Siúil a Rúin
when the colors fade
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2007
- Messages
- 14,057
- MBTI Type
- ISFP
- Enneagram
- 496
- Instinctual Variant
- sp/sx
This is an important perspective for anyone who deals with this issue.You need to get checked out to know whether or not you are truly having anxiety attacks. For a long time I was told that I was having anxiety attacks, but I later discovered that I was having tachycardia-like symptoms due to untreated and unmanaged hypoglycemia.
Which just further solidifies my opinion that 90% of doctors are useless at diagnosing their patients unless the symptoms are dancing a little jig with bells on, but that's for another thread.
Point is, there are other health issues that can look very much like an anxiety attack. If this only happens when you're sleeping, I'm sure there's a reason for it. Your body releases all manner of chemicals when going in to sleep mode. Do a bit of research on your own and talk to a doctor about your symptoms.
I used to have strong driving anxiety. I got past it and even drove across the U.S all alone after my divorce. Yesterday morning I drove in some rather bad winter weather and stayed focused although worn down.Why do these attacks occur? Is it out of a fear of some particular thing? For example in this case, are you afraid of driving on the interstate? Just trying to find out.
This last time it didn't feel like a conscious driving issue. There might be some issues like hypoglycemia or chemical imbalance, but I will avoid Zoloft having been on it with bad results in the past. The external world appears rather predatory to me. I think overall it is predatory, but there is a pragmatic reason to view only the fragments I can deal with at a moment and to surround myself and focus more on those aspects which are benign.
Well, I've never had an anxiety attack. I have recently learned to use mindfulness meditation (which is basically sitting and allowing yourself to think about whatever comes to mind without judgement or directives). It has been most effective in helping me figure out the causes of my stress. I have a natural tendancy to surpress my own emotions and needs until I reach "critical mass". I'm learning to counteract this by figuring out how I am feeling, what my needs are and then doing something about it by addressing the issue...which usually involves talking to people and setting boundaries...which was super-hard to do in the beginning, but is getting way easier.
That's what works for me...I am not sure if it will be helpful to you, but either way I wish you the best. I know it must not be easy for you.
Meditation is good advice. I need to do it more regularly, but it is great approach to use non-judgment. Sometimes what appears like a disaster at first can turn out to be a positive thing. Laughing in response to problems and stresses can also help reduce the pain from what I understand.Buddhist mindfulness may be helpful for you. Non-judgemental labelling of the internal emotional state can turn down the volume of trigger reactions.
Best of luck with this, Toonia. Anxiety is unpleasant in the extreme.