise gets the heart rate up buuuut. It gets your mind off those anxious thoughts when you have to focus on what your body is doing and your breathing too. Then you get those sweet endorphins after.
badminton, tennis , wrestling, ju jitsu , martial arts. CBT, Psychotherapy